The Books That Built Me
As far back as I can remember, reading has been an integral part of who I am. Throughout my life books have been a constant; a means to learn about new places, ideas, and beliefs. Reading has taught me to be more open-minded, to examine differing viewpoints, and has exposed me to worlds that I may have otherwise never experienced.
The first book that profoundly impacted me was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stoneby J.K. Rowling. This fantasy series blew my ten-year-old mind, largely due to the detail and intricacy that Rowling included in the story. Before reading Harry Potter, I had mostly read Children’s Literature, which while entertaining, never caused me to think about the story once I finished the book. For months after I finished the series, I thought about what was happening in the world that Rowling had created. Because each character in the series was so dynamic and unique, the books really appealed to me on a mimetic level. Harry, Ron and Hermione began to feel like friends due to their realistic qualities and allowed me to invest in a world created by an author as I never had before. My reading of theHarry Potter series was really the beginning of the end when it came to me finding fulfilment and entertainment through Children’s Literature. Rowling made me feel emotions that books I had previously read had never managed to evoke. Harry Potterwas the first series that showed me how well-crafted stories and characters can stick with the reader for a lifetime.
The next book which challenged me to grow as a reader was And I Don’t Want to Live This Life by Deborah Spungen. This memoir focuses on the troubled life and subsequent murder of her daughter, Nancy Spungen. This was the first truly dark book I read, and it provided me with a much deeper understanding of mental illness, substance abuse, and grief. This book forced me to grow not only as a reader, but also as a person. When I read the book for the first time at age eleven, I did not have a firm understanding of a lot of the thematic dimensions being discussed within the writing, such as schizophrenia, anti-depressants, and intense violence. This memoir challenged my understanding and taught me how to research ideas that I was unfamiliar with in order to better understand the text that I was consuming. Prior to my reading this memoir, I had largely read books written for children my age, and consequently tended to be familiar with the themes being discussed within them. However, during and following my reading of Spungen’s memoir, I began to understand the importance of doing research on portions of texts that I do not understand.
Sweetbitter, written by Stephanie Danler, is the third book that had a titanic impact on how I read, wrote, and saw the world. This book follows Tess, a naïve twenty-two year-old, as she moves to New York City and comes of age in the restaurant business. This book encompasses the thematic dimensions of sex, drugs, heartbreak, and personal growth wrapped up into a simultaneously gritty and enchanting package. This book was the first piece of modern literary fiction that I had experienced and probably more than any book I have read before or since, it changed the way I viewed the world. This book was something I wished I myself had written and was created with a style and skill I dreamed I would one day be able to emulate. Prior to reading this novel, I had read, loved and appreciated phenomenal books, but this was the first time I had been completely enraptured and deeply moved by a piece of writing. If I had never read this novel, I am not sure I would be a Writing Arts major today. Through her exquisite writing, Danler showed me how deeply well-written novels can impact people and inspired me to one day write something that moves people and inspires their dreams of writing in the same way her work did for me. Danler taught me to read not just for long-lasting entertainment, but also for long-lasting inspiration.
Mouthful of Forevers, a book of poetry written by Clementine von Radics, was another text that helped me to develop as a reader and writer. This was the first poetry book that I really connected with, and it brought me a new appreciation of the synthetic elements that poets must utilize in order to make their words flow so gracefully. This collection of poetry taught me a lot about the way line breaks are used, what is implied but not overtly said and the beauty of metaphors. As a writer, this book encouraged me to begin experimenting with writing poetry myself and as a reader the emotion I felt after consuming the text inspired me to search for those feelings over and over in other books of poetry.
The last book on my list, Where the Crawdads Sing,by Delia Owens, follows the life of Kya, who was abandoned in the marsh by her family as a young girl. She lives in the marsh all of her life, remaining an outcast, but eventually becomes entangled in a surrounding town’s drama when a body is found near her marsh-dwelling. This work of literary fiction impacted me greatly, largely because it was a book that I thought I would be entirely disinterested in from the start, being that it involves a great deal of nature and crime. However, this book taught me to be more open to different themes and plots in books, and that sometimes when you step out of your comfort zone you will discover a wonderful story. After finishing this book, what I read for did not necessarily change, but it did expand. I began to search more for novels that were outside the realm of what I was comfortable with and used to – novels that were beautifully and flawlessly woven, novels that didn’t lag in the middle or depend on shock value to keep the reader interested, but rather used strong dialogue, vividly real and emotional descriptions, and three-dimensional, ever changing and evolving characters. Lastly, I began to look for books with the overarching thematic dimensions of growth, loneliness and raw human emotion, all of which were displayed wonderfully in Owens’ novel.
