Top Ten Books I'm Thankful I Found

Today's Top Ten Tuesday was listed as Thankful Freebie and decided to go with books that I was thankful for, for they have influenced both me as a reader and have encouraged my love of reading. Some of these books are repeat offenders, that is they've appeared on numerous lists, but they wouldn't have appeared there if I didn't love them so much.

1. Call of the Wild by Jack London. The first classic I truly enjoyed, I actually acquired my copy at a Scholastic Book Fair in elementary school. And though that time was long ago, I still love revisiting the story.

2. 1984 by George Orwell. This is a recent addition to my book list, having only finished it last week, but I found it to be a beautifully written story about dystopian future.

3. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. I can't tell you how many times I read and re-read these books; each time a new one came out, I couldn't wait to get back on the train for Hogwarts. JKR's political views are offensive to me, but her imagination is undeniable.

4. Novels of Redwall by Brian Jacques. This series fueled my love of all things fantasy. My first experience with them was sitting on the floor of Shaw's book aisle while my mother grocery shopped. I'd read while she shopped and she'd kindly buy whichever book I'd picked out.

5. Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist. I read this as an adult, and it fueled my appreciation for what the horror genre could be. Outside of Bram Stoker and Edgar Allan Poe I hadn't read much horror, but this made me a fan.

6. Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. My first dragon book, CP inspired me to start writing, and although my dreams of becoming a famous novelist have yet to come true, I keep trying.

7. Falling Up by Shel Silverstein. I think he was better than Dr. Suess, he certainly kept me entertained with his comical, and sometimes moral, poetry. While I didn't grow up to be a poetry aficionado, I'll always appreciate how much effort must go into creating a story with so few words.

8. Dracula by Bram Stoker. I read this in high school and like Chris Paolini, Bram Stoker inspired me to keep writing. (at the time I read it, I was working on a gothic novel.)

9. The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern. So it doesn't contain the meaning of life, but The Night Circus contains some of the most vibrant descriptions that I have ever read. It reminded me of the importance of maintaining an imagination no matter what life throws my way.

10. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly. A story designed to confront grief, it put the timelessness of the Brothers Grimm in the forefront of my mind. Fantasy might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it has existed for a very long time and it's not going anywhere soon.

Can you name a book you're thankful for?