Lizzie’s List of Literature

Whenever I’m traveling, one thing I never forget to pack is a book. Nothing is worse than being stuck in an airport, on a plane or in a car without anything to do. Personally, my phone only keeps me entertained for a short period, but I could literally read all day every day. I’m a huge book worm and have read more novels than I can remember, so I thought I’d share some of my favorites.

 

“The Kite Runner” or anything by Khaled Hosseini

I had to start off with my favorite author of all time, Khaled Hosseini. His most popular work is “The Kite Runner” and it’s well-known for a reason. Set in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, two boys grow up – and grow apart – during the beginning of the reign of the Taliban. I’ve read the book three times now, if that’s any indication of how good it is. Each time I read it there’s something more that I discover. I still won’t apologize to my AP Literature class senior year of high school for taking control of every class discussion on it. If you’ve already read “The Kite Runner” and want to delve more into the author’s world, “And the Mountains Echoed” and “A Thousand Splendid Suns” are also novels that you won’t be able to put down. Hosseini is such a great storyteller and all of his books are so beautifully written. His imagination blows my mind with each book of his that I read.

 

“The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto” by Mitch Albom

This book is truly unlike anything I’ve ever read before. And I’ve read a LOT. The main character is Spanish musician Frankie Presto, but it’s told from the point of view of music. I know that may sound like it’d be confusing to read, and I admittedly was a little lost during chapter one, but it works. Albom gives a voice to a concept and it makes for a really cool perspective for the narrative of the life story of a fictitious musician, who encounters real ones like Django Reinhardt and Elvis Presley and plays at real music festivals like Woodstock.

 

“The Casual Vacancy” by J.K. Rowling

The host family that I was paired with in Paris could not have been a more perfect match. When I finally dropped my bags in my cozy room in the 13th arrondissement, I was more than happy to find a bookshelf stacked with books both in English and French. I was able to read so much while abroad: before class at L’Université de Paris, in the gardens when it was warm and on so many planes, buses and trains. I smiled to myself when I was browsing the shelf and found a book by one of the first authors I ever read, J.K. Rowling. “The Casual Vacancy” tells the story of the lives of several families in a small town in England. I don’t want to give away anything, but the ending will definitely make you cry.

 

“Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” by Gail Honeyman

Eleanor Oliphant, obviously the protagonist, is a quirky, quiet, withdrawn woman. So quirky that in the beginning of the book, she honestly annoyed me. But eventually she grew on me and in the end I found her lack of knowledge on social cues to be extremely funny. She doesn’t have any friends or family and has worked the same dull office job for nearly a decade. Despite this, she is content with her routine and ultimately does seem fine. Until she isn’t and she is forced to face her tragic childhood.

 

“Revolution” by Jennifer Donnelly

Suggested to me by both my mom and my sister, I read this after coming back from my semester in Paris. It’s set in Paris, so it was just what I needed to satisfy my French fever. Also, the neighborhoods and monuments of the city were still fresh in my head so it was really cool to read about all the places I had just spent the past six months. Andi Alpers is forced to go to Paris (rough, I know) with her father during winter break. She is to work on her thesis for school, so she doesn’t get kicked out while her father works on making a groundbreaking discovery on the fate of the “Lost Dauphin,” the son of Marie Antoinette. While her father is researching the French Revolution, Andi finds herself in 18th century Paris, in the heart of the bloodiest revolution.

 

“The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak

I don’t even remember how long ago I read this, but it was so good that it stuck with me for all this time. There’s something about books set during World War II that I really love. Maybe it’s the dark part of me that just loves a tragic story. The main character, Liesel, lives with her foster parents, who are hiding a Jewish man. Her foster father teaches her to read. After developing a love for books, she begins to steal books that the Nazis are trying to destroy.

 

“Harry Potter” by J.K. Rowling

I mean, I had to. I owe my love for reading all to this series. When I was younger, my mom would read aloud the books to my older brother. Fun fact: this was even before the movies came out so my mom pronounced Hermione as her-mee-own. When I broke my leg I found myself bed ridden for an entire summer. As a seven-year-old, that’s equivalent to a death sentence. To pass the time in between doctor appointments, my mom started reading the series to me. As a child who had to lay in bed all day, my patience was already very limited. My mom took a break for only a few minutes to go to the bathroom, but I couldn’t wait. I picked up the book and started reading it myself. I think my mom was amazing that I was actually able to read it being only a second grader, but since then I have always loved getting lost in the worlds that authors create. I finished the entire Harry Potter series (and obviously saw all the movies), so now I’m re-reading the series in French. I’m currently on the third book, or “Harry Potter et le prisonnier d’Azkaban.”

 

I want to give a special shout out to my mom for being my best book buddy. Thank you for reading my favorite series to me, and especially for having to go to the bathroom. She’s the first person I go to when I need a book to read and her suggestions never disappoint. I love swapping books with fellow bookworms, so if you have any suggestions please let me know!