More than anything, I believe that my love of stories has shaped me into the reader I am today. I have always had a tendency to get swept up into the world of an author, often sacrificing sleep to stay up until the early hours of the morning to find out what happens to my latest beloved character. I became the reader I am today by being open to new genres, prose styles, and recommendations from friends, family, and of course Reese Witherspoon’s book club. I try my best to approach each text that I read an open mind and absorb what the author is trying to get across on a meaningful level. I may not always get it right on the first try, but by being willing to mull over authors’ ideas, as well as reread passages and texts that I don’t understand, I have found that more often than not I’m able to find meaning within the pages of a text. I would like to think that my dominant readerly role today is that of a critical reader, not in the sense of picking the author’s work apart, but in that I aim to combine the experience of the novel, the themes contained within it, and the way the actual words and phrases are strung together in hopes of discovering a new and unique viewpoint.
Books I’ve Read:
Elementary School:
Children’s Poetry:
Where the Sidewalk Ends – Shel Silverstein – Synthetic
Falling Up – Shel Silverstein – Synthetic
Children’s Literature:
The Giving Tree – Shel Silverstein – Mimetic
Heidi – Johanna Spyri – Mimetic
Black Beauty – Anna Sewell – Mimetic
Beezus and Ramona – Beverly Cleary – Mimetic
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 – Beverly Cleary – Mimetic
Ramona the Brave – Beverly Cleary – Mimetic
Ramona Forever – Beverly Cleary – Mimetic
Henry and Beezus – Beverly Cleary – Mimetic
Charlotte’s Web – E.B. White – Mimetic
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Ronald Dahl – Mimetic
Anne of Green Gables – Lucy Maud Montgomery – Mimetic
The Boxcar Children – Gertrude Chandler Warner – Mimetic
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing – Judy Blume – Mimetic
Super Fudge – Judy Blume – Mimetic
Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great – Judy Blume – Mimetic
Iggie’s House – Judy Blume – Mimetic
Double Fudge – Judy Blume – Mimetic
Here Today – Ann M. Martin – Mimetic
Children’s Fiction:
The Junie B. Jones Series – Barbara Park – Mimetic
Crash – Jerry Spinelli – Mimetic
Vet Volunteers Series – Laurie Halse Anderson –Mimetic
The Babysitter’s Club Series – Ann M. Martin – Mimetic
Stargirl – Jerry Spinelli – Mimetic
So ‘B’ It – Sarah Weeks – Mimetic
Holes – Louis Sachar – Mimetic
Fantasy:
The Magic Treehouse Series – Mary Pope Osborne – Mimetic
Princess Academy – Shannon Hale – Mimetic
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – J.K. Rowling – Mimetic
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – J.K. Rowling – Mimetic
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – J.K. Rowling – Mimetic
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – J.K. Rowling – Mimetic
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – J.K. Rowling – Mimetic
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince – J.K. Rowling – Mimetic
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – J.K. Rowling – Mimetic
The Tales of the Beetle and the Bard – J.K. Rowling – Mimetic
Twilight – Stephanie Meyer – Mimetic
New Moon – Stephanie Meyer – Mimetic
Eclipse – Stephanie Meyer – Mimetic
Breaking Dawn – Stephanie Meyer – Mimetic
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner – Stephanie Meyer – Mimetic
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief – Rick Riordan – Mimetic
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters – Rick Riordan – Mimetic
