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Finding a favourite book is kind of magical. It is not just about quality, there are many excellent books in the world, a favourite book is a matter of the heart. A feeling of connection with the book.
Here I wanted to share some of my all time favourite books, so you can learn a bit about my personal reading taste and maybe even find a new favourite too. This list is absolutely to short and shows more random examples of favourite books of mine rather than my top five favourite books.
A childhood favourite book
There are books in our childhood or youth, that we can never really left behind.
“So Much Closer” by Susane Colasanti (2013)
“So Much Closer” is a young adult book that is dear to my heart. Here we follow high school student Brooke, who moves to her dad in New York City just to be near Scott, who she unrequited loved for a long time. Brooke is gifted, but doesn’t care about school or her talents. While she tries to make Scott fall in love with her, she meets another boy named John, who has a learning disability and quite a different world view to her. As she spends more time with him, she starts to realize, that maybe her life is actually her own to live.
Without becoming to personal I can say, that as a neurodivergent person I felt very seen in Brooke’s and also John’s story. I haven’t read the book in quite some time, but still feel very warm and held when thinking about it.
A favourite classic
Classic literature became one of my favourite genres quite early. I don’t know, when I read my first classic and it doesn’t matter to me. But I started reading them regularly at the age of fourteen.
“Shirley” by Charlotte Brontë (1849)
My first favourite classic author was Charlotte Brontë after I read “Jane Eyre”. Now (about ten years later) I still really love Charlotte Brontë’s work, although my taste did change a lot over the years. For me her best work is definitely “Shirley”. It is a story about two very different young women Shirley and Caroline finding their place in a narrow society, about deep love and pain, about marriage, money, family dynamics and politics. The book also tells a lot about early English industrialization and the state of the clergy at the time. Shirley is a quite emancipated, independent woman, Caroline is more quiet and shy.
Both are interesting characters to follow. Charlotte Brontë’s writing style is just beautiful, but still easy to read. “Shirley” is a complex book full of sorrow and at the end hope.
A fantasy favourite
Fantasy is one of my most read genres. I love the endless possibilities and whimsy they offer.
“The 13.5 Lives Of Captain Bluebear” by Walter Moers (1999)
“The 13.5 Lives Of Captain Bluebear” is the first book in the Zamonia series (of interconnected stand alones) by one of the most popular German fantasy authors. To accurately describe this book is impossible. Here we follow the life of an orphan blue bear called Bluebear and his adventures through the continent Zamonia, when he gets stuck in a tornado, lives with the tiny pirates or becomes a gladiator of lies.
This book is absurd at times. Maybe most of the time. With Zamonia Moers created a colourful world full of fantastical beings, fairy tales and otherworldly places that is different to most other fantasy worlds I read about. Illustrated by the author himself and including creative ways to express the story also through the font size or style, it is a joy to discover the complexity of this weird continent.
A favourite graphic novel
I discovered my love for illustrated books and graphic novels just a few years ago. I took an Indology course in university about Indian comics and graphic novels and continued reading them after. And here I am, counting graphic novels (and other largely illustrated books) as one of my favourite genres of literature.
“Scurry” by Mac Smith (2023)
I have a special interest in mice. They are amazing. Because of that I pretty much have to collect every book I find, that features mice. One of them (actually most of them) made it to list of favourite books. It is a post-apocalyptic graphic novel called “Scurry”. “Scurry” is a story about a group of brave mice, trying to find food and survive after the apocalypse, that destroyed humanity. Obviously the world is dangerous for the little creatures, enemies everywhere. But the danger also comes from within the group: a uproar is taking place.
I just love this book, ok? It made me smile, cry and made me feel a deep love for it’s characters and how they are working together, even across species. At the same time parts are quite profound and wise. The art style is fittingly a bit dark, but beautiful to look at and detailed (which I love).
A favourite poetry collection
Poetry is underrated.
“The Wild Iris” by Louise Glück (1993)
Louise Glück is one of my favourite authors. And out of all her poetry (that I read) “The Wild Iris” speaks the most to me. I love nature writing in poetry. Her poems link nature with a nearly mythological writing. The collection spans a day from morning to evening, a garden from spring to autumn and in between pretty much a whole life.
Her poems are moving and emotional. The writing is exquisite. There is so much to uncover, but at the same time the poetry can absolutely stand on it’s own. The German translation by the way (read them in a bilingual edition) by Ulrike Draesner is skillful and also wonderful to read.
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A few words at the end
I am running out of words. There are so many other books I would love to include here, but I wanted to keep it short, mostly for my own sanity. Talking about the things one loves is not always easy. You often just love them for what they are, it doesn’t always have a logical reason. So please excuse my inadequate words for these books.
Maybe a book grabbed your attention and you want to try it yourself.
For now, that’s all from me. I hope, you have a lovely rest of your day. Bye!
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