12 Books I Own

I had a giant bowl of M&Ms in my dorm for about two weeks a month ago. I got bored one day while eating them and put them in front of books on my bookshelf.

I've decided to talk about each of these books briefly and try to convince all of you to read them.

1. The Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas
This is a classic! Ultimately, it's meant as a triumph of the human spirit and an account of God working through mysterious ways...it's also about breaking out of prison. It's fantastic! Dumas is a brilliant writer and creates in-depth characters and riveting experiences for the reader.

2. Les Miserables- Victor Hugo
I think this might be one of my favorites. Set in France during the Napoleonic wars, it's the account of one Jean Valjean building himself up after society has pushed him down...it's another story about the triumph of the human spirit and faith! HA! Please, please do not be intimidated by its size. Read the abridged version if you must but it's so good it's worth every minute, I promise!

3. The Giver- Lois Lowry
This book could literally change your life. It's about a boy who is charged with keeping the memories of all of human history in a "perfect" society. It's actually a really dark book for a young readers' level, but you can really take what you will from it. It's just an interesting look at humanity.

4. Brave New World- Aldous Huxley
This one is actually like the adult version of The Giver. Except that it's more a look at government than humanity.

5. The Hobbit- J.R.R. Tolkien
Of course! Kid book or not I love this book! If you like fantasy this is a must-read. We get to meet Bilbo Baggins and discover where he got his love of adventure and excitement (clearly he cannot be a Jedi). And, of course, DRAGONS!

6. The Dumbest Generation- Mark Bauerlein
I bought this because the author is amazing. By that I mean that he's actually interesting to listen to. The book is about "Millennials," or those of us who were born 1985 and beyond. Mostly, it's a criticism of our inability to learn and use the resources available to us. It's really interesting, even though I disagree with some of it (some of us still read! I promise!)

7. Born of Night- Sherrilyn Kenyon
This is a random romance novel I own by my favorite author of such books. It's actually a sci-fi based one. Um...I'm actually not going to try to convince you too hard on this one- even though I did enjoy it!

8. Ender's Game- Orson Scott Card
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! It's kid-level reading, but I read it in high school and ended up crying. It's set in the future when people are monitored for their ability to be soldiers. A young boy, Ender, is one of the children who make it past the initial level. I can't tell you too much because I'd just give everything away- BUT READ IT!

9. Cat's Cradle- Kurt Vonnegut
Oh Kurt Vonnegut, what can I really say about you? He's insane, but Cat's Cradle is so unique in it's crazy, almost religious, time-warping story that I was just awed. If that sounds too weird for you- Slaughter-house Five. So good.

10. Hadrian- Anthony Everitt
I love Ancient Rome. I love history. I love Hadrian. If you don't like any of these things, I wouldn't bother with this. But Hadrian is amazing!

11. The Constant Fire- Adam Frank
Since I can't stop talking about Dr. Adam Frank, his book would make this list. I bought this book so I could accurately describe the awesome that is Dr. Frank. His ideas surrounding religion and science are...perfect. One day I will tell you exactly how perfect, but if this debate interests you at all you really need to read this book.

12. The Lucifer Effect- Philip Zimbardo
I think people are fascinating. The things we will do and say and the ways we justify those actions are really neat. This book explains how good people can turn..well, evil.

Alright, that's a list of 12 books I own. I hope I've convinced you to pick one of them up from your local library :)