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Titan’s Curse – Rick Riordan – Mimetic
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth – Rick Riordan – Mimetic
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Last Olympian – Rick Riordan – Mimetic
Biography/Autobiography:
Yes, We Can – Garen Thomas – Thematic
Miles to Go – Miley Cyrus – Thematic
The Diary of Ann Frank – Ann Frank – Thematic
Historical Young Adult Fiction:
Bud Not Buddy – Christopher Paul Curtis – Thematic
Number the Stars – Lois Lowry – Thematic
The Watson’s Go to Birmingham – Christopher Paul Curtis – Thematic
Science Fiction:
The City of Ember – Jeanne DePrau – Mimetic
The People of Sparks – Jeanne DePrau – Mimetic
The Prophet of Yonwood – Jeanne DePrau – Mimetic
The Diamond of Darkhold – Jeanne DePrau – Mimetic
Young Adult Fiction:
Blubber – Judy Blume – Mimetic
Then Again, Maybe I Won’t – Judy Blume – Mimetic
It’s Not the End of the World – Judy Blume – Mimetic
Just as Long as We’re Together – Judy Blume – Mimetic
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret – Judy Blume – Mimetic
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants – Ann Brashares – Mimetic
The Second Summer of the Sisterhood – Ann Brashares – Mimetic
Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood – Ann Brashares – Mimetic
Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood – Ann Brashares – Mimetic
Guitar Girl – Sarra Manning – Mimetic
I was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader – Kate Brian – Mimetic
Brunettes Strike Back – Kate Brian – Mimetic
All American Girl – Meg Cabot – Mimetic
Teen Idol – Meg Cabot – Mimetic
Twisted – Laurie Halse Anderson – Mimetic
Catalyst – Laurie Halse Anderson – Mimetic
Prom – Laurie Halse Anderson – Mimetic
Middle School:
Christian Fiction:
Christy Miller Series Vol. 1 – Robin Jones Gunn – Mimetic
Christy Miller Series Vol. 2 – Robin Jones Gunn – Mimetic
Christy Miller Series Vol. 3 – Robin Jones Gunn – Mimetic
Christy & Todd: The College Years – Robin Jones Gunn – Mimetic
Romance:
The Notebook – Nicholas Sparks – Mimetic
Dear John – Nicholas Sparks – Mimetic
The Last Song – Nicholas Sparks – Mimetic
A Walk to Remember – Nicholas Sparks – Mimetic
Nothing Left to Lose – Kirsty Moseley – Mimetic
Enjoying the Chase – Kirsty Moseley – Mimetic
The Lucky One – Nicholas Sparks – Mimetic
Just One Day – Gayle Forman – Mimetic
Fantasy:
Blue Bloods – Melissa de la Cruz – Mimetic
Masquerade – Melissa de la Cruz – Mimetic
Revelations – Melissa de la Cruz – Mimetic
Forgive My Fins – Tera Lynn Childs – Mimetic
Beautiful Disaster – Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl – Mimetic
Beautiful Creatures – Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl – Mimetic
Beautiful Darkness – Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl – Mimetic
Beautiful Chaos – Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl – Mimetic
Beautiful Redemption – Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl – Mimetic
Shiver – Maggie Stiefvater – Mimetic
Linger – Maggie Stiefvater – Mimetic
Forever – Maggie Stiefvater – Mimetic
Tiger Lily – Jodi Lynn Anderson – Mimetic
Young Adult Fiction:
When Molly was a Harvey Girl – Frances M. Wood – Mimetic
Moon Glass – Jessi Kirby – Mimetic
What My Mother Doesn’t Know – Sonya Sones – Synthetic
One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies – Sonya Sones – Synthetic
What My Girlfriend Doesn’t Know – Sonya Sones – Synthetic
The Clique – Lisi Harrison – Mimetic
Best Friends for Never – Lisi Harrison – Mimetic
Revenge of the Wannabees – Lisi Harrison – Mimetic
Invasion of the Boy Snatchers – Lisi Harrison – Mimetic
The Pretty Committee Strikes Back – Lisi Harrison – Mimetic
