Kassylla's Virtual Bookshelf

BOOKS THAT SHAPED ME

1. The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is the book that taught me that a witness who doesn't speak up is just as guilty as the perpetrator. After reading this book, I learned to always stand up for others and for myself. When there was a bully at school, I intervened. I've called out friends, family members, and even strangers for racist, sexist, or homophobic remarks, and will continue to do so. Usually, the main characters in novels are great heroes who always do the right thing. What I liked about this book was how Hosseini portrayed the main character Amir as a coward which is a common human flaw. Amir knew he was responsible for the terrible events that happened to his friend because he did not intervene, and thus felt guilty for a long time. Books have the power to shape a person's character and morals. Because of this book, I learned to have courage and not be afraid of the consequences of speaking up when I hear or see an injustice.

“It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime...”

2. Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is my favorite romance novel for several reasons. Elizabeth Bennett refused to give in to societal pressures throughout the entire novel by refusing to settle for anything less than what she wanted. Since I first read this book in high school, I refused to live my life for anyone other than myself. Another reason I love this novel is because, as the title suggests, Elizabeth and her love interest Mr. Darcy, got in the way of their happiness and the happiness of others because of preconceived notions about each other and others. However, when both characters realized this flaw in themselves, they were able to reconcile and finally be together. This book shaped how I am able to recognize my mistakes and fix them.

“There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.”

3. Percy Jackson & the Olympians

 

Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riordan was how my love for reading began. The Lightning Thief was a Christmas gift from my teacher in elementary school. She noticed my interest in mythology when covering the subject in class. Since then, I've read most of Riordan's books. The series touches on human flaws and behavior that fascinated me from the start. I was especially interested in the idea of fatal flaw. Most of the characters have a fatal flaw such as loyalty, hubris, and curiosity, that causes conflict and chaos. Most fatal flaws are actually positive character traits that are taken to the extreme. By understanding the idea of fatal flaw, I was able to take a step back and analyze my traits and behavior and work on them in order to a better person. This series will always have a special place in my heart because it opened the door to so many other worlds and stories that affected my life. 

"To save a friend you would sacrifice the world"

4. Keeping You a Secret

 

Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters is a book about a senior in high school who discovers that she is gay. The book tackles the reality of coming out and the important issues concerning LGBT+ youths. I read this book as a junior in high school and was facing many of the same issues as the main character, Holland. On top of her struggle with juggling college applications, a job, and a complicated home life, Holland deals with societal pressures when realizing she feelings for another girl. The book shows the realities of LGBT+ teens bullied and kicked out of their home, a real fear I had at the time because of my family background. This book was written in 2003, when coming out was way different than what it is today. Because of this book, I was able to gather the courage to come out, because despite the opposition, being yourself is the most important thing in order to find happiness. 

"Everything I knew, everything I was, the walls I'd built up to protect myself all these years would come crashing down."

5. I felt a Funeral, in my Brain

"I felt a Funeral, in my Brain" by Emily Dickinson really resonated with me when I read and analyzed it for this course. As someone who has experience with mental illness, I was able to relate to the poem in a way I never felt with other poems. The way Dickinson uses repetition and sound imagery left a powerful affect on me. The poem makes me feel vulnerable because it shows that I am not alone, and many can relate to the message. The poem is so timeless as it is just as relevant today as it was when Dickinson was writing this. Mental illness is a difficult concept to put into words and Dickinson did an beautiful job. Because of this poem, I have a sudden interest in poetry as a whole and have started to understand the deeper meaning that they convey.

"And then a Plank in Reason, broke, / And I dropped down, and down -"

Stephanie Button's Bookshelf

Stephanie Button's Virtual Bookshelf

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Daniel Hadler

          This series is what got me to read. 4th grade SSR time in Mr. Wheeler's class I had always sat there pretending to read, as I had every year before that. But one day I grabbed the second book of this series, The Reptile Room, and I was hooked. This series helped me grow because it taught me adventure, and to always be cautious, aware, and somewhat suspicious. I know this sounds cynical, but you never truly know one's intentions. The Baudelaire's knew of Count Olaf's intentions, but not initially- they learned of his evil ways after discovering his murderous ways to get their family fortune. These books added adventure and wonder to my childhood and I believe that is why Hadler wrote them. They also made me realize how fortunate my family situation is- because the Baudelaire orphans were thrown guardian to guardian for the majority of their childhood. This book connects to creativity within our class because of how bizarre, peculiar, and original every story, description, situation, escape, and plot is.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

         It doesn't get any better than the Harry Potter series. I first watched the movies then read the Chamber of Secrets (I know I know basically illegal but yolo) because I had felt that so much had happened in it. I started in 6th grade then life happened and finished in 8th (oops) and since it took me so long to finish, I gradually learned from things within the book that applied to my life at the moment. It taught me to be brave by speaking in front of the class, raising my hand, getting answers wrong and learning from mistakes. It taught me to be curious and ask questions. It taught me to become aware of how others are feeling and aware of peoples actions and intentions. Lastly, the book taught me to infer and read in-between the lines when listening to peoples words and seeing their actions. This book was like another secret life to me- I felt like I knew Harry and all the characters personally, and I think one of the reasons Rowling wrote this: to transport people into a second life.

Beloved by Toni Morrison

        I had initially read Beloved for over summer reading going into 10th grade. When we discussed it in class everyone said they didn't like it, but I was one of few who did. I enjoyed it because it was not like anything I had ever read before. Switching time eras was completely new to me and my classmates and it happened so often you could barely tell which time era you were reading-which is why I think my classmates didn't like it. This was one of the first pieces of literature that really got me to truly understand the horrors of slavery. Yeah you learn about it your whole life and they tell you how awful it was but you never truly understand it until you have a connection with a character. I connected with Sethe,  I felt her pain and suffering- she helped me truly understand how despicable slavery was and question how people could ever let it happen and how it happened for so long. Morrison wrote this piece for everyone's raw understanding of the monstrosities of slavery and to be thankful that it isn't legal anymore.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

         I read this during 10th grade and I thought it was the best, most touching, real, raw, book I had ever read- I was taken aback when I had found out that it is supposedly fiction. This is the most emotionally invested I have ever been regarding read- I even had to read certain sections multiple times because I could not believe what I had just read. This is a story about the famous kite race in Afganistan, but mostly about the deep love that can be had within a friendship. This book made me feel sympathy for Hassan because of the adversity he has faced, anger at Amir because of his neglect toward Hassan after the rape, and a whole swirl of emotions in the middle. Hassan taught me loyalty, bravery, and selflessness throughout the whole book-even though he wasn't present in a lot, his demeanor and spirit still were. I think Hosseini wrote this book to bring to light the cultural difference and struggle in the Greater Middle East through a heart-wrenching story.

The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy

       I started reading this book senior year of high school and it is about Tom Wingo trying to help his suicidal sister through a New York shrink. Through therapy sessions to get to the bottom of Savannah's (his sister) troubles, we get flashbacks of the Wingo siblings adverse childhood. Tom Wingo copes with the memories of his abusive parents and rape through sarcasm and by making fun of himself as a defensive mechanism. From this book, I learned that you cannot control some things that happen to you and sometimes all you can do to get cope is to laugh it off like Tom Wingo. I think Conroy wrote this piece in order to show that people react to obstacles differently and that it is human to do so; Savannah reacted to her rape and traumatic childhood by multiple attempts at suicide and Tom reacted by being very cynical and sarcastic. This book had dark, dry humor and it connects to our class through the theme of improvement by seeking help to recover and cope with past life events.