three things: cherished books

I've been meaning to do this edition of "three things" for some time now, and finally took the time to take the photos (you can read the other "three things" posts here and here). This is cheating a bit, since it's really five books and not three, but I had to include all of these in my list of all-time favourite books.

1. Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield and The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Love is a Mix Tape holds a very special place in my heart, and is one of the most touching and heart-warming books I have ever read. It's so sad and yet hopeful at the same time. It's a memoir about the authors journey of love and loss and music.
The Outsiders is a classic that I read in grade 7 and then again in high school. It's one of the few mandatory school books that I actually loved and have read multiple times. It's about two rival gangs in the 1950's and focuses on the coming-of-age of the main character Soda Pop (yes, that's his name!). The author actually wrote this when she was only 18 years old!

2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chboski and Shopgirl by Steve Martin (yes that Steven Martin!). The funny thing about these books is that there are movie adaptations of both, one which came out a few years ago and another coming out soon. And I picked up both of these books from a thrift store. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is another coming-of-age tale about a teenage boy who doesn't really seem to fit in anywhere until some senior students befriend him. It is wonderfully written and is surprising enjoyable. Shopgirl is another book that holds a special place in my heart. I actually saw the movie first and fell in love with it and wanted to buy the book for a very long time. It's written by comedian and actor Steve Martin, but is actually quite serious. It's fairly short and easy to read but holds a lot of depth. It's a story about loneliness, belonging, and finding real love. This book definitely leaves me with warm fuzzies every time :)

3. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. This is a true classic, and often gets mixed reviews (especially as many people had to read it as a student, which I often did begrudgingly). The book starts out quite dark and sad as the main character Jane Eyre is an orphan and abandoned to a girl's boarding school. Eventually she becomes a governess in the household of Mr. Rochester and she begins to learn many life lessons. The thing that I love about this book is that it is a love story, but a non-glamorous one. The main characters are described as plain in appearance (with Mr. Rochester also having a rather unpleasant personality), and for me this makes it a more real and relatable love story. It is regular people overcoming odds to be together, and learning to love the sometimes-hard-to-love things.

I hope that I've inspired you to do some reading, if you haven't had a chance to check all of these books out. I am an avid reader, but these are the ones that I go to again and again.What books hold a special place in your heart?

<3 Lo