On My Bookshelf, Part 2

Welcome to my bookshelf! I love to read, and as a result, I have haunted Amazon, thrift stores, friends of the library, garage sales, and bookstores to build up my library. I now have over half a thousand books.

I would love to share with y'all more than fifty of my favorite books. Why fifty? Because I can't seem to pick a favorite book. If you're interested in any of the novels I name, I suggest you really pull it off the shelf and read it!

Of course, not all the books I name will be up your alley, so I suggest you ask a friend or check out PluggedIn or CommonSenseMedia. Besides that, let's delve in!

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkein

Let's start this list with what I think is one of the most outstanding book series of all time. Tolkein does such a brilliant job with worldbuilding that it takes my breath away. The songs, legends, history, and peoples of Middle earth is utterly compelling.

In the series, a hobbit is forced to go on a journey that will save Middle-earth. His pocket carries the fate of his world – the one Ring. It must be destroyed before Sauron or any of the wraiths can get hold of it. Accompanied by three fellow hobbits, a dwarf, a wizard, two men, and an elf, the ring-bearer is forced to hurry on toward Mount Doom as Middle-earth prepares for war.

Really, I could not explain this series well enough to give it justice. If you are into fantasy (or even if you aren't), I highly recommend reading this series. I'm sure every reader of any genre will find something to love about it.

In This Moment by Karen Kingsbury

Typically, this author isn't up my alley. Yeah, I have a ton of her books on my shelf, but that was back from a phase I had when I was fourteen and fifteen. So, I was a little skeptical when my friend, Hannah T. gave me the book for Christmas (especially since she claimed not to like many books written by the author).

But I figured if Hannah liked the book, then I would. So, I opened the novel and read the first page and the next page and, before I knew it, I was done with the book! I think Hannah summed it up best when she said, "It has a great message of defending the faith."

I'm sure we're all aware that Christianity is shunned from our schools, especially our high schools. That's what Principal Wendell Quinn was aware of when he decided to open up a Bible study at the worst high school in the city.

To Wendell's delight, he began to see a change in his students who used to take drugs and drink alcohol. Now they go to Bible study and are doing better in their grades.

All is going so well until Andy Nelson decides to sue Wendell for opening up a school.

This book taught me a great deal about how important it is to stand up for Christ today. We cannot let others push our faith to the backburner, but we must stand firmly for what we believe.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Ender is smart, and all the other kids know it. Not only that, but he will do anything to win. And Graff knows it.

Maybe that's why Ender, a Third, is chosen to head the attack against the aliens that have almost destroyed earth twice. Growing up in isolation and always treated as an outcast despite his brilliant mind, Ender ends up growing in status but not in popularity.

He makes no friends, and he wants none. Ender was meant to be alone, and he knows it.

This book is undoubtedly one of the oddest books I've read, but it's pleasantly so. As I learn more about Ender, I can't help but pity and sympathize with him. Honestly, I think there's a little bit of him in all of us.

I would recommend this book to any teenage sci-fi fan, but before you pick up this book, I suggest that you check it out on PluggedIn as it isn't the cleanest novel.

The Clue in the Crossword Cipher by Carolyn Keene

If you did not have a time in your life when you picked up your first Nancy Drew book, then you are indeed not of this world. I fell in love with the series when I was around nine or ten. My cousins, for Christmas, got my first three books from the series. One of them was The Clue in the Crossword Cipher.

I remember opening the wrapping and holding those books closely. I read them quickly and loved all three, but for some reason, this is the book that stayed with me the most.

If you were (or are) an avid Nancy Drew reader, you know that this sleuth cannot stay away from a good case for long. No matter where she is, the mystery will always find the young girl.

This fact does not change when she goes to Peru. She goes to Peru because she has found mystery – a wooden plaque with a cipher on it.

What does it mean? What is the plaque hiding? As she always does, the girl finds everything out in time.

The Shining Company by Rosemary Sutcliff

When I read through this book, I admit that I struggled with the names! With names like Aethefrith, Gododdin, and Yr Wyddfa, there were some places where I had to pull myself through.

But it was all worth it in the end!

This story is based on a poem about a true-life event. In the poem, three-hundred men are collected for war and are trained for a year. When prepared, they attacked the invading Saxons. Among the few survivors was the poet, Aneirin.

This book is probably one of the saddest on this list as we learn that able-bodied men who have gone to war end up dead on the battlefield. If I remember correctly, the author is not gentle when describing wounds and the battlefield itself.

For anyone who likes stories about kingdoms but isn't all into the fantasy side of it, this is the perfect book for you! The author does well sticking with the facts as much as possible. For you who like knowing what is fiction and what is fact, she has a note for you near the end!

