I’m a reader. If you know me at all this is probably something that you know quite well. When I was younger, while other kids my age would grumble about any assigned reading that distracted them from valuable Hot Wheels-racing or fort-making time, my parents actually had to force me to put down my books and go play. The most frequent way that I got in trouble as a kid was getting caught reading hours after I was supposed to have gone to sleep. As I’ve grown older, I have had to come to terms with the fact that growing up means less time for reading. However, I have still been able to spend some quality time with some quality reads over the years. Here are the titles that have made the most impact on me:

1. The Alchemist -Paulo Coelho

I will re-read this book over and over for the rest of my life. I first picked Alchemist up in a Target because the cover was pretty (yes, I judged a book by its cover). My mother saw me holding it and starting raving about it. “It’s a book you can’t just read once,” she said, “Read it whenever you go through a transition or transforming phase.” She was right. I’ve read it three times now. Reading this book will be a different experience for each person. The plot itself is almost insignificant; it’s the adaptable meaning behind Coelho’s beautifully simplistic words that make this book so special.

2. Americanah -Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This is without a doubt one of the most well-written books I have ever read. I clung to every single word. This is also one of the books that I recommend to friends the most, partially because it’s such an amazing read and partially because the content itself is important. The story contains issues of race, society, dreams, and love, and I would definitely say that this is the best book I read in 2016.

3. The Geography of Bliss -Eric Weiner

I grabbed this title thinking that it would fuel my wanderlust. However, it did almost the opposite. Garner travels to “the happiest locations in the world” in this humorous read, trying to discover some universal secret to happiness. However, at the end of the book I was left with the realization that your happiness comes from much more than the physical place that you are in.

4. The Legend of Holly Claus -Brittney Ryan

This is a children’s book, oddly enough. I found this in the library when I was in fifth grade, and I’ve read it every year since then. At first, I fell in love with the magical story itself, but as I’ve grown up I have begun to recognize the incredible examples of love’s power woven into the plot. It’s a stunning read, and I would recommend it to anyone, regardless of age.

5. Milk and Honey-Rupi Kaur

This book is filled with gorgeous poetry. Kaur writes in such a raw, invoking style. Her poems will break your heart and light you soul on fire as you begin to recognize your own experience in her words. I’ve given this to all of my girl friends to read at one point or another, and one of them loved it so much that she refuses to give it back to me.

6. A Tale of Two Cities-Charles Dickens

To be honest, I was not expecting to like this book. I had attempted Dickens before with a failed result, and I assumed that this would be a similar experience when it was assigned to me as required English class reading. However, I quickly fell in love. This story holds one of the most amazing and unbelievable acts of unconditional and selfless love that I have ever read about. Many of my classmates were not quite as enamored with this book as I was, but I was overjoyed when I found my copy in my backpack two months after graduation (sorry AHS library, but I did already pay the fee) because it meant that I could revisit this amazing story whenever I wanted.

7. A Thousand Splendid Suns-Khaled Hosseini

This book will make you incredibly angry and incredibly sad. It will change the way you look at the world. Read this book.