Disclaimer: As I grow older and change and expand my ever present reading list, so do my opinions. Books that I said used to be my favorite may go down in rank (Twilight anyone?) or books that I used to hate I can re-read and appreciate something about it that I hadn’t before (Lord of the Flies). That being said, I’m sure there are books I’m forgetting or leaving out or haven’t read yet, but at the present moment, these would be my favorites.
Please take it with more than a grain of salt, or better yet, please take the whole salt shaker.
Favorite Children’s Series
1. The Harry Potter Series
2. The Penderwick Chronicles
3. Peter and the Starcatchers
I mean…was there even a question? Harry Potter is iconic and to this day, the series gives me feels that are unrivaled. But seeing as the Harry Potter series is what started my love of reading in the first place…I owe it a lot. And for all of those that never asked Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite HP novel followed closely by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Favorite Middle Grade Series
The Clique Series
The Land of Elyon Series
Holes
The Giver
The Outsiders
This has…quite a range in terms of quality and subject matter. But most of these I read during pre-pubescence and when I was voraciously reading anything and everything I could get my hands on. I was 12 and books like The Clique and Gossip Girl were the pinnacle of literature to my tiny brain. Thank god that time is over.
Favorite YA Fantasy
Even though Harry Potter could probably also win this category, I will leave it out for now as I put in in Children’s series.
The Wicked Lovely Series
Six of Crows Duology
The Raven Cycle Series
Dark Rise
The Dark Artifices Series
For a long time, I considered Melissa Marr, author of the Wicked Lovely series, my favorite author of all time. There are others added to that list now (Leigh Bardugo, Maggie Steifvater, etc) but she was the original. I read the Wicked Lovely series when I was in 8th grade and it still strikes me today as one of the most inventive and fantastical YA fantasies that mixes fairies, romance, and the dark and gritty in an addicting concoction that has stayed fresh even after all these years.
Favorite YA Fiction
The Foxhole Court (All for the Game trilogy)
The Captive Prince Trilogy
The Absolutely True-Diary of a Part-time Indian
The It Girl Series
The Selection Series
I’m sure I am forgetting many, many more, but these books and series are what come to mind currently. The Foxhole Court to me is the epitome of a diamond in the rough. Not nearly as popular or well-known as the others, but I’ve read that series three times now. There’s something about the characters and the relationships that is unbelievably memorable and always drags me back for more.
Favorite Adult Fiction
Station Eleven
Red, White, & Royal Blue
If We Were Villains
The Host
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Adult fiction is a genre that I delve into sporadically and with mixed results. I definitely tend to vibe with YA more and most of my beloved characters and series are heralded in by YA. That being said, Station Eleven is INCREDIBLE. I read this novel in college and it blew my mind. I would highly recommend. And yes, despite what any one says, I thought The Host was a very enjoyable read.
Favorite LGBTQ+ Novels
Autoboyagraphy
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Proxy
Coda
These were hard to choose as there are other books (like Red, White, & Royal Blue that could be added, but since I had them in different categories I went with novels I hadn’t listed yet. Autoboyagraphy was just perfection. I loved every single word of it. Please go read it.
Favorite Classic Literature
Of Mice and Men
1984
The Catcher in the Rye
The Lord of the Flies
Wuthering Heights
I do read other things than YA, fiction, and fantasy, occasionally. I’ve either read most classics through school or through being an educator, but Of Mice and Men once made me cry for an entire weekend. That book is so short and yet packs the biggest punch.
Favorite Shakespeare Plays
Macbeth
King Lear
A Streetcar Named Desire
The Crucible
The Merchant of Venice
I have read Macbeth so many times now I think I could recite certain lines in my sleep. This play is Shakespeare’s shortest, but also his best in my opinion. Lady Macbeth will forever live on as the most badass woman to ever murder several people and her lines will forever remain iconic.
Favorite Short-Stories
1.The Metamorphosis
2. The Cask of Amontillado
3. The Lottery
4. The Monkey’s Paw
I don’t make a habit necessarily of reading short-stories, but these are some I’ve come across over the years and absolutely love for different reasons, although most of these on the list weirdly align with more horror elements.