7 Books I Could Never Ever Get Tired Of

1. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh (Published: 1964)

Zero exaggeration, this is literally my favorite book of all time. I saw the movie first, though. It was released in the summer of 1996, which was exciting because my sister and two of our cousins spent all of July with our grandparents, which was extra exciting because they had cable. We watched a lot of Nickelodeon. This was the first Nickelodeon movie, so of course they promoted the hell out of it. I do not specifically recall seeing it for the first time, but obviously it did have quite a big impact on me.

Anyway, back to the actual book! I also do not specifically recall reading it for the first time, but I do remember thinking that Harriet seemed much more mature than me (she's eleven), and that it was one of the longest books I had ever read (it's 298 pages), so it really must have been rather soon after seeing the movie.

I was at least nineteen when I found out that the author was a lesbian, and that Harriet's proclivity for "boy" clothes made more than a few lesbian readers relate to her, especially when it was still new. This discovery was pretty much the moment it went from "childhood book I'm fond of because it's about a writer" to "favorite book of all time."

No, you may not borrow my original copy. Don't even ask.

2. Sunshine by Robin McKinley (2003)

If Harriet the Spy didn't exist (note: perish FORBID), this would be my favorite book of all time.

It's about a baker who gets kidnapped by vampires. I usually don't like to tell people any more than that, since doing so would give away a fairly crucial twist, but I can tell you that Robin McKinley writes about magic better than anyone who is not Diana Wynne Jones, Terry Pratchett, or Neil Gaiman (or Lauren Faust, heh).

The ending makes it crystal clear that more adventures are waiting just around the riverbend. I really really really wish she would write a sequel.

3. Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier (2002)

One of the best coming of age stories I have ever read in my entire life. Its themes are not original, but the writing is so gorgeous that the whole thing just shines, from the first sentence to the last. Also, the protagonist is a photographer, which makes me love it now even more than I did back in the day.

4. Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson (2002)

Laurie Halse Anderson is one of those writers who refuses to pick one genre and stick with it. She's mostly famous for YA, but also does historical fiction (which, um, is also YA, I guess) and picture books. The young adult stuff is her best, though, because she writes about topics that no one wants to discuss. This book is no exception: When we meet our narrator, Kate Malone, a high school senior who excels at science & math, she is on the verge of losing it. Because her acceptance letter from MIT hasn't arrived yet, and she lied about applying to any other schools. Then, about halfway through the book, tragedy strikes, and everything changes, and Kate is still on the verge of losing it, but she's all out of fucks to give about school.

5. Spindle's End by Robin McKinley (2000)

Yes, another Robin McKinley! I told you, I love her.

This is a novel-length retelling of Sleeping Beauty, and it's freaking excellent. She really does write about magic better than almost anyone else, and there are obviously a few fairies in this story. In this particular version of the story, fairies are rather witchy (meaning: less "immortal elemental shapeshifting tricksters from another realm" and more "normal people who happen to be able to do magic"), but of course that doesn't make me like them one bit less.

6.  The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot (2000-2010; 2015-present)

Alright, so ~technically~ this one is a series, but oh well, it more than deserves its spot on this list, because I started reading right after the movie, when there were only two books, and have not put them down since. Well, obviously I HAVE physically put the books down, but the point is they are still hilarious.

The main series consisted of ten books, plus a bunch of volume-whatever-and-a-half "bonus" stories. In 2015, we got a new adult book (note: yes, that kind of adult, although nothing gets graphic) that starts a few days before Mia's twenty-sixth birthday. She & Michael finally get married, which is kind of a big deal, but an even bigger deal is the discovery of Mia's twelve-year-old half-sister, Olivia. Who gets her own spinoff. Which is also illustrated by Cabot, because sometimes the gods do give with both hands she is just that much of a badass.

I could talk about these books forever, but then they would rather steal the spotlight. Maybe I'll give each book its own post someday.

Much like Harriet the Spy, I saw the movie first. Very little in common with the books, but quite funny anyway, and I still thank gush for Anne Hathaway.

7. I Love Everybody (and Other Atrocious Lies): True Tales of a Loudmouth Girl by Laurie Notaro (2004)

If the title doesn't tell you everything about why I love it, I don't even know what to say. Oh wait, yes I do: Laurie Notaro is the funniest writer in this solar system. Which I know because it's in a blurb that gets reprinted somewhere in every one of her books, but it's also one hundred percent not wrong.