TOP 10
Here is a list of my 10 favorite books!
01
Kushiel's Legacy - Jacqueline Carey
Okay, so it's not A book, it's a series. But it is, hands-down, my favourite series of books. Jacqueline Carey has a stunning way of writing that simply draws you in from the first line, something I truly hope to be capable of one day. Kushiel's Legacy is a series of 6 books, 3 of which follow Phedre and the other 3 follow her foster-son Imriel. Two full character stories, every moment of which is absolutely thrilling.
02
Double Pregnant - Natalie Meisner
Another book from a syllabus, although this one was from my Women's Writing class, and again I'm so glad I had to read this. It's about a lesbian couple and their journey to parenthood. So much of this was relatable to me, just in the descriptions of their pregnancies, but it was also incredibly eye-opening to the world of sperm donation in Canada. Absolutely worth the read! And, fun fact, Natalie is actually my scriptwriting instructor this semester! Talk about cool!
03
Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
What kind of writer would I be without this on my must-reads? Again, it's more a series than an individual book (although mine is in one complete volume). Each installation follows a different cast of characters, although several of the books have character overlap, and I think that's one of the things that makes it entertaining to read almost 800 pages.
04
Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Can you tell what generation I'm from? Of course I have Harry Potter on here. I've read this series again and again, and I'm stunned every time I read it with all the subtle intricacies and hints hidden throughout the books. This series will always have a special place in my heart because it's the first series that we read to our son.
05
The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkein
It took me having a son and needing something relatively child-friendly to read to him to actually finish reading this, but oh my am I glad I did! A beautiful story about a meek hobbit finding his courage -- is there anything more important to teach our kids than that even the small can make huge changes in the world?
06
Wild Geese - Martha Ostenso
This one I actually didn't read willingly, it was a course requirement for my Canadian Literature class, but I'm definitely glad that I had to read it. It's small, only a couple hundred pages, and starts a little slow, but it is a deeply enjoyable Canadian realist novel with a romantic flare. I've never been more frustrated with a character than with Caleb Gare, nor rooted for a character as much as Judith.
07
The Demonata - Darren Shan
Another series, although I haven't read all of them yet. I've only read up to Bec but I did enjoy all of them until then. That's roughly when I met my partner, Trent, and what can I say? 16 years old with my first boyfriend, reading fell on a back burner. Darren Shan's books will always be a little special to me, because without them I may not have had the guts to start talking to Trent in the first place.
08
Malice - Keigo Hagashino
This is one of the very few (and by few, I mean 2) mystery novels I have ever read. In fact, it was the first, and I'd been very skeptic of branching out of my typical fantasy books, but I'm glad I did. This book had me guessing and questioning myself the entire time -- and I powered through it in 2 days. Such a satisfying ending too. Definitely worth a re-read.
09
The Fifth Child - Doris Lessing
So many good books that came off my required readings for school. This one I read the semester after I had my son, while I was still battling postpartum depression, so it really resonated with me. Okay, so my pregnancy was pretty routine and my son isn't neanderthal-like. But the sentiments expressed about parenthood really weighed on me in a time where I didn't like being a mom all the time. Overall a very good read.
10
On Writing - Stephen King
Bet you didn't know that Stephen King wrote a textbook on writing, did you? It's one I'd definitely recommend to any aspiring writers as it definitely opened my eyes to a few nasty habits (some of which I'm still working on beating out of my writing).