Some Books Stay With You

We all have books that burrow their way into our hearts ...   

There's the ones that stay with us from childhood like Aesop's Fables, Winnie the Pooh by A.A.Milne, The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, and many others.

And then there's the ones we meet when we're teenagers and adults. Here are some of the books (or rather book series) that live in my heart rent-free and why (in no particular order).

Book/Series #1: The Field Guide (The Spiderwick Chronicles) by Holly Black & Tony Diterlizzi

This middle-grade fantasy series found me at a time when childhood fantasies and delusions about the world around us began to fade. The Spiderwick Chronicles helped rekindle the part of me that believes in fairies in the garden and trolls under bridges. As someone who had moved house a few times and started a new school more than once, I related to the main characters while being jealous of their adventures 😄

Book/Series #2: Assassin's Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy) by Robin Hobb

A series passed down from mother to daughter - I was so happy when my Mum let me keep her copy of the Farseer trilogy when I moved into my own home. Originally published in 1995 (for the first book), this series is a prime example of the fantasy novels we're nostalgic for: medieval-esque setting, magic, a bonded animal companion, sword fighting, assassination, complex characters steeped in intrigue, political games, and more. I was exposed to a few gateway series into fantasy growing up, and this was one of the best.

Book/Series #3: The Amulet of Samarkand (The Bartimaeus Series) by Jonathan Stroud

There are several main characters throughout this series, but one of them stands out the most for me: Bartimeaus. He is a prime example of a sassy morally grey protagonist whose dry humour I relate to. These books not only taught me how to write a plethora of different characters, but also helped me realise that there was nothing wrong with my own sense of humour, despite some people making me feel otherwise at the time.

 

Book/Series #4: Malice (The Faithful and The Fallen Series) by John Gwynne

For four years, while studying for my undergraduate and master's degrees in Creative writing, I dissected stories, learned the rules of writing fiction, and figured out how to break them effectively. With reading lists full of books I wasn't interested in and analysing stories down to their bare bones, I struggled to find books I could truly lose myself in even after I graduated. But this book, the first in its series, reminded me how to forget everything I'd be taught and simply enjoy the ride. It's also a fantastically well-told story that caputres the magic of the 90s fantasy books many of us are so nostalgic for, despite being published in 2012.

Book/Series #5: Fallen (Fallen Series) by Lauren Kate

I was raised believing in God, but after experiencing several traumas during my teen years, I began to question that belief and eventually gave up my faith. This story came to me during that struggle. Its themes of soulmates, struggles around christianity (God, angels, fallen angels, whether or not people are baptised, etc.), a protagonist who feels out of place, and love that remains strong across centuries really spoke to me. This series is still one of the few romantasy stories I truly cherish.

What books have stayed with you? Let me know below - I'd love to hear from you 🙂

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