My birthday is in less than two months. Forty days to be exact. In forty days I’ll be twenty. While it may seem far away or simply insignificant, the day is looming over me. As much as I fear the end of the past decade of my life, I know that it just means a new beginning is starting. So, I’ve been reflecting on both my teenage years and those before, reminiscing about my younger self. I’ve been listening to the original Broadway cast albums I used to have on repeat and have been thinking specifically about the books that I’ve loved. I’ve always been a voracious reader and can make sense of the different periods and years of my life according to the books I was reading at the time. So, in honor of my impending twentieth birthday, here are twenty books that have shaped me into the person that I am.

1. Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

It makes sense that the Greek mythology-obsessed kid that I was would grow up to study English and history. These books, as well as the sequel series The Heroes of Olympus, were a fixture of my childhood. I used to read the books with my dad each night and we’d alternate reading chapters. I felt connected to Percy, Annabeth, and Grover. I remember loving every stop on their quests as well as the mythological characters they encountered along the way. While Riordan’s other series about Egyptian or Norse mythology were fun, I will forever stay loyal to Percy.

It makes sense that the Greek mythology-obsessed kid that I was would grow up to study English and history.

2. The Mother-Daughter Book Club series by Heather Vogel Frederick

As much as the title might trick you, I did not read these with my mom. Instead, I read each book cradled on my couch with a cup of tea. I was so invested in the trials and tribulations of Emma, Jess, Cassidy, and Megan that I do credit these books for getting me interested in classic literature. I mean, when Mrs. Hawthorne named her kids Emma and Darcy, how could you not expect me to seek out Jane Austen immediately? 

3. The Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley

It would be easy to shove this 9-book series into the box of “fairy tale characters in the real world” that so gripped 2010s media. And yet, as a series that boasted Little Red Riding Hood, Puck from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Ebeneezer Scrooge as characters, you quickly realized that Buckley had something special. Maybe it was because the protagonist was an older sister like me, but these books were a particular childhood treasure of mine. I will never forget when my sister’s best friend’s older brother spoiled the twist villain for me one day. I was so furious and yet, when I reached that moment in the books, I was somehow still shocked. These books meant so much to me that I gaslit myself into forgetting what he had told me. 

4. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Hobbit was in many ways an early favorite book of mine. I read it both with my dad and again in fifth grade, a fact that made me the de facto class Middle Earth historian. I loved the adventure of Bilbo Baggins and still haven’t found anything quite as hilarious as the song the dwarves sang upon ransacking his home for all his food and libations. 

5. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men was the first school book to make me cry. I remember reading it in my ninth-grade English class and not being able to make it through the last chapter without sniffling. Of Mice and Men was a book that utterly surprised me, since I didn’t think I would like it going in. It was the first book I read in high school and I loved how, despite its short length, it packs a punch. I would later read Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, to much disappointment and boredom. What makes Of Mice and Men so captivating are the characters George and Lennie, as well as their evolving friendship. I also love Steinbeck’s exploration of 1930s California. As much as I now find myself reaching for British novels, I loved the Americanness of Steinbeck’s timeless novella. 

6. Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Macbeth was the first Shakespeare play I ever read. In tenth grade, my English teacher decided that instead of simply reading it, everyone would be assigned parts and we would dedicate our classes each day to performing it. Ever the theater kid, I took on the ambitious titular role of the murderous Thane himself. Since then, I often watch old productions and try to remember my favorite quotes. Last spring, I even wrote a research paper about the Weird Sisters. I love how effortlessly Shakespeare explores Macbeth’s descent into darkness as well as his brilliant characterization of Lady Macbeth, who is admittedly a dream role. Even as I’ve read more of Shakespeare’s work, I still find myself partial to this particular tragedy and its musings on human nature. 

7. Lord Of The Flies by William Golding

I remember loving this book in high school. Well, loving it and being absolutely terrified at the same time. I believe one of life’s greatest joys is being surprised by a book and having it deeply rattle you, which was exactly the experience I had with this story. Its exploration of human nature in its rawest, most animalistic form is utterly gripping from the first page to the last. I think about the pig’s head on a stick scene semi-frequently, because of its effectiveness as an instrument of terror. 

8. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I absolutely love The Great Gatsby and believe it has a terrible reputation. When shoved onto unsuspecting high schoolers forced to sit through slide presentations about the futile nature of the American dream, I can empathize with their turn towards disdain for this brilliant little novel. But how can one read the lines, “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And one fine morning—So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past” (193) and not be moved by Fitzgerald’s brilliant prose? I love The Great Gatsby because of how much it offers. I like to reread it every few years or so just to see the story from a different perspective. Gatsby’s own unrelenting desires, the impending crash at the end of the 1920s, and Daisy’s permanent elusiveness are all facets of the novel I find endlessly fascinating, especially when written in Fitzgerald’s evocative voice. I first read it in middle school and again in high school. A book so often discarded as a curriculum staple deserves its spot in the American literary canon!

9. The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

This book was a respite during the COVID quarantine in 2020 and 2021. I was in high school, but we didn’t do much work. As a result, I had a ton of free time and found the author Kate Morton while poking around on Goodreads. Known for her sweeping, family mystery novels, I was immediately intrigued and read another book of hers, The Forgotten Garden. But it was her 2012 novel, The Secret Keeper, that became my favorite. The story traverses two generations and takes readers through the London Blitz and the ‘60s in England. Upon reaching the plot twist, I was in shock for twenty minutes, unable to process the brilliance and the ease with which Morton kept everything over my head throughout the novel. I was so invested and desperate to discuss the book and its twist that I sent a copy to my grandmother so that we could have our own little book club via Zoom. As the former English teacher that she is, she somehow managed to guess the reveal forty pages in, but I have such fond memories of discussing the twists and turns, as well as Morton’s excellent characterization of her dual-timeline protagonists. 

10. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

I love getting book recommendations from friends, which was how I found myself in the world of Faerie. I don’t necessarily love fantasy as a genre but there’s something so accessible and captivating about Holly Black’s worldbuilding. The character of Jude Duarte is such a compelling and flawed protagonist that despite the intense high-fantasy nature of the world and surrounding characters, it is very much a human story. The way Black blends genres, from fantasy to mystery is compelling and exciting. Writing this, I feel like it’s time I give these books another re-read, they’re just so fun! 

11. If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio

The dark academia aesthetic got to me, as I’m sure it did to most people my age. And for good reason, too: there is something comforting about indulging in deep intellectualism with a hot cup of tea as the weather gets colder. And as much as I would recommend the pinnacle of dark academia novels, Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, I find myself thinking about and re-reading its younger, theater-kid sister, If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio. The novel takes a similar idea about a group of self-destructive college students studying together before one is murdered, and gives it a delicious Shakespearean twist. Telling the story of a group of acting students too often boxed into archetypal roles, If We Were Villains is just as ominous and explosive as The Secret History and yet is able to lean more decisively into the drama and self-destructive nature of its characters. I loved it for its ability to transport me to another world, especially as I first read it during high school as one of the first books in the book club I founded.

12. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice is my favorite book I’ve ever read. The first time I read it was during quarantine, and I used to sit outside in my backyard, cocooned in a blanket, speeding through it. And every time I reread it and go back to Austen’s brilliant 19th-century world, I find myself loving it more. Every facet of the book is perfect: the timeless romance between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, the familial and sisterly dynamics between the Bennet sisters, the buffoonery of Mr. Collins, the tragedies of Charlotte and Lydia, and the scope of the world. Since reading Pride and Prejudice, I have been simply unable to escape from under Jane Austen’s watchful eye and find myself reaching toward her other works, the film adaptations, and movie scores in hopes that the world could somehow envelop me. 

The first time I read it was during quarantine, and I used to sit outside in my backyard, cocooned in a blanket, speeding through it.

13. The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

Okay, this might be a surprising pick. But this medieval classic has grown with me, ever since I first read it my senior year of high school and again during my freshman year at Berkeley. As a result, I’ve gotten to spend more time with it than a lot of other school books. And once you get past the raging misogyny and esoteric Old English, it’s just endlessly fun and fascinating. The short tales range from Arthurian legends to barnyard stories about chickens in love, so there really is something for everyone in the mix. The first time I read it, we read an edited version that was easier to understand with a slightly more modernized spelling throughout. But in college, we read the original Old English text. It was that transition that really felt like I had evolved as a student. And while Chaucer’s strange, idiosyncratic characters are themselves products of another time, there’s something magical about the medieval-ness of it all. 

14. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

I love annotating because of this gorgeous gothic novel by Daphne du Maurier. So often harrowing, time-consuming, and seemingly unnecessary, the threat of having to annotate a book plagues every student in their high school English classes. Including me. I admit, I used to phone it in in the margins of books for classes, writing “wow!” or “hmmm, interesting!” just to appease my teachers. Reading Rebecca, though, I chose to surround myself in the rich, haunting world. I admit, I went a little overboard with my color-coordinated tabs and sticky notes but I felt more connected to Maurier’s writing and loved being able to trace the progression of ideas. Since Rebecca, I’ve toned down my annotation habits but still find myself impulsively reaching for a pen to underline a sentence, or decorated with “!!!!!” next to it. In addition to my burgeoning love for annotating, the book is simply fantastic. It’s simultaneously cold and disturbing, gilded and soulless. I will endlessly recommend it to anyone. 

15. Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman

I love contemporary romance novels, and this one is a favorite. As cliche as it is, it is also unabashedly fun. The novel’s protagonist, Chani, is so sweet and easy to root for throughout. It can get fan fiction-y at times (cough cough Chris Evans), but provides enough twists and diversions to stand on its own. It very much reminds me of the popular Emily Henry romance novels, all of which are amazing. So, when you’ve finished reading all of her books, I think Sussman’s novel is the perfect next foray into the contemporary romance genre. 

16. The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser

The Faerie Queene was another for-school read, in the same class I read Chaucer. Where Chaucer’s medieval world was crass and bold, Spenser’s Elizabethan court, transformed into fantasy, was whimsical and passionate. While I’ve only read Book 3 of the work, I loved the way Spenser so seamlessly blended vivid imagery and evocative poeticism. I love books that challenge me and this still stands as one of the hardest books I’ve ever read, a feat that does not make me love it any less. For a book published in 1590, it is remarkable that it focuses on the female knight, Britomart, and her tales across a world of Faeries and magic. 

17. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

I was gifted this book by my favorite high school English teacher because he knew I would like it. Despite that, it took me a whole year to finally open it and I quickly found myself completely invested in Ferrante’s depiction of late 1950s Sicily. Her chronicle of the lifelong friendship between Elena and Lila spans four books and I’ve already barreled through the first two. Despite the influx of characters she introduces from the outset of the first book, this series grows into a warm exploration of womanhood, femininity, education, and of course, friendship. Reading, I was able to see so much of myself in the journeys of the two central women and the respective paths their lives take. Elena’s pursuit of education is inspiring and so easy to root for, while Lila’s tragic marriage is sympathetic and she maintains the ability to subvert expectations at any second. The way Ferrante writes Italy, too, is glowy and nostalgic, welcoming readers into the community and inviting them to grow up with the characters. 

18. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

When I was first trying to get into classic literature, I simply couldn’t escape Emily Brontë’s seminal masterpiece, Wuthering Heights. But for some reason, its reputation was negative and the consensus was that the dreary aesthetic and unlikability of all its characters made for a formidable slog of a book. As a result, it took me a long time to finally give it the chance it deserved. When I gave in to the Moors, I grew deeply fascinated with the very aspects of the book that are so often criticized. The characters gave the book an intense push-and-pull narrative that decentered any one plucky protagonist. I for one found the aesthetic and world of the English countryside distinct and stunning. While by no means a classic romantic relationship, the dynamic between Cathy and Heathcliff is endlessly fascinating and so well written. 

19. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

This one is a recent read, but I so desperately wish I had read it sooner. I love Shelley’s ability to mold the romantic-era world she was living in to her own whims, perverting classic binaries like man versus nature. It was simply nothing like I expected it to be and I find the character’s evolution through time, into how we think of him now, to be so interesting.

20. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

It seems I have a thing for Shakespeare’s tragedies. That, and ancient history. I was deeply invested in the account of Julius Caesar and, more potently, his fall from grace which Shakespeare depicts in this play. The buildup to the famous Ides of March assassination was expertly crafted and the murder itself was everything I could’ve hoped for. I love exploring Shakespeare’s canon and finding new plays to obsess over. 

Tracking the evolution of my interests reveals my journey into becoming an English major as well as how little I’ve truly changed.

While not an exhaustive list of every book I’ve ever read, I hope this helps sketch an outline of my interests and passions for the last twenty years. Looking back to my first favorite books or my first interaction with Jane Austen soothes my anxieties as twenty rapidly approaches. I still love classic novels, mystery, and fantasy, just as I did in elementary and middle school. Each book feels quintessentially me and I’m sure that if I picked up any one, I would still find it as entertaining and enrapturing as I did the first time I read it.