My Favorite Books of All Time

Hey! I hope you’re all having a great day! I thought this would be a perfect post as the first like “real” post on this blog. If you missed my introductory post, make sure to check it out here. This post is pretty chill and I’m just going to talk about some of my favorite books so you guys can get an idea of my reading taste. If you think I would like any other books based on the ones on this list, please comment recommendations down below. It would seriously make my day and I’ll make sure to read them as soon as possible! Hopefully you can discover some books you’ll really like from this post too. I don’t really have anything else to say, so let’s just get into it!

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Series

Gallagher Girls Series by Ally Carter

Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is no ordinary school. At Gallagher Academy girls are taught to be spies. Cammie Morgan, daughter of the headmistress, is great at blending in and hiding in plain sight. She’s fluent in over a dozen languages, and trained in hacking, martial arts, and murder. However, no one taught her what to do when she meets an ordinary boy and no amount of spying provides her with a clear answer to navigating a relationship with someone who can never know the truth about you.

“Lies aren’t just the things we tell – they’re the lives we lead.” 

Ally Carter, Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy

As someone whose childhood dream was to be an undercover spy (I eventually gave up this dream when I realized training required physical exercise), Gallagher Academy literally sounds like the coolest thing ever. Also I love Cammie and her friends and Ally Carter’s writing style is hilarious. However I do have to warn you that the first book, I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You, isn’t that great. Don’t get me wrong, it’s decent. I ended up rating it 3 stars. It’s not a bad book. I found it a bit boring though. But like, oh my gosh, if you keep reading the storyline gets so good.

Like, I’m begging you please at least read the first two books before writing off the series. I promise you, it’s worth it. Something happens in the second book that I don’t want to spoil but is super epic, and all the books after the first one are amazing. Please please please read this series. Cause all my friends are lame and won’t pick up a book so I have no one to talk to about it. And it’s one of those series that makes you want to scream just thinking about it so staying quiet is really, really hard. (Don’t you feel bad for me? You totally should. And you should probably read this series to make me feel better. And then message me a thank you. It would really be for the good of all of us.)

Enola Holmes Series by Nancy Springer

Enola Holmes is the significantly younger sister of Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes. When her mother disappears on her 14th birthday, she reaches out to her brothers to help her find her. Instead they decide that she needs to attend an all-girls finishing school to learn how to be a proper lady. This causes her to run away to London where she hopes to find her mother and evade her brothers.

“To be a man, apparently, was to lack the ability to be a woman.”

Nancy Springer, The Case of the Left-Handed Lady

I know you’ve probably heard of this series because of the movie adaptations (which are so good) but I promise the books are just as great. I do have to admit, I’ve only read the first three books in this series, but I’ve loved them and I’m excited to continue this series. Enola Holmes is a total girl boss and probably one of my favorite characters of all time.

The plot and mysteries are really intriguing and Enola uses ciphers and codes all the time. That might not seem significant, but it’s really handy if you have contests with your friends over how long it takes each other to decode notes you write to them. (Not that I’m that big of a nerd… ) Watching the characters develop throughout the series has been a lot of fun. Also did I mention that Nancy Springer’s writing is immaculate? Cause if you ask me, it’s pretty immaculate. Plus, detectives are only below spies when it comes to epicness (sorry, I don’t make the rules) so that helps too.

Shadow and Bone Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

The fantasy nation of Ravka is split in two by the Shadow Fold, an area full of constant darkness and monsters. However, some people must attempt to pass through it in order to trade goods and keep Ravka connected. When Alina Starkov’s regiment is attacked while traveling through the Fold, Alina reveals a power that she herself did not know she had and saves her best friend, Mal. She is taken away to the royal court to be trained alongside other Grisha, people that basically have magic powers. The Grisha are led by the Darkling, a figure who is as mysterious as he is powerful.

“You know the problem with heroes and saints… They always end up dead.”

