books that altered my brain chemistry
As a reader, it’s so difficult to choose just one favorite book. Actually, not just difficult. I would say – for me, at least – it’s impossible. These are some of my favorite books that changed my brain chemistry, starting from when I was a kid.
The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. I cannot tell you the number of times I reread this book in the third grade. I don’t know why I loved this book so much, but I did.
The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black. I didn’t know Holly Black had written these books until a few months ago? I devoured these books in elementary school. I think they were the beginning of my fantasy genre obsession. I loved the movie on Netflix as well (although I can’t watch the new series because I don’t have Roku and I’m very disappointed) and rewatched it countless times.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Is it not obvious that I love these books and Collins’ writing? I read it for the first time in fifth grade and that Halloween I went as Katniss (to be honest it was less Katniss and more medieval huntress but the effort was there).
Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan. Once again, do I have to explain why I love these books? My mom initially put it in the car as an audiobook – and at the time I despised audiobooks, so I was stubborn and refused to give it a chance. But, once I got a physical copy and read it, I was obsessed. I’ve reread the series multiple times since then.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. This is one of the first and only classics I’ve read so far. My mom and I read it aloud together, and when the movie came out in 2019, we went to see it in theaters. I’ve reread it a few times, although I get stuck around 2/3 of the way through. Every time I do a rewatch/reread, I end up crying.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. The Greek mythology obsession strikes again. I love Miller’s retelling (fun fact: I named one of my cats Circe because I loved her retelling of the myth) and they always break me.
If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio. My favorite things were mixed together in this book: murder, theater kids, dark academia. It’s the perfect combination, don’t fight with me on this. It was such an enjoyable read and the characters definitely changed my perspective on the world around me.
Well, that’s it for today’s blog post. Thank you for sticking around and reading. See you next week!
