T10T: Books I’m Thankful For

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.

Happy Tuesday! Thanksgiving is only two days away for us Americans, and for me that means a four-day weekend, lots of food, and getting to see my family! It also means plenty of time to read and (NERD ALERT) play Pokémon Sun, which I bought as soon as it was released last Friday. (And I admittedly haven’t read anything since.)

Anywho, to celebrate the spirit of gratefulness that Thanksgiving inspires, here are 1o books that I’m grateful for, in no particular order:

1. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
   I read this book at a time in my life where I was questioning my happiness, my purpose, my future, and my life in general. It was a bit of an existential crisis. The main character in The Bell Jar has several experiences that made me feel like I wasn’t alone in these thoughts, and the fact that Plath wrote so openly about a struggle with mental illness is an inspiration to me.

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2. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
   Scarlet is my favorite book out of The Lunar Chronicles series, because the character Scarlet is my favorite out of the gang. She is so feisty and quick-tempered, and was the most honest and relatable to me. I love that she isn’t afraid to speak her mind or take action to protect the people she cares about; since I’m more of a Cress, she has qualities I personally aspire to.

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3. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
   This is the first classic I truly appreciated, and now I can’t fathom why I waited so long to read it. Jane is one of my top favorite protagonists, and reminds me to be strong in various ways.

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4. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
   I’m grateful for this book, because it was unexpectedly magical. Since the story reflects the real world on the surface, I can’t help but believe there is magic to be found somewhere underneath life’s seemingly mundane normalities. Also, who wouldn’t be thankful for Gansey?

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5. The Mediator by Meg Cabot
   I read this series when I was in middle school, and it truly cemented my status as a reader. Every time I finished a book, I would ride my bike all the way from my house to a local shop to buy the next one with my weekly allowance.

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6. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
   This book induced THE BIGGEST book hangover for me, and the characters are constantly worming their way into my thoughts almost every day. I pretty much worship Feyre, I’m in want of a Rhys, and I can’t imagine not having this book in my life!

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7. Gemina by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman
   While I loved Illuminae, the book previous to Gemina, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the sequel even more. It was a roller coaster of emotions, and introduced several amazing characters that I am ridiculously invested in.

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8. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
   Basically my favorite book ever, Coraline is creative genius. It’s creepy, it’s imaginative, and it’s full of love and bravery. If I ever have a daughter, I hope she reads it and is as inspired as I was, if not more. Not to mention, the movie kicked ass, which is a rare opinion for me!

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9. Once I Was Cool by Megan Stielstra
   This is the most relatable, hilarious, and gripping book of essays I’ve read so far. Stielstra puts so much meaning and feeling into each essay, and I’m grateful for the chance to learn from her writing and life experiences.

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10. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
    Roxane Gay is another one of my favorite essayists, and Bad Feminist is, in my opinion, a must read. There was a point in time when I questioned what it meant to be a feminist, if I was one, if I was a good one, if I was doing anything positive for the movement and women’s rights, etc. Roxane Gay really helped me through this journey!

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What books are you thankful for? Are you doing anything special for Thanksgiving? I hope everyone celebrating has a great holiday!