Some novels written by some of the best of all time:

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
While I know many people had to read this growing up in school, this was my first time reading the famous Maya Angelou memoir. If I had to describe this book simply, I would say that it’s beautifully horrifying. Maya is an amazing writer, obviously, but the story is much darker than I think people realize. While it’s an incredibly fascinating look into her journey discovering the power of words and communication, her life was not easy. She writes about racism, sexual assault, and life struggles, but her language is chosen so carefully that the darkness is hidden behind the layers of beauty in her words. This books was a wonderful exploration of the power of language, and also important experiences that Maya was very brave to share.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
I honestly hid out while reading this book just so that no one thought that I was reading it performatively (LOL), but it felt funny to be reading this for the first time as a lesbian in my 30’s after hearing it hyped for so long in sapphic spaces. I always see depressed girls in movies reading this book, and overall it is probably given more hype than it needs. However, I still loved it and had a great time reading it. Yes, it gets super depressing – but not right away. The beginning of the book is chaotic and weird and dare I say funny at times… until it just becomes a documentation of her suicide attempts. Definitely gets dark from there, but I still found the writing easy. Overhyped but maybe worth the hype? I don’t know, but I did like it a lot.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
It’s honestly satisfying to see a child be right and adults be wrong about something so serious and profound as religion. In Margaret’s self discovery for faith, she is exploring options and seeing where she feels God. She is reaching out in times of need, questioning things happening around her, and wishing to be the best version of herself. To me, that’s exactly what faith should be about. And yet, the adults focus on arbitrary traditions and rules in a way that affects everyone’s relationship to each other. I found this topic wildly fascinating, specifically through the innocent eyes of a young girl. AND! I read last November in Entertainment Weekly that Judy Blume has finally sold the film rights! Very excited to see the adaptation.

A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle
I hadn’t read A Wrinkle In Time since I was a kid, so when Disney made the movie, I wanted to make sure I reread the book before seeing the film. This was a magical film that transcended time, space, planets, and more – and I remember having a really fun time with this book as a kid, especially the “wrinkle” metaphor. There are some more minor differences from the book to the movie, but nothing too major. I will say that given the time period, it’s awesome to see a notable piece of literature that has a female protagonist, and has stood the test of time. Meg is not just there to look pretty and obey – she is unique and defiant and sure of herself in a way that is relatable. I think she is a wonderful character and role model for young kids, and hopefully the movie as a whole allows kids from different backgrounds to see themselves in one of the children in the movie.

The Shining by Stephen King
By the time I finished the book – I mean, yeah, it was scary. But I was definitely expecting it to be way scarier. I think it was hyped up too much in my head. I remember the Friends episode where Joey puts the book in the freezer when it gets too scary – and I really wanted to have that reaction! So honestly, I was a little disappointed. Even though I had never seen the movie, I knew some references – such as the camera work with the tricycle or the girls who talk in unison. However, these were pretty much missing entirely from the book. Maybe this was a decision to add some scary content to the movie? The book and the movie had a lot of differences actually, especially in the plot. And the movie felt very very vintage, and as a result, now campy. I was definitely hoping it would be a little scarier to see it all come to life. I also knew the ending to the movie is different than the book, which made me more intrigued and added a level of suspense. Overall, the story is cool; I can see why this is a classic.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
I wish that I could have read this back when it was originally popular rather than 20 years later. I can absolutely understand why this was breaking everyone’s minds, but at the point of my life that I was reading it, I don’t think that I was as blown away as I could have been. It’s definitely an interesting story, and I like how it made the Catholic church go wild. We stan Mary Magdalen!

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
If I’m completely transparent about this book, it was one of the most disturbing things I’ve actually ever read. While I appreciate the style in which Toni writes, the subject matter and plot were certainly hard to stomach. She starts with the idea of wanting to have all the features that make up the ‘standard beauty model’, but takes it beyond, to the point where the girl believes her misfortune is a result of her lack of blue eyes. The story is wildly sad and dark, and it did not feel good to read. I have to say that I am very reluctant to try more of Toni Morrison after reading this one.

Thanks for reading. (Last Updated: Dec 2024)