What's on My Bookshelf

Many of the books on my shelf are old and I haven't read them in years, but they are reflective of my interests and the kind of books I like to read.  Here are some of the books on my shelf and what I like about them.

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling - A staple for all readers who love the fantasy genre.  My favorite aspect of these books is the fact that the characters are so well developed and are all integrated into the plot in a way that is easy to follow, despite the fact that there are so many of them.  And of course, I also love the incorporation of magic and detailed descriptions of the wizarding world.

Watership Down by Richard Adams - This book, published in 1972, is a classic tale about a group of rabbits who go in search of a new warren because their old one is destroyed by humans.  This book is charming, adventurous, and funny, and Adams is very creative in forming a believable rabbit society, including their own language.  I also enjoyed it because I love animals, and it is refreshing to read books from the points of view of characters who are not human.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - This may be the funniest book I have ever read.  The story follows a man named Arthur Dent who manages to escape Earth on a spaceship just before it is destroyed  by aliens in order to create an interstellar highway.  The book features hysterical characters, including an obnoxious politician from a distant galaxy and a depressed robot.  I found it delightfully entertaining from beginning to end.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee - I originally bought this book for an eighth grade English project.  I didn't find this book all that exciting or fun to read, but I really do like the story and the messages that this book tells.  Scout Finch is a very intelligent young girl and I grew to like her very quickly.  Although it is told from the point of view of a child, the novel deals with some very heavy topics including racism and murder.  It's not my personal favorite, but I think everybody should read it at some point.

Swordbird by Nancy Yi Fan - I first heard about this book on Oprah's show when she showcased children with amazing talents.  Fan was only 12 years old when she published this book, making her the youngest author of a New York Times Bestseller.  This book is about two tribes of birds, blue jays and cardinals, who enter a war because each side thinks that the others are stealing eggs.  In fact, the eggs are being stolen by an evil hawk trying to build an empire.  This book is charming, full of action, and fun, but also deals with serious issues and shows the price of war.  Fan advocates peace and justice and was inspired to write this book by the attack on the World Trade Center.  I think it's an amazing work for a 12 year old, and I liked this book because I love birds and adventure stories.

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman - This trilogy of books was fascinating because the concept was so original.  It's a fantasy adventure, but doesn't involve magic.  Rather, it focuses on a parallel world where technology has advanced in a different way than ours.  There, each person has a sort of spirit animal called a daemon that cannot leave their side.  The main character, Lyra, embarks on a dangerous adventure to restore her world and ours to balance.  This book was exciting and mystifying to read.

Skin and Other Stories by Roald Dahl - Dahl is by far my favorite children's author.  I read almost all of his books when I was younger.  They are fun, brilliantly original, and quirky.  They often have serious topics but are always light-hearted and optimistic.  So I bought this book of his short stories aimed at adults.  Like his children's books, these stories are all quirky and strange in some way, and contain a delightful touch of dark humor.  These stories contain events more relatable for adults and don't involved magic like his children's books often do, but are still wonderful.