30 For 30

Well, everyone, I turn 30 today. In honor of my 30 years, I thought I’d list 30 of my favorite books throughout my life. So in no particular order:

1.  The Mystery at Number Seven, Rue Petite by Ellen Shire.
This was one of my favorite books as a kid. I read it all the time. I think it’s probably my first mystery book.

2. The Baby-sitters Club by Ann M. Martin
I loved, loved, loved this series as a kid. The summer before junior high started I read about 50 of these books. The library and I were good friends that summer.

3. Goosebumps by R.L. Stine
Who didn’t love this series!? They were fun and silly and creepy.

4. Wayside School by Louis Sachar
This series was great! It’s kind of an anthology story of the students in one of the classes. It’s quirky and silly and fun. I kind of wish I still had these books because I want to read it again.

5. The Nicki Holland Mysteries by Angela Elwell Hunt
Another great young mystery series.

6. Hi, I’m Katie Hooper by Jane Sorenson
I don’t remember a whole lot about this series, but that Katie moved into this awesome house with Turrets and secret passages.

7. My Teacher is an Alien by Bruce Coville
I think this was my first alien book

8. Green Sky trilogy by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
This was one of my favorite series to get from the library as a kid. I recently re-read it and still loved it.

9. Left Behind by Time LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
This is the first series I started counting down the days between book releases

10. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
I wouldn’t list this as a favorite book of mine now, but I credit this book as getting me back into reading for fun.

   

11, 12, 13. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I like the mass appeal of this series. It’s YA, but every person in my family has read and loved them.

  

14, 15, 16. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion
While all Jane Austen is great, these three are my all time favorites that I read again and again.

17. Divergent by Veronica Roth
Even though this series ended horribly, the first book is still one of my favorites.

18. Defending Jacob by William Landay
This is one of the few books that I loved that doesn’t have a happy ending.

19. A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers
A mix of action, romance, faith, and great writing.

20. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
I love basically everything about this book. Great characters. An interesting narrative style. This book made me fall in love with Rainbow Rowell.

 

21, 22. Shatter Me and Unravel Me
I love this series. I’m really hoping that the last book will be just as great and not a total disappointment like Allegiant was.

23. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
This is one of the most beautifully written books, with amazingly well-developed characters I’ve ever read.

24. Never Look Away by Linwood Barclay
This is the book that introduced me to the amazing Linwood Barclay

25. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
No one writes psychopaths like Gillian Flynn. This book is intriguing and darkly funny.

26. The Apothecary’s Daughter by Julie Klassen.
I enjoy a lot of Julie Klassen’s romances, but this was my first and favorite.

27. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
This book is the perfect mix between humor and heartbreak

 

28, 29. The Passing Bells and Circles of Time by Phillip Rock
There are really great characters in this book – including one of my all time favorite literary characters: Martin Rilke

30. Lux series by Jennifer Armentrout
This is one of my favorite series I discovered this year. Love Daemon and Katy.