Leigh Bardugo, Siege and Storm

I love this trilogy so much. The first book is my favorite, but I thoroughly enjoyed all three of them. Plus we meet one of my favorite characters ever in Siege and Storm. I think the plot is very intriguing and the romantic plot lines were very well written. Like if you haven’t read this book, just please do it. Also I know a lot of people think the Six of Crows duology, which exists in the same universe as this trilogy, is even better. I haven’t read Six of Crows yet, but I’m really excited to. Like seriously, it’s been on my TBR forever.

Standalones

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Honestly this book needs no introduction, but I’ll give a quick synopsis on the off chance you don’t know what The Fault in Our Stars is about: Hazel, a teen with terminal cancer, meets Augustus, a teen osteosarcoma survivor, at a Cancer Kids Support Group. They bond over sarcastic humor and books, specifically Hazel’s favorite novel, “An Imperial Affliction”. As Hazel begins to fall for Augustus, she is hesitant to admit her feelings because she doesn’t want him to grow too close to her just to have her pass away.

“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book. And then there are books like An Imperial Affliction, which you can’t tell people about, books so special and rare and yours that advertising your affection feels like betrayal.” 

John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

I mean, if you haven’t read this book, what are you doing with your life? Like, there are no excuses. You’ve definitely heard of it so just read it okay? It’s so good! I will warn you, it is very sad, but please don’t let that stop you from reading it because it is well worth it. I’ve heard people say that the main characters are pretentious and unrealistic, but personally I found them really relatable. (Maybe that says more about me though lol.) I think this book shows that teenagers can have complex emotions and deep relationships. I feel like a lot of books with teen main characters, they aren’t given near enough credit, and I absolutely love Hazel and Augustus in this book.

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott

Stella and Will are two teens with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Stella likes to be in control of everything, even though CF can make that impossible. She follows the rules, stays organized, and does everything in her power avoid jeopardizing the possibility of a lung transplant. And then there’s Will. He has B. Cepacia, a disease can cause people with CF’s lungs to decline faster. It spreads through contact with others with CF, which is why Stella needs to stay away from him. Six feet away to be exact. However, as feelings grow between them, this distance begins to feel immeasurable.

“I’m tired of living without really living. I’m tired of wanting things. We can’t have a lot of things. But we could have this.”

Rachael Lippincott, Five Feet Apart

So before you’re like, “Seriously? This is literally the same as the last book!” I promise it’s not. Although they’re compared a lot, Five Feet Apart and The Fault in Our Stars are very different and personally, I like Five Feet Apart slightly more. I am a firm believer that Will and Augustus would be best friends if they met though.

I watched the movie adaptation prior to reading this book and I would say if you enjoyed the movie, you would definitely love the book. The screenplay and the book were actually written at the same time so they are very similar, but there’s one scene in the book that I think makes it even better than the movie (which has Cole Sprouse in it so the standard was already quite high).

Danger to Herself and Others by Alyssa Sheinmel

Hannah knows it’s a mistake when she’s sent to a mental hospital after her friend falls out of a window and suffers brain damage. She just has to sit tight and wait for everyone else to figure out that she’s innocent and she’ll be back to her senior year of high school. Hannah eventually gets a roommate named Lucy, who helps her to discover the secrets that led to her being institutionalized.

“A pill can be more invasive than a shot. Taking the pill implies that it’s your choice. Willingness to swallow what they hand you suggests that you agree with them: there’s something wrong with you; you need to take your medicine.” 

Alyssa Sheinmel, A Danger to Herself and Others

I feel like this summary didn’t do the book justice, but I don’t want to spoil everything. Although this book doesn’t perfectly portray a mental hospital by any means, (Alyssa Sheinmel admits that she took liberties0 I think this is a great book about mental health. I even recommended it in an article I wrote for The Teen Magazine on books to read for Mental Health Awareness Month, which is in May. You’ll be hooked from the first page and you won’t stop guessing at the ending until you reach it. This book is really really good and you can tell that Alyssa Sheinmel is definitely a very talented author.

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I hope you enjoyed this post! If you’ve read any of these books, make sure to tell me how you felt about them down below. Also let me know if you’re planning on reading any of them. I always love to hear from you guys. I hope this post finds you well and you’re having a great day!