Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Top Ten Books That Make You Think

TTT is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It's a lot of fun so stop by if you get the chance :)

Top Ten (erm, Twelve) Books that Make You Think
Another rewind week, and I came up with tons of books that made me think about a variety of topics. 
I couldn't narrow it down to just 10, so here's 12:
 
 
1. Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger. I read this awhile ago, but I remember I was blown away when thinking about the main character's relationship to his lesbian friend (I don't even remember either of their names, that's how long it's been). This is one of those few young adult books that says, "Hey, first love is not always easy, and there's not always a happy ending." 
 
2. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult.
Now, this applies to all (well, most... The Tenth Circle is the exception, as I hated that book) of Jodi Picoult's books that I've read. While I know a lot of people get sick of the repetition of her books, I love how each one takes an important issue and looks at it from a number of different perspectives. It always makes me think outside the box.

 
3. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.
This book was awesome because it got me thinking about how my interactions with others really have an impact on others. Something I take as being completely innocent and unimportant could have huge repercussions on the way other people feel about themselves.
4. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli.
Every young person should read this book, because it looks at someone who is seemingly weird and different and shows you her perspective. I relate to her because I was always weird or different growing up, and I always felt like I was judged unfairly. I also know that even though I was judged unfairly, I also have judged others in the same way, and this book helped me see that and made me take a closer look at myself and how I could improve.

 


5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
Feminism, capitalism, materialism, etc. etc. I can't say that I'm consciously thinking about these things when I'm reading, but I see that they're there and I am able to recognize it when I'm reflecting.

 



 
6. The Host by Stephenie Meyer.
I recently re-read this, and for the second time I was blown away by the beauty of it. The Host takes a look at what it really means to be human, which is something I will always be thinking about since reading it.

 


 


7. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff.
Such an amazing book! It definitely makes you think about how war affects the innocent bystanders, especially children, and how it can change lives forever.

 


8. Sold by Patricia McCormick.
This book about a young girl sold into prostitution was sooo painful to read. I couldn't imagine if I wasn't able to live the cozy life I live now. Most Americans are so blessed to not have this sort of oppression in our lives, and I can't believe that more people aren't aware of how common sex trafficking is in developing countries. Read this! 


9. Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger.
While I remember I wasn't blown away by this book itself, I know that I was shocked about how limited my reading is. I rarely read young adult books about teens who are of a different race/religion/heritage/etc. It was surprising to read this and it made me want to read other novels that feature characters who grew up different than myself.
10. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
This was another book that made me think about war and children. Most people think about World War II and think about Hitler and concentration camps, but this book shows the behind the scenes, everyday life of people living in Hitler's Germany.

11. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe.
Awesome book that shows a different culture and how colonization affects the lives of indigenous people. While this book is set in Africa, it could easily be describing the colonization of any other country out there. 

12. The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot.
I've thought about this book a lot since reading it earlier this year, and what really gets me is how society pushes people to behave one way, while natural instinct pushes people to behave the way they want. It's unfortunate that girls like Maggie Tulliver were so oppressed up until fairly recently, and this book made me also think about oppression today and how it affects my life as a woman. 

I hope you enjoyed my list! What are some of your favorite thought-provoking books?

7 comments:

  1. oh boy did The Book Thief make me think. So did The Boy in the Striped Pajama's. Oh the horror.

    The Help and The Secret Life of Bee's really made me think too. I thought a lot about what it would have been like to live during that time. I actually called my mom several times asking about it. Couldn't get it out of my mind.

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    1. All the books you mentioned are high up on my list of books to read.

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  2. I love your list and I agree with you about Thirteen Reasons Why, The Host and The Book Thief.

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  3. Cool list! I've read a lot of your list! 13 Reasons Why was great, and I loved 19 minutes except not the ending :( I had to read Things Fall Apart for a class in college and really liked it, it definitely makes you think! Thanks for stopping by my list :)

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  4. Nice list! I love The Hunger Games and The Host, and I agree with you about Jodi Picoult novels. Yes, they can be a little formulaic, but they're great reads and they do make you think.

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  5. Ha, I cheated on my list as well. I think Thirteen Reasons Why, The Host and The Book Thief weren't on my list, but I totally agree on those!! The Hunger Games was on it, of course. Great list :)

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  6. I loved your list, especially The Book Thief and Sold. What's happening to in the sex slave trade just drives me bonkers.

    My TTT: http://shelversanon.blogspot.com/2012/10/top-10-tuesday-rewind-top-ten-bookish.html

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