Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Books You're Thankful For

For those of you that celebrate, Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you're getting ready to eat a delicious meal and be with your loved ones.

This week's Top 5 Wednesday is a Thanksgiving theme one, with the Top 5 Books You're Thankful For. There are a lot of books that have stuck with me on my reading journey, so thinking about books I'm thankful for was kind of fun. Each book I picked for various reasons, but I'm thankful for reading all of them, for what they offered, and for sending me on fun reading journeys.

So theses are my Top 5 Books I'm Thankful For:

 

   

1. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine: Ella Enchanted was the first book that I ever read that I really loved. It sucked me in from the first page and held me enthralled until the last. I just have a real soft spot in my heart for this book and all the reading memories it inspires. Everyone has that one book that they loved, that makes them remember how much they really love reading. I guess that's why I'm thankful for this book, because it reminds me how much I love reading and how satisfying it is to find that one book that just grabs you and never lets you go.

2. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling: I assume the Harry Potter series is going to be on a lot of peoples' lists because this book series got a lot of people into reading. So many kids grew up with Harry during his years at Hogwarts, and I was one of those kids. Harry Potter really involved me in the fan community. I would check mugglenet.com all the time for the newest Harry Potter news. I would fangirl out with my friends, discussing our favorite characters and ideas for what would happen next. I attended book release parties and had so much fun doing it. The Harry Potter series just holds a special place in my heart. It will always have a space on my shelf. I'll always be thankful for the fun that Hogwarts provided me.

3. Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella: I'm thankful to this series for making me realize how much fun chick-lit is to read. I love reading about Becky Bloomwood's adventures, or more often mishaps. I think it's hard to really write a good, funny book and Sophie Kinsella succeeds at it every time. I'm thankful to the Shopaholic series for making me laugh and I can't wait to continue on with more of Becky's adventures.

4. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer: Twilight is probably on a lot of lists too. I'm thankful to Twilight for not only being a good book, but for causing the real explosion and expansion of the YA genre and market. Sure people hate on Twilight now, and I shake my head at all of them, but Twilight was a sensation. Everybody was reading it, everybody was in to it. It was just a lot of fun to be part of the experience and be able to partake in all the books that tried to follow in its footsteps.

5. Gone by Michael Grant: I'm thankful to the Gone series for taking me on such a ride with every book. This was such a crazy, fun series and I loved the time I spent reading it. It's a series that I recommend to so many people. I had so much fun getting lost in this crazy, violent place that was The FAYZ and am thankful that the ending wasn't something cheap and disappointing. Finding a series that just captures you is something you hope for as a reader.

Honorable Mention: The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy: This is my honorable mention because I love this series and am thankful that I read it. I'm thankful to this series for two reasons: 1.) it was such a fun time and made me laugh like very few can 2.) it helped show just how fun middle grade can be and how it's not just reserved for younger readers. This series is so much fun and more people need to read it.

So those are the Top 5 Books I'm Thankful For. What books made it on to your list? I'd love to know. If you want to join in on the Top 5 Wednesday fun, you totally should. Check out all the other Top 5 Wednesday-ers here!