Jen’s MUST Read List

One of my favorite things to do is read, I devour books. So I figured I’d share a list of my favorite books, and if you’re lucky a terrible flimsy reason about why they’re my favorites.

First on the list is The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom. When someone asks me what my favorite book is this is always my answer.

‘You must not become too friendly with them,’ she said. ‘They are not the same as us.”How?’ I asked. ‘How are they not the same? ‘When seven-year-old Irish orphan Lavinia is transported to Virginia to work in the kitchen of a wealthy plantation owner, she is absorbed into the life of the kitchen house and becomes part of the family of black slaves whose fates are tied to the plantation. But Lavinia’s skin will always set her apart, whether she wishes it or not. And as she grows older, she will be torn between the life that awaits her as a white woman and the people she knows as kin…

When I first got this book I had been in a reading rut of sorts. I couldn’t find anything that peaked my interest. Although when I came across this book I. could. not. stop. reading. I stayed up all night to finish the book because I couldn’t bring myself to put it down. For me this was one of the books that lights a fire in your soul, and I hadn’t read one in a very long time. The Kitchen House will always be one of my favorites.

The next book, or books, on my list is Harry Potter. These were the first books that I can remember reading and being like “oH My GoSH.” And for that reason this series will always hold a special place in my heart. I’m going to assume that none of you need a description of Harry Potter, but if you find yourself looking for one. Crawl out of the rock you’re living under and for the love of god at least watch the movies.

Finally I’m going to round out this initial list with a compile of books that I feel are important for the young adults of todays society to read. These books are all a little hard to read, they talk about those sensitive subjects that we all try to avoid. The Last Time We Say Goodbye, Someone I Use to Know, This is Where It Ends, Speak. Each of these books deals with either an active shooter, which is unfortunately becoming more common, or rape. As difficult as it is to read these books I feel like we can learn something from them. We can’t just continue to push these subject under the rug because it’s difficult to talk about them. We need to bring awareness and teach empathy.

I’ve read a LOT of books but these are the ones that stick to me the most for a variety of reasons.