Have you ever read a book that was so profound it changed your life, a book that you resonated so deeply with that it stuck with you regardless of how many other books you’ve read after? Those books are the most important ones of all; they stay with you and they inspire you.

Here are the books that have stayed with me and continue to inspire me:

1. Fog Magic

This small-ish chapter book was the first book to inspire my love for reading and the fantasy genre.

2. Blubber

3. The BFG

Like Fog Magic, this book nurtured my love for fantasy and reading. Written by Roald Dahl, this work and many of his others that catapulted me into his stories that were filled with unusual concepts and ideas.

4. Harry Potter Series

What could I possibly say? Everyone loves Harry Potter. I grew up reading these magical books that transported me to the world of witchcraft and wizardry.

5. The Outsiders

Reading this book, I was shocked to learn that the author was a woman. S.E. Hinton was able to emulate the perspective of a teenage boy in a believably accurate way. Her writing was transformative and sparked something within me. I felt motivated to write my own stories.

6. Heaven is for Real

I lost someone very close to me in junior high and this book changed my life in a spiritual way, helping me cope with that loss.

7. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

I related to this book on so many levels. During my school years I found myself feeling like a wallflower and outsider similar to Charlie.

8. The Fault in Our Stars

Similar to The Outsiders, John Green wrote the perspective of Hazel very well, just as S.E. Hinton wrote the outlook of Ponyboy well. Green was able to capture feelings of love and loss in an eye-opening way. Never before had I read a book that realistically portrayed the life of someone with cancer.

9. The Sky is Everywhere

Despite being realistic fiction, this book like Heaven Is for Real, shed light on the personal loss I experienced and helped me find new outlets to cope one of which was writing.

10. Night

Upon reading Night, I was moved by the experiences Elie Wiesel went through during his time in a concentration camp and how his outlook changed during his time there. Wiesel was shown to have shifted from protective and caring to self-serving, he became more worried about his survival and own well being. This book shined a light on how profound events can deeply impact someone and change them.

11. Jane Eyre

One of the earliest forms of feminism, full with literary devices, Bronte’s Jane Eyre was a beautiful piece of literature that I was only all too happy to analyze and get sucked into as a budding classics reader.

12. Tuesdays with Morrie

And last but not least, Tuesdays with Morrie. This book had the most profound impact on me out of all the books that I have read. I fell in love with the author and his relationship with Morrie Schwartz, their relationship and Morrie himself reminded me of my grandmother and the relationship I shared with her. Reading Morrie’s teachings and his outlook on his illness through the words of Mitch Albom was moving. Morrie's perspective on life, people, and the process of aging was inspirational.