Books that Changed My Life (ongoing)
Our human experience thrives on stories. We must share our stories. Because of this, I am a memoir girl through and through.
On a camping trip to the mountains of North Carolina, I packed one book: Betty. My GoodReads review read:
“A 6 star read. No words. I sat in silence after I read this book. I genuinely think it touched a deep part of my childhood in me and healed it. Landon Carpenter is exactly the kind of man I want the father of my kids to be. This book encapsulated the power that men of our childhood can have over the women we later become. Tiffany McDaniel is an exceptional writer, and what a legacy she exemplifies for the Cherokee nation.”
Crying in H Mart met me at a time when I needed it most. After reading this book, my GoodReads review read:
“Beautifully written. Powerful and such DEEP words written about grief; thoughts and words that almost seem impossible to put on paper. It is interesting to think of how food connects us all in some form, whether it’s a different culture or different ingredient, it still brings us all together in gratitude. This book will 100% make you sit and reflect on the beauty of your own mother.”
Wild. This book grabbed my hand and took me through the wilderness. I would recommend this book to all young adults. In such a time of uncertainty, reading a story like Cheryl Strayed’s allows you to reflect. Thank you Audrey for recommending this book!
My GoodReads review:
“Gosh I love this book! Highly recommend it to someone when traveling!!! Perfect for a plane ride. I read this book throughout my trip in Northern Ireland. A time of pure reflection and finding after being in one of the lowest places in my life. My best friend recommended this book to me a few months ago. Little did I know how much it would impact me. It made me feel ALL the feels and reflect so much on my own life. The simplicity of nature might just be all we need. WE are enough. We don’t need all of the answers to find what’s best for us.”
My Goodreads review:
Bastard Out of Carolina is a hard book to read, but it has a special place in my heart. This book, which takes place in my hometown, was a healing read. I have always struggled to find art that accurately expressed the bittersweet love I have for my hometown as a woman of the South. Dorothy Allison, however, makes you sit face to face with the precise complexities of the South: womanhood, class, sexuality, race, revival, and adolescence. I felt understood. Betty and Bastard Out of Carolina are books that feel like home.
Now moving to fiction, Normal People is the first life-changing book that comes to my mind. Normal People made me sit and reflect on the psychological push and pull of relationships. Our human nature is quite complex. There are so many unanswered questions for why we are the way that we are towards the people we love. I sat straight up in my bed after reading this book just thinking.
My GoodReads review read:
“I want to write an entire literary analysis on this book.”
