Sorry its been a fairly long time since I’ve posted. Its been a crazy two weeks finishing up my summer class.

Recently I saw this quote by Laurie Halse Anderson, the author of Speak:

“You can tell a book is real when it makes your heart beat faster. Real books make you sweat. Cry, if no one is looking. Real books help you make sense of your crazy life. Real books tell it true, don’t hold back, and make you stronger. But most of all, real books give you hope. Because it’s not always going to be like this and books – the good ones, the real ones – show you how to make it better. Now.”

This got me thinking about books that I’ve read that have done these things for me. In a way, all books have done this for me, but some have been forgettable while some have stood out in my memory for a variety of reasons. And then some of them have changed my life or at least my way of thinking.

10 “real” books that I’ve discovered:

1. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

3. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

4.The Storyteller’s Daughter by Cameron Dokey

5.Send by Patty Blount

6. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

7.Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

8.Darkness Visible by William Styron

9. Green Angel by Alice Hoffman

10. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

There are so many “real” books that have devoured me. These are just the ones (excepting The Bell Jar) that I have on my bookshelf.

What “real” books have you read?