Books! The best weapons in the world!

The above is a quote from Doctor Who, one of my favorite television shows.  In that case of course, the books are LITERALLY weapons, but I love the sentiment expressed.

Books have always been my best friends, from the time I was three years old, until now, thirteen years later.  People leave, things change.  But you can crack open your favorite book and read it, over and over, and know that it never changes. Sometimes that's good.  I like the security that books provide.  I like knowing that nothing is going to jump out at me, and that there will be no unpleasant surprises.  Of course, when you read a book for the first time there is no way to know what will happen, but I have a habit of reading my favorites over and over again.

Because I like books so much, I have a habit of rambling on and on about them, to the point where my family is like, "okay Rachel...we get it...we get ALL of it..." but I really can't help it.  And so, just because I have so many book related emotions, I thought I would talk about them here.  More to follow, of course, but I thought I would talk about the top five books of my short life.  I would say the top five books of all time, but I'm not even sixteen.  There's still tons I haven't read yet. 

1.  Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
This.  Book.  Changed.  My.  Entire.  Life.
That sounds so stupid, rereading it, but seriously.  This was the book that did everything for me.  And believe it or not, I thought it would be immensely boring when I started.
I was an idiot.
Basically, this is my favorite book.  It's funny and romantic and clever and so, so, beautifully written, with characters I absolutely love.  Everyone should read it at least once; I promise it's better than anything you could possibly think of.
“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” 

2.  The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green
This is the book that makes me want to hug this man for everything, and also punch him straight in the face for ripping out my heart and stamping on it.  It concerns a boy, a girl, cancer, a beautiful book, and Amsterdam.  And there's really nothing more I can say, other than the fact that it made me laugh and cry, all at once.  Not many books do that, and when they do, it's really quite special.
“My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations.”

3.  Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke

Many days I wish I could just jump into a book.  I know tons of people before me have expressed that sentiment, and it's nothing original in that respect, but when I found Inkheart, I think I mentally went, "OHHHH MY GOSH," because it was everything I was looking for.
Inkheart is the story of a girl who learns she and her father have the power to read people, things, and even themselves, into and out of books.  The concept is my favorite part of Inkheart, and it's executed so well.  Plus, the language is beautiful, and the chapters each have an excerpt from a book at the beginning.  This is a book lover's book.  And it's simply magical.
“Stories never really end...even if the books like to pretend they do. Stories always go on. They don't end on the last page, any more than they begin on the first page.” 

4.  The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
I want to sum this book up, but I don't have the words for it.  Narrated by Death, it tells the story of a German girl and her reactions to World War Two raging around her.  A WARNING:  If you read this book, you will cry for about three weeks.  Yet it will also touch you, very deeply.  It's a risk that must be taken.
“It’s a small story really, about, among other things:
* A girl
* Some words
* An accordionist
* Some fanatical Germans
* A Jewish fist fighter
* And quite a lot of thievery."  

5.  Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Prachett
OH LOOK, IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A BOOK ON THIS LIST THAT DOESN'T BREAK YOUR HEART?  Apparently, yes.  It is.
Good Omens is the most hilarious book I have EVER.  READ.  It's incredible.  It concerns the actions of a fussy angel and an angel who did not so much fall as "saunter vaguely downwards" in their attempts to 1. stop the apocalypse, 2.  find the Antichrist, an eleven year old kid, and 3.  escape relatively intact.  And it's PERFECT.  Not only that, but it's a fascinating look at good and evil that made me stop and actually think.   I loved it.
“DON'T THINK OF IT AS DYING, said Death. JUST THINK OF IT AS LEAVING EARLY TO AVOID THE RUSH.”


So there you have it, my dears.  Rachel's top five books of her relatively short life so far.  I hope you enjoy.

xx