The Top 5 Books I Want To Read One Day

As I've read more books, my taste in literature developed. I was less fussy about genres and was more open to taking book recommendations from people. My aunt, grandmother, dad and many of my peers are avid readers and we often give book recommendations to each other. When I first read fiction later in primary school, I stuck to Nancy Drew's mystery novels, the Warriors novels and classic literature. I was never big into comic books and I didn't enjoy reading books that were too large. When I was twelve years old, I become more open to reading fantasy novels, folktales, historical fiction books and biographies. Since I was big into history, I mainly focused on reading books that discussed Indigenous people from North America.

In middle school, I enjoyed the DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) period, just so I can disconnect and enjoy a book of my choice. After reading, I had to record what I read in my reading journal. My teacher always took my classmates and I to the library which I adored and looked forward to. I loved having the liberation to pick whatever book I desired and borrowing it.

In high school, I started to read horror books, mystery novels and at one point read heavy-duty classic novels like Madame Bovary by Gustav Flambert and The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole. I've gone through some funny phases where I would read books that either my mom thought I wouldn't like or that kids wouldn't typically read.

When I started college, I stopped reading novels like Madame Bovary and The Castle of Otranto. I had to read a lot of heavy-duty articles for my classes, so I wanted to read books that weren't as tricky and heavy-duty. I still read fantasy books, mysteries, horror stories, folktales and historical fiction novels.

Since 2017, I've became exposed to a variety of books in various genres. I started watching book hauls on YouTube and viewing book hauls on Instagram. I wasn't as active on GoodReads, but I still considered it a legitimate resource to find book recommendations. I'm always surfing the net for more books to read and recently started rereading my favourite stories. More than ever, I'm starting to connect with other avid readers on Facebook, Instagram and I am using GoodReads on a regular basis.

I could go on and on about the lengthy reading wish list I have. To condense it, I decided to only share five of the books on my wishlist.

1. The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Since I was a teenager, I've been an Anne of Green Gables fan. After a family friend annoyingly convinced me to read Anne of Green Gables when I was 12, I finally purchased the novel from Mastermind Toys, while shopping for new jigsaw puzzles. I didn't think I would fall in love with the story until I read the first two chapters in the fall of 2010. My middle school years were one of the best times of my life, because I started to develop new interests in reading. After reading Little Women in June 2010, I started to have a fascination with classic literature, which was not the norm for middle school students back in my day. Since my teenage years, I'm on the verge to try reading Lucy Maud Montgomery's other novels such as The Blue Castle.

Since I was born and raised in Canada, I can make many personal connections with the story. The book is set in Canada during the mid-late 1900's. In addition to the setting of the book, the protagonist Valency Stirling and I share some similarities. She is a young woman who's never been in love and she reads forbidden books as a hobby. I love to read and I often opted for the books that my mom would consider "forbidden". I can either buy this book, download it on my iPad or borrow it from the local library. But this book is definitely on my list of books to read one day!

2. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I've always been keen on reading African-inspired literature, but it wasn't as strong as now. Since the beginning of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, I had the desire to read books based on the African and Carribean culture. I would watch a collection of YouTube book hauls or view certain Instagram posts about the various books about Black people. After discovering the YA fantasy novel A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Marrow, more ideas came to the back of my mind. The novel Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is one of the books that's currently on my wishlist. Although I've discovered this novel in high school, I didn't really consider reading it then. Now I believe it would be a purposeful story for me to read.

3. Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa

I've been viewing Bookish Topics' book haul videos and reviews on YouTube since March 2021. I've been amazed by her fantastic book reviews and vast selection of books. Before discovering her channel, I felt lost in what books to add to my lengthy reading wishlist. I'm always open to new book ideas to add to my reading wishlist and I want to try new genres that I don't often read. Thanks to constantly viewing her channel, my taste in literature is developing immensely and I'm proud to share it with you. Although I've always enjoyed reading a variety of books, I lost interest in a few genres over the years. This channel reminded me to "keep writing your wishlist and don't stop".

There's lots for me to relate to with this book. The main character Sentaro isn't very successful at first and he starts his journey on a rough note. He makes a magical discovery and starts to get his life back together. He befriends an elderly lady, but he faces more adversity throughout the story. I've been through a lot in my life, managed to get my life together and have a meaningful friendship with an elderly Indian man who operates a book shop at the Toronto flea market I visit. I would like to either buy this book from Amazon, download it via OverDrive or Kindle or borrow it from the library.

4. The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber

My grandmother, my mom's biological mom is an avid reader and she and I are always discussing what we're currently reading, the books we've read and she always gives me recommendations on light reads that she thinks I'll enjoy. Unlike myself who enjoys books with tons of action, mystery, fancy language and who also likes to be intrigued, she likes stories that are intriguing and light, but that don't contain a lot of complex themes, ideas and language throughout the story. She merely likes to "just relax and enjoy the book without having to study". When I was a teenager, I didn't like too many easy reads, because I believed that I would lose interest easily, as opposed to if I read more challenging, dark, intricate and complex stories. As a grown woman who lives a fairly busy life, I don't often read classic novels like Madame Bovary or books that I believe I won't be able to grasp or have interest in. I'm beginning to enjoy reading stories that are purposeful but that are less complex and more relaxing to read. That being said, I'll always be a fan of historical fiction, fantasy, folklore, mystery, thrillers and horror novels for the rest of my life.

The Shop on Blossom Street takes place in a privately operated knitting store in Seattle, Washington. The main themes of the story are love, friendship and survival, which is what I resonate with and value in life. A long-time cancer survivor who opens up The Good Yarn knitting shop symbolizes renewal and moving on with her life after cancer. Her hope is to improve her business and network with people in her community. A client who faces enough hardship in her life wants to knit a baby blanket. Many of her clients have challenges of their own that motivate them to knit. Although I've never experienced a horrible disease like cancer, my mental health condition and level of determination can explain some relatability to this story. I want to borrow it from my local library, download it on my iPad or purchase it from the bookstore.

5. The Cherry Tree Cafe by Heidi Swain

I typically don't read these types of stories, but my taste is changing as I'm getting older. Sometimes, I just need stories that don't contain complex themes, language or emotions. Just like watching a movie on a Friday night, I'll need a book that enables relaxation as opposed to deep thinking and analysis. Life as an adult is not as simple as kids think it is; you have a heap of responsibilities, relationship issues and have a career to worry about. Imagine being an adult living with a mental illness and who works from Monday-Friday?! It's not that easy! For someone like myself, I think a book that is set in a cafe and only emphasizes on positivity and less complicated themes would be great! This book has been on my list for quite a few months now and I don't know if I'll buy it, download it or borrow it from the local library! Time will tell!

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