The Land by Mildred D. Taylor

This is another sad book on the list, and I'll have to say that it's more depressing than the one before! Addressing severe issues, Taylor does not hold back in describing what it was like for people of color in the days after the Civil War.

Paul-Edward has a problem. Mitchell hates him. Not only that, but it seems all the colored boys and white boys hate him too. Slowly, he finds out why.

His daddy is white, and his mom is colored.

So begins a tale of friendship and hardship as Paul-Edward tries to obtain something that will belong to him and only him – land. But not just any land. He's after anything as good as his daddy's land.

The book is one of the best books I have ever read, maybe because it opened my eyes to historical fiction.

Or maybe it was an example of the perfect book. It was like a rollercoaster ride. There were times I wanted to scream, and other times I wanted to cry. It made me smile and frown.

If you do pick up this book, be warned that Taylor wanted to depict life in those days, and she did not hold back on racial slurs.

But really, I would suggest this book to those of you who love history, and this would be the best book to read for Black History Month!

Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney

A monster is prowling among the Danish kingdom. Grendel is an evil creature who delights in killing innocent men. When they sleep at night, he will come upon them and give them a painful end.

That is until Beowulf, the great Scandinavian, comes along. Then, he shows Grendel and his mother a lesson or two.

This is an excellent poem on the power of God that can be given to us all. I find it sad that so many people have labeled it as "boring" when really it is not. If you look deeper, you will find an epic tale.

I would recommend this book to anyone! I love how it is a bilingual edition. Even though I cannot read the other side, I think the language looks beautiful. I think anybody could learn a little bit from Beowulf's bravery.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Never has there been a better tale told on sisters. If you have sisters and have read the book or watched the 2019 or 1994 movie, then you know exactly what I'm talking about!

Four sisters during the Civil War – each so different from the other. As they wait for their father to come back home from the fight, Meg, Jo, Amy, and Beth meet young Laurie, or as they prefer to call him, Teddy.

But who is the one who shines in this book? Jo. Chasing her dreams, she can't do anything but stand out, especially with that temper of hers! But others would prefer to say that she has a spark (such as myself). Maybe that's why Teddy takes such a liking to the young woman upon their first meeting.

Together, the four sisters and Teddy bear each other's burdens and put up with their differences. Throughout the novel, hardship hits the family repeatedly, but they rise above each difficulty together.

Once again, I cannot describe this book with justice. It is such a beautiful "coming of age" story. Jo has always been someone I can relate to. How she longs to go abroad and become a writer known by the whole world strikes close to home.

Not only that but to me, this book is a reminder of my sister and my close friend, Tori. As I read it, I see them and me in the pages.

Maybe that's why this book has grown to become such a classic. Each of us who reads it can see ourselves in one of the sisters.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

I have one word for this series – brilliant.

How C. S. Lewis strings every novel together and creates the new world of Narnia takes my breath away. The parallels of salvation's message to the story in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe still fill my eyes with tears.

There are so many books within this series that have so many different plots that I cannot summarize without confusion. The series consists of seven novels. Though they are written for children, each book can be read by anybody of any age!

My favorites are the first book, The Magician's Nephew, and the last, The Last Battle. Their parallels to creation and the end times are striking. But when I was younger, I loved The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe! I would pretend that I was Susan Pevensie and play with my sister and best friend, Noah. His backyard was Narnia, and we would have countless adventures!

I would definitely recommend this to any reader. There is nothing to worry about this book content-wise. Even if you don't enjoy fantasy, I suggest that you don't waste any time taking this series off a shelf and reading it through.

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

Since we began this list with the astonishing author, why don't we end it just so?

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit. Now, hobbits love many things, food probably being at the top of the list. They also hate other things: adventure being at the top of that list.

Mr. Baggins is no exception to this rule. He eats all seven meals, and he is a firm believer that adventures are no good and are not welcome in Hobbiton.

But that changes when thirteen dwarves show up at his doorstep after a visit from the wizard Gandalf. According to the dwarves, they desperately need a burglar, and Gandalf told them Bilbo would make the perfect fit.

Choosing to go along with them on a quest to retrieve the gold stolen by Smaug, the dragon, Bilbo finds himself doing things he would have never imagined.

All with a little help from a ring he found in a cave.

When I read this book, it instantly became one of my favorites. I found Bilbo to be a comical, lovable character. He stepped out of his comfort zone and showed his bravery to the whole world.

This book proved that sometimes the smallest of people can make the most significant difference.

That's a wrap, folks. I have decided to open my heart to you in a personal way by showing you my bookshelf. Now, it's your turn!

Comment below and tell me if you have ever read any of the above books! If so, which ones did you like or dislike? Are some of these on your list of favorite books? If you haven't read any on the list, which sounds most interesting to you?