TOP 10 Favorite Books

01

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I'm a huge fan of Jane Austen- her writing, characters, and plots were incredibly ahead of her time.  All of her novels are amazingly well-written, but Pride and Prejudice  will always be my favorite.  Elizabeth Bennet is one of my all-time favorite female characters because of how she portrays both strength and femininity. 

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02

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women has been one of my favorite books since I was very young.  I have three younger sisters, so I loved reading about the lives and adventures of the March sisters.  The characters are so real and relatable, and it's easy to become invested in their stories.  I still re-read this book almost annually, and it never fails to make me as happy as I was the first time I read it.

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03

All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

This book is a beautifully crafted work of historical fiction set during World War II.  The plot is intricate and enthralling, the characters are deep and well-rounded, and the book (although fictional) really opened my eyes to aspects of World War II that I hadn't given much thought to previously.  As an author, I really appreciate the extensive amount of research that must have gone into this book.  Anothony Doerr has a beautiful way with words- this book brought me to tears several times.

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04

Love Does by Bob Goff                        

Love Does is sort of like a memoir, but it's really so much more than that.  Bob Goff shares stories from throughout his life and encourages us as Christians to love others as Christ does- fearlessly, wholeheartedly, and selflessly.  I highly, highly recommend this book.

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05

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

Just Mercy is the story of how Bryan Stevenson has worked to bring justice to those wrongfully incarcerated.  This book is very well-written and it opened my eyes to a lot of important facts, an it brought my attention to some serious issues within our justice system.  I cannot recommend this book enough.

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06

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

Even though this series is technically a children's book, it has remained one of my favorites to this day.  The Penderwicks (book #1 of the series) is about the summer adventures of four sisters; the series continues to tell their stories as they grow up.  I absolutely love every single one of the characters in these books; the entire series is endearing and heart-warming.  I'd recommend it to readers of any age!  

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07

The "Seven Realms" series by Cinda Williams Chima

I'm a huge fan of fantasy stories, and this is by far one of my favorites!  The plot/premise is a little hard to explain (as is so often the case with fantasy books), so suffice it to say that this story will keep you interested and engaged.  The storyline and characters are very creative, and the world-building is impressive.  There are four books total in the series (book #1 is The Demon King).   

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08

The "Chaos Walking" series by Patrick Ness

The Chaos Walking series is my favorite futuristic/dystopian series, hands-down.  The story takes place in a world inhabited only by men, where everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts.  I will say that the first book (The Knife Of Never Letting Go) can be hard to get into at first due to the interesting writing style and the very abstract premise.  However, if you're a fan of science-fiction/dystopian stories, I definitely recommend sticking it out and giving the series a chance!  It's definitely a series that gets better as it goes on, and it's filled with unique characters and exciting plots/sub-plots.

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09

The Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas

Disclaimer: I haven't finished the entire series yet, but it's not from lack of wanting to.

The Throne of Glass series is another fantasy favorite.  Sarah J. Maas weaves an intricate storyline full of equally intricate sub-plots (seriously...so many sub-plots.  But they never become too overwhelming!).  Her characters are well-written, real, and very unique.  The story is enthralling and exciting and will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat.

(P.S.: Throne of Glass is technically the first book of the series, but there's a book of prequel novellas (The Assassin's Blade) that I recommend reading first!)

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10

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis 

The Chronicles of Narnia are some of my absolute favorites!  They're so, so well-written and the plot of each book is engaging and exciting.  I love the characters and the correlations Lewis makes between his books and the Gospel story.

(You have to read The Magician's Nephew before you read The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe!)