Reading is one of my favorite hobbies and throughout the dozens of books I have read, several have stuck with me over the years. These are some of my favorites – the books that I have not stopped thinking about since I read them. Some of these books and authors may be a little less known, they are older and I likely pulled them off of the bookshelf in my mom’s middle school classroom. But I will warn, the majority of these books have a romance storyline, and this list does come with some hot takes. Happy reading! 

The Truth About Forever and Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

Sarah Dessen is my absolute favorite author – I have read all of her 15 books several times. All of her books are a series and relate in some way. The characters and locations are all intertwined throughout this series, but each book has a storyline of its own. While the storyline of each book is generally based around romance, it is not your typical Hallmark-esque romance plot. Many of Dessen’s books encompass a pretty heavy topic, but they are written in a lighthearted way. You might be thinking these sound like Colleen Hoover’s books. While they are similar in storyline style, Dessen’s books are far better in my opinion because of the intertwined characters and plots of each story. Not to mention the majority of Dessen’s books were written far before Hoover ever came to the scene. Hoover just does not put the same resilient spin on the heavy topics like Dessen does. Sorry not sorry BookTok. 

The Truth About Forever is all about expecting the unexpected. Macy, the main character, thinks she has her whole summer planned. That is, until she meets Wes, when she decides to start working for this catering company out of boredom. I love this one because of all the characters involved and the humor added throughout the story. It is lighthearted, but also serves as a good reminder for all readers. Macy realized that after her dad passed, she was not really living, but instead both her and her mom were just going through the motions. The Truth About Forever is by far my favorite Sarah Dessen book for many reasons. 

Saint Anything comes in at a close second for me. I am not entirely sure why I like this book so much. I definitely think there are other books by Dessen that are better than this one, however there is a very powerful storyline in this book. Sydney, the main character, has always felt invisible in the shadows of her criminal older brother. But throughout this book, readers watch Sydney overcome her family’s history and realize that family does not necessarily have to be related by blood. Like I mentioned, Dessen’s books are not your Hallmark romance storylines. All of the characters learn and overcome the very real-life issues they face. All written in an incredibly captivating way by Dessen, and The Truth About Forever and Saint Anything are no exception to this. 

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

I have never experienced absolute shock in the last few chapters of a book like I did with this one. I generally do not read murder-mystery books, but after hearing so many great things about it, I had to read it. And I can confidently say that all the hype about it is completely understandable and worth it. Kya, the “Marsh Girl,” is painted to be this innocent and unknowing girl who raised herself and lived off of the swamp lands. Until readers soon learn that she is in fact, not what everyone thought her to be. This is definitely worth reading in my opinion, no matter what your preferred genre is. 

The Graduate Survival Guide: 5 Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make in College by Anthony ONeal and Rachel Cruze

Yes, I know, personal finance books probably are not on everyone’s dying to read list. However, as a college student, I promise this one is completely worth your time. It is written specifically for college students to not make the same financial mistakes these authors made during their college years. It has truly helped me so much with my financial literacy and has helped to keep me out of debt throughout college. It is also interesting to read and is not your typical nonfiction book where the author spews facts that have you fighting to keep your eyes open while reading. ONeal adds stories from the mistakes he made in college, giving himself credibility and making it intriguing for readers. I highly recommend this book, especially for anyone that is getting ready to head off to college for the first time. 

The Selection Series by Kiera Cass

I read this book series out of boredom in middle school, and it kindled my love for reading, so of course I had to include it. These books are like a mix of The Bachelorette, The Hunger Games, and is complete with a love triangle. America Singer, much to her dismay, is chosen by Prince Maxon, all while still being in love with the forbidden guy back home. This series keeps readers on their toes throughout the five books and keeps the story going with the next generation of characters. It is definitely still one of my favorite series and not your average and boring romance novels.