Top 5 Books I’m Thankful For

I have so much in my life to be thankful for, so I figured I would continue the trend of sharing what I’m thankful for into this week. I had a lovely Thanksgiving last week with friends and family, and I’m still working my way through leftovers as I write this post. Is there anything better than Thanksgiving leftovers? I don’t think so. I have so many books to be thankful for because of what they taught me about the world and about myself, but I narrowed this weeks post down to the top 5 books I’m thankful for. Let’s get started!

Image from Amazon

1. 1984 by George Orwell
Thank you for being the first “adult” book I could actually understand. Despite your dark, disturbing content, and the fear you instill in me anytime I think about Big Brother, you’re still one of my favorite books. I don’t think I would have read half the books on my shelf if I hadn’t read you and learned the art of reading page by page and reflecting upon what I’d read to understand what was coming.

Image from Amazon

2. Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham
Thank you for inspiring my love of learning other people’s stories. You were the first biographical-type book I read, and I truly loved every single page. Even though I’m not a huge fan of your other work (Lena Dunham) simply because I haven’t seen it, I did love the stories you folded between these pages. You taught me that everyone has a story, you just have to care enough to find it.

Image from Amazon

3. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Thank you for inspiring my love of true crime. Because of you, I proudly listen to My Favorite Murder and scour the true crime section of Barnes and Noble. I didn’t know when I was picking you up that you would spur what is turning into a lifelong passion.

Image from Penguin Random House

4. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
Thank you for being the inspiration for my very first blog (throwback to From Narnia to Neverland). Despite never loving (I liked it, it was just never my favorite! Don’t “at” me!)the Disney Peter Pan movie, I instantly fell in with your words and your story. You were told in such a childlike yet mature manner that I couldn’t put you down, and you made Neverland feel real like no other place has felt before.

Image from Amazon

5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Thank you for being the first book in a series that forever changed my life. You taught me what it was like to believe in magic, to believe in making your own destiny, and to believe in finding friends that always have your best interests at heart. I will always be thankful for the lessons you taught me about never giving up and believing in yourself. You changed my life from the minute I picked you up, and I never looked back.

Like I said, I have a lot to be thankful for. Books opened my eyes to magical worlds, life lessons, and unknown passions. I would not be the person I am today without these books as well as hundreds upon hundreds of other books I have read through the years. I can’t wait to see what books I find in the next 24 years that will change my life in unexpected ways. Let me know what books you’re thankful for in the comments below.

Happy reading,
Kimberly