1. Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight

This book is about a single mother who gets a call from her daughters school. When she arrives at her daughters school, she finds out her daughter is dead. The school ruled it a suicide. She finds it hard to believe that. She starts to investigate herself, she finds it wasn't a suicide and feels the school said that as a cover up. This book does a good job of showing a mother/daughter relationship also making readers wonder how much their loved ones are keeping from them. Early in the book, I decided it wasn't a suicide and was up until 2 am trying to finish it. It kept me on the edge of seat from beginning to end.

2. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

This book is a favorite of mine. It is a classic, all-American book. It still remains popular almost a hundred years later after its publication date. The book is told from Nick Carraway's point of view, who is the narrator. He just moved to New York and moved in next door to the mysterious Jay Gatsby. He has lavish parties at his mansion, where party goers spend their time drinking and speculating about Gatsby. Nick quickly gets drawn into the world of wealth of the 1920's. He tells a captivating story of lies, deceit, love and tragedy. Many high schools recommend it but it is good for adults to reread. The author does a fantastic job of using imagery to entice the reader.

3. Looking for Alaska by John Green

This book had me intrigued from the first chapter and even after I was done with it, I was still haunted by it. The book tells of normal high school life at a boarding school for a group of friends, but then something happens to one of the characters. It's up to the reader to figure out if it was an accident or not. Personally this is my favorite book by John Green. Be aware that kids in this book act like high schoolers (drinking, sex, smoking, etc.) you should read it anyways. There are more important hings in life and if you stop someone from reading it, that is called censorship. Obviously I don't mean all teenagers, I skipped the party stage myself.

4. Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

This story goes back and forth between the antagonist, H. H. Holmes and the protagonist, Daniel Burnham. You have probably heard of Daniel Burnham's work. He designed the flatiron building in New York. H. H. Holmes otherwise known as Herman Webster Mudgett, was the first known serial killer in the United States. But he took killing to a whole new level. The story is set in the 1890's when the world fair was being built and designed by Daniel Burnham. H.H. Holmes took advantage of this and built a building that took up an entire city block, that later became known as the "Murder Castle" This building was a shopping center on the bottom floor, and a hotel on the floors on top of that. This way, he could kill his employees and customers. Prior to killing his victims, he would convince them to take an insurance policy on themselves and put it in his name. After he killed them, he would collect the insurance money, but he would also get more money when he sold the bodies to medical schools. He killed women he seduced the day before, he killed children, he killed business partners he had no use for, and he killed anyone who got suspicious of him.

5. The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan

This book is a collection of short stories and essays all by Marina Keegan. Marina unfortunately, was taken much too soon form this world. When Marina was taken, she had a bright future. She just graduated from Yale, she had a job waiting for her at the New Yorker, and she had a play that was going to be made and shown at the New York International Fringe Festival. She left behind a wonderful gift. She says what everyone is thinking, but better and with wit and grace. I absolutely loved her essay, The Opposite of Loneliness. If I could, I would print it out and hang it on my wall. It is the ultimate book for millennials by a millennial. The book itself, is very good but her essay, The Opposite of Loneliness is amazing.

6. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

This book is a rare find for book nerds. It simultaneously entertains readers while increasing their knowledge. If you don't enjoy reading, but want to feel as though you are a well-read person, choose this book. The book is from the point of view of two women, Laila and Mariam and how their lives intertwine. It spans over 30 years, from the Soviet invasion and ends with the overthrow of the Taliban. This story is not for the timid reader because it so incredibly moving, it made me cry at least 3 times. It tells of the bonds of friendship, love, and the struggle to survive under the power of a government that wishes women didn't exist.

7. Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

This book is another favorite of mine then again, I guess all of these are. If you are not a huge reader, don't be intimidated by its size, also the chapters are very short so its very easy to find a good place to stop. Personally I loved the story so much, I found the book short. Also you might want to consider getting the abridged version, since that one is easier to understand. The characters act in such beautiful ways, it was hard to resist huge sighs or commentary. I have so many favorite quotes from this book, my favorite is "even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise." It is filled with so many different situations that you will be happy, in tears, or shocked. It would be a tragedy for someone with a poetic mind or romantic heart to miss out on this book. Vive la France!

8. Misery by Stephen King

This book will haunt your days and nights. The book tells about protagonist, Paul Sheldon and the antagonist, Annie Wilkes. Paul is a world famous author who recently got in an accident in the middle of nowhere. But that happens to be where Annie lives. She nurses him back to health however she is extremely upset with him because he recently killed off one of her favorite book characters. She demands he write a book, just for her, where her character comes back to life. She has very terrifying ways of making him write the book faster and was based on a real life serial killer.

9. The Help by Katheryn Stockett

This book is one of those books, that you can read over and over and still enjoy it. The book is written from several points of views. The protagonists are black maids from Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960's. They team up with another protagonist, named Skeeter who is a writer at a newspaper. Skeeter convinces the maids to tell their stories of raising their bosses children as well cleaning and cooking their bosses house. The maids talk about how they are mistreated by their bosses while raising their bosses children, but 15-20 years later the child they raised, is now their boss. They team up in an attempt to stop the antagonist, Miss Hilly. Miss Hilly is simply a white supremacist who believes in furthering segregation. This book is a classic in the making and is one the few books to live up to its hype.

10. Fahrenheit 451

I waited for years to read this book, mainly because I never got around to it. When I did read it, I was glad I did. I can describe this book simply as, terrifyingly accurate. It tells of a future where censorship is much worse, houses are now fireproof, minds are caged, and no one is a free thinker. Even though this is told from the future we may not be very far behind. Because houses are fireproof that would make firefighters almost irrelevant. Instead their job is to burn books. In fact the story is told from the point of view of a firefighter who slowly begins to have his own way of thinking. I have been a book nerd since I could read. I could never explain why I loved to read, I just did. This book made me feel proud to be a free thinker. My parents encouraged free thinking and that was, quite possibly the greatest thing they did for me. When I say terrifyingly accurate, I mean we are already living in this world. It won’t be long at all before houses are fireproof. Students ask all the time, “teacher why do we have to read the book, why cant we just watch the movie?” Because of censorship, many books have been banned this made me empowered because even in today's world, there is something empowering and rebellious about being a free thinker.

Now all you need is hot chocolate in your favorite mug, ( I recommend melting about a 1/4 cup of chocolate and mixing in about 12 oz of milk it makes the best hot chocolate) your favorite reading spot, and your favorite reading companion. Happy reading!