Hey guys and welcome back to my blog. I turned 26 on the 22nd January, and in honour of this I decided I wanted to share 26 of my ultimate favourite books! This was harder than I anticipated! I wanted to include some of my childhood favourites as well as some from my teenage and adult life. All these books have impacted me in some way and made me who I am today. Grab yourself a cup of your favourite drink and get comfy, because this is going to be a long one..
(All book titles go to Goodreads)
1. Harry Potter Series.
There are never enough words for me to explain what Harry Potter means to me. It’s more than just a favourite book, it’s a world that will stay with me forever, and I mean it when I say I wouldn’t be who I am without it.
You can read my review of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone here.
You can read my book review of Harry Potter and the Chamber Of Secrets here.
2. The Faraway Tree Series by Enid Blyton.
All of Enid Blyton’s books have a special place in my heart, but one series that has stuck with me is The Faraway Tree series. I mean what little girl wouldn’t want to climb up a tree and meet so many unique people.
3. The Story Of Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson.
I was obsessed with Tracy Beaker when I was young (and I still watch the spin off today!). I had the books, watched the tv series, was obsessed with the film and I even had the magazine. I haven’t read many of Jacqueline Wilson other books, but I’ve been reading them as an adult and think they are fabulous.
4. Wasted by Marya Hornbacher.
This was a book I first read when I was entrenched in my eating disorder. Marya Hornbacher’s writing is beautiful, raw and emotional. I really appreciate how brutally honest she is and how she shows what really goes on when someone is suffering from an eating disorder.
5. The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen.
One of my favourite authors of all time – Tess Gerritsen’s writing just blows me away. I was obsessed with this book and I love every single book in the Rizzoli and Isles series – not one book has disappointed me and I look forward to the next book she releases.
6. Northern Lights by Philip Pullman.
This series will always hold a special place in my heart. I didn’t read the books until I was an adult, but after watching the film I knew I had to. I went through a period in my life when I couldn’t sleep until I had the film on in the background, and when I read the books I fell in love even more. The characters, the settings, the plot, I love everything.
7. Harriet The Spy by Louise Fitzhugh.
This is another book I didn’t read until later in life. However, one of my fondest memories of my childhood was watching the VHS on the tv in my Nana’s back living room. I related to Harriet because, like her, all I wanted to do was be a writer.
8. The Chronicles Of Narnia by C.S Lewis.
Who wouldn’t love this book as a child? A secret world inside a wardrobe, a snow covered land and quirky characters. There were so many times I wished I could escape to Narnia, and the book let me do just that.
9. Tomorrow When The War Began by John Marsden.
I discovered this series after my best friend set me a reading challenge – one of the prompts was ‘a book published in the year you were born’. I’m so happy I found this gem and I feel like it’s an underrated series. The entire series is fantastic and I’m looking forward to rereading it!
10. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.
I don’t read too much sci-fi, but the structure of this book caught my eye. I’m so glad I gave it a chance because I loved it. I was really surprised at how real the characters felt and how well the emotions were portrayed because of the structure, but it was like I was right there in the story.
11. Cinder by Marissa Meyer.
I love retellings and this one is my favourite and also the most unique I’ve ever read. Unfortunately, I haven’t finished the series yet but hopefully it will be worth the wait.
12. Radio Silence by Alice Oseman.
This was the first book I read by thus author and boy had I been missing out. Alice Oseman has a way with words and her characters are just out of this world.
13. Caraval by Stephanie Garber.
I have only good things to say about this book. I was late to the party but at least I didn’t have to wait for the second book, aha! I’m so excited for the final book in the series to be released in May, I need to know how it will all end!
You can read my review of Caraval here.
You can read my review of Legendary (the second book in the Caraval series) here.
14. The Princess Saves Herself In This One by Amanda Lovelace.
I love poetry, it’s one of my favourite things to write and I love reading other people’s work. This book was a surprise – but I related to so many of the poems and I loved it.
15. We Are Okay by Nina LaCour.
This resonated with me on a whole new level. I didn’t feel like there was much of a plot but it didn’t need one. The character were stunning, the relationships, the emotion was all so beautiful.
You can read my review of We Are Okay here.
16. The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy.
I am fascinated with anything to do with witches and I always have been. This book is so fun and really enhanced my love for witchy things.
17. The Quiet You Carry by Nikki Barthelmess.
A very recent read but it has become a firm favourite. I received an ARC from Netgalley and immediately began reading. By the end of the book I was moved, emotional and so invested in this story.
18. Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton.
This was one of those unexpected books that I wasn’t sure I would like but ended up loving. The setting is stunning, the characters well developed and relatable and the plot was so action packed I would nearly forget to take a breath.
19. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken.
I recently reread this book and loved it just as much as the first time. I have a special place in my heart for dystopian books and this one topped the charts for me.
20. The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult.
Jodi Picoult is a master writer and has a knack for creating characters you find hard to hate. I haven’t read all of her books yet, but this one is my favourite so far.
21. Legend by Marie Lu.
Although I didn’t particularly like the other books in this series, it didn’t ruin Legend for me. It was a shame I didn’t like them, however I’ll pretend it’s a standalone to make me feel better.
22. Madness by Marya Hornbacher.
Another book by the talented Marya Hornbacher, except this one deals with her Bipolar disorder. Again, like Wasted, I appreciated her raw emotion and her honest portrayal of her disorder with nothing left out.
23. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson.
This was another book I read whilst entrenched in my eating disorder, except this one is fiction, not a memoir. I loved the storyline and instead of the typical plot we normally see in eating disorder stories, it was unique and a different take. The writing is also stunning, and I’m a big fan of beautiful prose.
24. Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne.
Another series of books that I feel is underrated. This was a action packed story that took me a wild adventure full of twists and turns.
25. The Sweep Series by Cate Tiernan.
Another lot of witchy books and another series I discovered during a reading challenge. I haven’t completed the Series yet (it’s a long one!) but the first few books blew my mind and I rushed through them like my life depended on it.
26. The Famous Five by Enid Blyton.
Lastly we have the Famous Five series by Enid Blyton. I can’t tell you how much I love these books. When I was a child I used to be desperate to get back to my book so I could go on more adventures with the five. Nothing much has changed now!
Well, congratulations if you’ve made it this far and I hope you’ve enjoyed this post. What are some of your ultimate favourite books?
