Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Recommend the Most

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new Top Ten list topic is posted and book bloggers fill in their own choices. I'm a list girl (as in, I don't function without them), so I thought this would be a good choice for me!  This week is a rewind week, which means we can pick any past topic.  Since this is my favorite meme, and since I've missed many, many weeks, I am really happy to go back and choose one!  For my rewind, I chose...

Top Ten Books I Recommend the Most

Because of my extremely short attention span, my list of books that I recommend is in a constant state of flux.  Much of it depends on what I've read recently that has stayed with me, and who I am talking to, but there are definitely a few stand-outs that are always on it!

*In no particular order.*

1.  Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell~  This is my all-time favorite book, and my most highly recommended classic.  Of course, it's not a book that everyone is going to enjoy, but if I'm asked what my favorite book is, this is always my answer.

2.  Every Day by David Levithan~  This was my favorite book of 2012, and my second favorite book of all time.  It's a book that has stayed with me because it was just THAT beautiful.  When I'm asked what the one book I think EVERYONE should read is, this is it.  It's perfection.  Read my review HERE.

3.  Graceling by Kristin Cashore~  Whenever I come across a lover of High Fantasy, I gush about this book.  I can't say enough.  I liked Fire and Bitterblue too, but Graceling is still my favorite.  Some other, more recent HF novels I love and recommend are Shadow and Bone (read my review HERE) and its upcoming sequel, Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo, Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (read my review HERE), and Touch of Power (read my review HERE) and Scent of Magic (read my review HERE) by Maria V. Snyder.

4.  Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin~  Another all-time favorite.  This is what I hope the afterlife is like.  I love the world and the story, and it's a quick enough read that I feel comfortable suggesting it to even t most reluctant reader.

5.  Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews~  This is my favorite funny book to recommend.  I was so thrilled when it won the 2012 Cybil Award for Young-Adult Fiction!  It was well deserved!  Read my review HERE.

6.  Shine by Lauren Myracle~  This was my favorite book of 2011, and for very good reason. As far as books that deal with the tough stuff go, there is no shortage of great ones.  There are so many great authors who write about the issues facing today's teens; You have Ellen Hopkins, who in my opinion, is the reigning Queen of Issues Your Parents Don't Want To Acknowledge, John Green, Laurie Halse Anderson, Amy Reed, and Jennifer Brown, to name a few.  Shine stood out to me because Lauren Myracle is not an author who typically writes the heavy stuff.  She's usually witty and funny and light, so Shine took me by surprise, and really stayed with me like few other books have.  Read my review HERE.

7.  If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman~ I read each of these books in one sitting, and they both made me cry for different reasons.  These two books are my go-to books for girls who are looking for Contemporary Romance with an edge.  Read my review of Where She Went HERE.

8.  The Fault In Our Stars by John Green~ This is my most recommended tearjearker.  I, along with a few other people on our committee, fought to keep this on my daughter's middle school's 2013 summer reading list for rising 7th and 8th graders, because it belongs in the hands of kids that age.  It is such a beautifully written story, but at the same time full of humor that today's kids can relate to.  Another book I think everyone should read.  Read my review HERE.

9.  Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys~ I just finished this one the other day, but I've already been spreading the word.  I immediately handed it to my (almost) 12 year old daughter when I finished it, and then sent an email to her middle school media specialist to see if it was too late to get it put on the summer reading list.  The funny thing is, I had no intention of reading it because I generally dislike Historical Fiction, but my book club was reading it, so I reluctantly did too.  I. LOVED. IT.  It was fabulous.  If you haven't read it, do it now!

10.  The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare~ I just finished the final installment, Clockwork Princess, and the tears!  If someone wants to dig into a series, this is the one I'm going to suggest.  I've enjoyed The Mortal Instruments, so far, but The Infernal Devices is head and shoulders above it.  If you are a Paranormal fan, a Historical Fiction fan, a Steampunk Fan, or a fan of epic love stories, these books are must-reads!  Read my review of Clockwork Prince HERE, and look for my review of Clockwork Princess in the upcoming days.

So- there are my Top Ten Books I Recommend the Most.  It could change tomorrow (although based on what I'm reading right now, that is unlikely), but for now...  Do we share any recommendations?  Do you have anything to add? What topic did you rewind to?  Leave your link with your comment so I can check your Top Ten out!