Dial L for Loser – Lisi Harrison – Mimetic
It’s Not Easy Being Mean – Lisi Harrison – Mimetic
Sealed with a Diss – Lisi Harrison – Mimetic
Bratfest at Tiffany’s – Lisi Harrison – Mimetic
P.S. I Loathe You – Lisi Harrison – Mimetic
Boys R Us – Lisi Harrison – Mimetic
Charmed and Dangerous: The Rise of the Pretty Committee – Lisi Harrison – Mimetic
These Boots are Made for Stalking – Lisi Harrison – Mimetic
My Little Phony – Lisi Harrison – Mimetic
A Tale of Two Pretties – Lisi Harrison – Mimetic
Alphas – Lisi Harrison – Mimetic
Movers & Fakers – Lisi Harrison – Mimetic
Belle of the Brawl – Lisi Harrison – Mimetic
Top of the Feud Chain – Lisi Harrison – Mimetic
Monster High – Lisi Harrison – Mimetic
Secrets of My Hollywood Life – Jen Calonita – Mimetic
Secrets of My Hollywood Life: On Location – Jen Calonita – Mimetic
Secrets of My Hollywood Life: Family Affairs – Jen Calonita – Mimetic
Secrets of My Hollywood Life: Paparazzi Princess – Jen Calonita – Mimetic
Secrets of My Hollywood Life: Broadway Lights – Jen Calonita – Mimetic
Secrets of My Hollywood Life: There’s No Place Like Home – Jen Calonita – Mimetic
Cut – Patricia McCormick – Thematic
After – Amy Efaw – Thematic
If I Stay – Gayle Forman – Mimetic
Where She Went – Gayle Forman – Mimetic
Something Like Normal – Trish Doller – Mimetic
North of Beautiful – Justina Chen – Mimetic
Hatchet – Gary Paulsen – Mimeric
L.A. Candy – Lauren Conrad – Mimetic
Sweet Little Lies – Lauren Conrad – Mimetic
Sugar and Spice – Lauren Conrad – Mimetic
Two Way Street – Lauren Barnholdt – Mimetic
One Night Can Change Everything – Lauren Barnholdt – Mimetic
I’d Tell You I Love You, but then I’d Have to Kill You – Ally Carter – Mimetic
Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy – Ally Carter – Mimetic
Don’t Judge a Girl by Her Cover – Ally Carter – Mimetic
Only the Good Spy Young – Ally Carter – Mimetic
Out of Sight, Out of Time – Ally Carter – Mimetic
United We Spy – Ally Carter – Mimetic
Prep – Curtis Sittenfeld – Mimetic
Duff – Kody Keplinger – Mimetic
Watch Me – Lauren Barnholdt – Mimetic
Aubrey, Wait! – Robin Benway – Mimetic
Where it Began – Ann Redisch Stampler – Mimetic
When You Were Mine – Rebecca Serle – Mimetic
Main Squeeze – Weston Parker – Mimetic
Troy High – Shana Norris – Thematic
13 Reasons Why – Jay Asher – Thematic
Dreamland – Sarah Dessen – Mimetic
Lock and Key – Sarah Dessen – Mimetic
The Moon and More – Sarah Dessen – Mimetic
How to Deal – Sarah Dessen – Mimetic
This Lullaby – Sarah Dessen – Mimetic
Along for the Ride – Sarah Dessen – Mimetic
What Happened to Goodbye – Sarah Dessen – Mimetic
Just Listen – Sarah Dessen – Mimetic
Saint Anything – Sarah Dessen – Mimetic
Keeping the Moon – Sarah Dessen – Mimetic
The Future of Us – Jay Asher – Thematic
Go Ask Alice – Beatrice Sparks – Thematic
How to Love – Katie Cotugno – Mimetic
Crank – Ellen Hopkins – Synthetic
Glass – Ellen Hopkins – Synthetic
Burned – Ellen Hopkins – Synthetic
Perfect – Ellen Hopkins – Sythetic
Impulse – Ellen Hopkins – Synthetic
Identical – Ellen Hopkins – Synthetic
Tricks – Ellen Hopkins – Synthetic
Fallout – Ellen Hopkins – Synthetic
Smoke – Ellen Hopkins – Synthetic
Hate List – Jennifer Brown – Thematic
Struck by Lightning – Chris Colfer – Mimetic
Clean – Amy Reed – Mimetic
Beautiful – Amy Reed – Mimetic
Crazy – Amy Reed – Mimetic
Speak – Laurie Halse Anderson – Thematic
Before I Fall – Lauren Oliver – Mimetic
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before – Jenny Han – Mimetic
Lucy in the Sky – Anonymous – Thematic
Time Between Us – Tamara Ireland Stone – Mimetic
Time After Time – Tamara Ireland Stone – Mimetic
Looking for Alaska – John Green – Mimetic
Paper Towns – John Green – Mimetic
Young Adult Romance:
