Kat's Virtual Bookshelf

Kat's Bookshelf 

1. 1984 by George Orwell 

I first read 1984 as part of my assigned reading in high school, and it quickly became a personal favorite.  I had never read a book that challenged the way I viewed the world in this way, and was fascinated by the struggles that the main character Winston goes through in his effort to seek freedom from the oppressive government.  This book made me reconsider many things in my life, such as the freedoms that I often take for granted.  Even after I had finished reading it, I found myself contemplating its message and the creativity of the author.  Though I often found it easy to distance reality from the fiction of the books I was reading, for the first time I found myself startled to see the truth within a narrative that was not far from possible.  This book made me question the reasons Orwell had for sharing this story, and caused me to read other books in a different light.  

2. A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah

 As a child, the books I read rarely included intense scenes of violence.  A Long Way Gone marked a transitional period in the type of books I read, and was the first book I remember reading with a mix of dread and fascination.  It is the memoir of a child soldier who was forced to fight during the civil war in Sierra Leone.  I remember my shock at learning about a civil war other than the one that had been emphasized to me in American History class.  Ishmael Beah faced many challenges that pushed him to do horrible things, and his story opened my eyes to the horrors of war that do not go away even after the fighting has ended.  This book addresses the larger question of what readers can learn from stories, as well as why authors decide to share their stories in the first place. 

3. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

The Harry Potter series as a whole holds a very special place in my heart and in my life.  I used to sit with my dad and he would read the books to me and I would read some to him, until one day I was able to read the entire book to him.  This book was the first book I read all by myself, and thus will always play a special role in my life.  Memories aside, this book continues to be one of my favorites among the entire series, as readers are finally given more information regarding the lives of Harry's parents, and Harry's efforts to defeat Voldemort are shown to have true backing by other people.  This book also presented the importance of love to triumph over evil, and as Harry loses his godfather this love from others becomes the only thing keeping him together.  This book emphasized the ways in which writers can portray death, and how J.K. Rowling's story shows the power of love to overcome any obstacle. 

4. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

 

I had never read another graphic novel before reading Persepolis, and was not sure what to expect.  However, after a few pages, I found myself hooked and could not stop reading.  Though the narrative does contain comical moments, many of the themes present in the book are heavy and address real issues such as freedom of expression and the struggle with depression.  I found myself able to relate to Marji's character at times, as I remember how awkward it was trying to find myself and still to this day have moments where I doubt my self identity.  Hearing about the war in Iran from the perspective of someone who grew up there was very interesting for me, as my roommate's mother also experienced a similar situation growing up in Iran during the same time as Marji.  It allowed me to better understand not only my friend's culture and others' perspectives, but also widened my own. 

5. Wuthering Heights by Emile Brontë

I read this book during my senior year in high school, and found myself oddly mesmerized with a book that was so dramatic and distant in setting.  The struggles of the characters to be good enough for someone else is something that I have always grappled with myself.  The love triangle was something that fascinated me, as it was ridiculously complex and strong enough that it led to the death of Catherine. The love that Heathcliff and Catherine shared is one of the most well-known in literature, as it spans all borders, even death.  I thought that this book showed an author's ability to display common human emotions in their most dramatic form, and through this exasperation point out real pains that people experience in their lives.