I read this novel from a creaking rocking chair beside a window overlooking Lapland in deep fall. I was volunteering on a Finnish sheep farm at the time, and every day after long hours of intensive work, I would read, always in awe of García Márquez's circular storytelling. As I read the final pages, I had chills across my entire body, and even cried—just because I was so astonished by his writing.
While Haig's book How to Stop Time was the first of his I read, and perhaps the more inspirational to me, this novel transformed my perception of how I should view and live my own life. I read it over winter break in 2022, and have since tried to convince all my family and friends to read it. They all agree—it's a life-changing read.
This collection of short stories was assigned to me during my freshman year of college in a World Literature class. It was the very start of my fascination with the relationship of person and place, as it primarily depicts Indian-American immigrants and their experiences navigating cultural shifts.
I also happened to listen to this book while I was in Finland, as I was taking down and putting up electric fences. Le Guin is one of my favorite authors and thinkers, and the concept of this book has turned the wheels of my brain ever since I first read it.
How could I not have Mary Oliver on this list? While she has many marvelous collections, this one is my favorite—to read and to gift. With many of her most iconic poems in the collection, it speaks of nature and peace and finding oneself. I often read from it before bed.
This stunning coming-of-age novel for children spoke to the lonely and confused teenage girl that lives deep within me (even though I'm now in my mid-twenties). It beautifully depicts how anyone—no matter how deficient or out-of-place they may feel—can find their purpose and a sense of belonging in life.
Based on his son's experience with Schizophrenia, Shusterman's novel explores mental illness through a deeply compassionate and metaphorical lens. I first read this book when I was 16, and it still remains one of my favorites.
While this is not a single work, but rather a four-book series, it would be criminal for me to not mention The Raven Cycle. I first read this series when I was fifteen, and I have reread it every year since then to continue the magical adventure with the best of friends, searching for a dead Welsh king across the Virginian countryside.
I fell in love with Tatar—a renowned folklorist—during my sophomore year of college, and her criticism of Joseph Campbell's disregard for women in The Hero with a Thousand Faces in this book is both fascinating and empowering. It explores how women have been perceived and written about within literature and folklore in an accessible and nuanced way.
Of course I had to mention Wells' unique and informative book about the uncommon history of trees. I read this book before the start of my junior year, and was delighted to learn more about the folklore of trees and how they are perceived across cultures and time.