My Life Next Door – Huntley Fitzpatrick – Mimetic
When the Stars Go Blue – Alyson Noel – Mimetic
The Summer I Turned Pretty – Jenny Han – Mimetic
It’s Not Summer Without You – Jenny Han – Mimetic
We’ll Always Have Summer – Jenny Han – Mimetic
Autobiography:
Alicia: My Story – Alicia Appleman-Jurman – Thematic
Bossy Pants – Tina Fey – Mimetic
An Unbearable Lightness – Portia de Rossi – Thematic
And I Don’t Want to Live This Life – Deborah Spungen – Thematic
Winning Balance – Shawn Johnson – Mimetic
Literary Fiction:
The Pearl – John Steinbeck – Thematic
The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway – Thematic
Science Fiction:
Uglies – Scott Westerfeld – Mimetic
Pretties – Scott Westerfeld – Mimetic
Specials – Scott Westerfeld – Mimetic
Extras – Scott Westefeld – Mimetic
Matched – Ally Condie – Mimetic
War of the Worlds – H.G. Wells – Mimetic
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams and Eoin Colfer – Mimetic
Fiction:
Skinny – Ibi Kaslik – Thematic
Wintergirls – Laurie Halse Anderson – Thematic
Sleepwalking in Daylight – Elizabeth Flock – Mimetic
A Partisan’s Daughter – Louis de Bernieres – Mimetic
13 Little Blue Envelopes – Maureen Johnson – Mimetic
The Last Little Blue Envelope – Maureen Johnson – Mimetic
Young Adult Mystery/Mystery:
Pretty Little Liars – Sara Shepard – Mimetic
Flawless – Sara Shepard – Mimetic
Perfect – Sara Shepard – Mimetic
Unbelievable – Sara Shepard – Mimetic
Wicked – Sara Shepard – Mimetic
Spoiled – Sara Shepard – Mimetic
Messy – Sara Shepard – Mimetic
And Then There Were None – Agatha Christi – Mimetic
Jane – April Lindner – Thematic
Children’s Non-Fiction Literature:
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes – Eleanor Coerr – Thematic
Tragedy:
The Crucible – Arthur Miller – Thematic
Magical Realism:
Elsewhere – Gabrielle Zevin – Mimetic
High School:
Fiction:
My Sister’s Keeper – Jodi Picoult – Mimetic
The Secret Life of Bees – Sue Monk Kidd – Mimetic
One Flew Over the Cuckoos’ Nest – Ken Kesey – Thematic
Science Fiction:
Frankenstein – Mary Shelley – Thematic
Literary Fiction:
To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee – Thematic
The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald – Thematic
A Separate Peace – John Knowles – Thematic
The Bean Trees – Barbara Kingsolver – Thematic
The Catcher and the Rye – J.D. Salinger – Thematic
Sweet Bitter – Stephanie Danler – Thematic
Young Adult Fiction:
The Outsiders – S.E. Hinton – Themamtic
Sisterhood Everlasting – Ann Brashares – Mimetic
Park & Eleanor – Rainbow Rowell – Mimetic
Fan Girl – Rainbow Rowell – Mimetic
Bleed Like Me – Christa Desir – Mimetic
An Abundance of Katherines – John Green – Mimetic
Will Greyson, Will Greyson – John Green – Mimetic
The Fault in Our Stars – John Green – Mimetic
Let It Snow – John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle – Mimetic
Tell the Wolves I’m Home – Carol Rifka Brunt – Mimetic
Autobiography/Biography/Memoir:
October Sky – Homer Hickam — Thematic
Killing Kennedy – Bill O’Reilly – Thematic
Killing Lincoln – Bill O’Reilly – Thematic
Killing Reagan – Bill O’Reilly – Thematic
Becoming Jazz – Jazz Jennings – Mimetic
This Boy’s Life – Tobias Wolff – Thematic
Diary of an Oxygen Thief – NLVI – Mimetic
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks – Rebecca Skloot – Thematic
Almost a Woman – Esmerelda Santiago – Thematic
Neil Patrick Harris – Choose Your Own Autobiography – Neil Patrick Harris – Mimetic
Romance:
The Vow – Stuart Sender – Mimetic
Safe Haven – Nicholas Sparks – Mimetic
The Longest Ride – Nicholas Sparks – Mimetic
Love, Rosie – Juliette Towhidi – Mimetic
Me Before You – Jojo Moyes – Mimetic
After You – Jojo Moyes – Mimetic
Groupie – Ginger Voight – Mimetic
Rockstar – Ginger Voight – Mimetic
Mogul – Ginger Voight – Mimetic
Poetry:
Love and Other Misadventure – Lang Leav – Synthetic
Epistolary Fiction:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower – Stephen Chbosky – Thematic
The Color Purple – Alice Walker – Thematic
Autobiographical Novel:
The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath – Thematic
Historical Fiction:
The Wives of King David: Michal – Jill Eileen Smith – Mimetic
The Wives of King David: Abigail – Jill Eileen Smith – Mimetic
The Wives of King David: Bathsheba – Jill Eileen Smith – Mimetic
The Things They Carried – Tim O’Brien – Thematic
Postcards from No Man’s Land – Aidan Chambers – Mimetic
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn – Thematic
Tragedy/Drama:
Romeo and Juliet – William Shakespeare – Synthetic
Macbeth – William Shakespeare – Synthetic
Hamlet – William Shakespeare – Synthetic
The Tempest – William Shakespeare – Synthetic
College:
Thriller/Suspense:
19 Minutes – Jodi Picoult – Thriller – Mimetic
The Good Girl – Mary Kubica – Suspense/Thriller – Mimetic
Biography/Autobiography/Memoir:
Becoming – Michelle Obama – Thematic
The End of Normal – Stephanie Madoff Mack – Thematic
Sister’s First: Stories from Our Wild and Wonderful Life – Barbara Bush and Jenna Hager Bush – Thematic
Tuesday’s with Morrie – Mitch Albom – Thematic
These Few Precious Days: The Final Year of Jack and Jackie – Christopher Andersen – Thematic
Poetry:
Mouthful of Forevers – Clementine von Radics – Synthetic
I Love My Love – Reyna Biddy – Synthetic
The Princess Saves Herself in this One – Amanda Lovelace – Synthetic
Milk and Honey – Rupi Kaur – Synthetic
The Sun and Her Flowers – Rupi Kaur – Synthetic
I Wrote This for You – Iain S. Thomas – Synthetic
Beautiful Chaos – R.M. Drake – Synthetic
Home – Clementine von Radics – Synthetic
Eighteen Years – Madisen Kuhn – Synthetic
We Were Young – Fortesa Latifi – Synthetic
In a Dream I Saw a Way to Survive – Clementine von Radics – Synthetic
Contemporary Romance/Romance:
Call Me by Your Name – Andre Aciman – Thematic
Rule – Jay Crownover – Mimetic
Jet – Jay Crownover – Mimetic
Rome – Jay Crownover – Mimetic
Nash – Jay Crownover – Mimetic
Rowdy – Jay Crownover – Mimetic
Asa – Jay Crownover – Mimetic
Built – Jay Crownover – Mimetic
After – Anna Todd – Mimetic
After We Collided – Anna Todd – Mimetic
After We Fell – Anna Todd – Mimetic
After Ever Happy – Anna Todd – Mimetic
The Light We Lost – Jill Santopolo – Thematic
One Day in December – Josie Silver – Mimetic
The Proposal – Jasmine Guillory – Mimetic
The Wedding Party – Jasmine Guillory – Mimetic
Literary Fiction:
This is How You Lose Her – Junot Diaz – Thematic
Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens – Thematic
This Is How It Always Is – Laurie Frankel – Thematic
Concrete Fever – Nathaniel Kressen – Thematic
The Sun Also Rises – Ernest Hemingway – Thematic
The Shortest Way Home – Miriam Parker – Thematic
In the Midst of Winter – Isabel Allende – Thematic
Fiction:
The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc – Loraine Despres – Mimetic
Reconstructing Amelia – Kimberly McCreight – Mimetic
All We Ever Wanted – Emily Giffin – Mimetic
The Last Time I Saw You – Eleanor Moran – Mimetic
First Comes Love – Emily Giffin – Mimetic
Young Adult Fiction:
The Sun is Also a Star – Tracy Oliver – Mimetic
Historical Fiction:
Lilac Girls – Martha Hall Kelly – Mimetic
The Alice Network – Kate Quinn – Mimetic
Next Year in Havana – Chanel Cleeton – Thematic
When We Left Cuba – Chanel Cleeton – Thematic
I was Anastasia – Ariel Lawhon – Thematic
The Paris Seamstress – Natasha Lester – Mimetic
City of Girls – Elizabeth Gilbert – Mimetic
KKJM Reads 