Books For My Younger Self

It’s Tuesday so you know what that means! This prompt for Top Ten Tuesday is 10 Books for my younger self. As always, Top Ten Tuesday is created by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.

Jana gave many different ways that we could connect the books to our younger self, and I’m going to go with books that I wish I had in my life when I was younger or that I would’ve enjoyed when I was younger, but mostly the first one.

This one was a little tricky for me because I don’t feel like I have that many that I wish I read when I was younger that I’ve actually read now. There are many that I’ve mad at myself for having not gotten to, but I didn’t read them so I can’t speak on if I think past me would have actually read them.For that reason, I only have six books instead of ten.

Everything All At Once by Katrina Leno

I think that I really needed this book in my Junior year of high school. That was the year that my uncle passed away from brain cancer, and I was still in denial of my mental health. Reading this book a couple months ago, I still felt like I could deeply relate to that very specific part in my life so I think that it would have been even more powerful if I read it then.

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

This is one that I felt this way instantly when I read this book. I read this back in July, and I am currently in my final semester of college, and I felt like I would’ve related to this book so much more if I read it my senior year of high school or freshman year of college, but that didn’t happen. I still really liked it, but I think it could’ve been a favorite if I had read it when I was still deciding what I wanted to be instead of at the end of it.

Loveless by Alice Oseman

This might not actually count because I *technically* didn’t finish this book because of reasons that absolutely have nothing to do with the actual book and more with my current reading slump. I think high school me could’ve really needed this book when I was struggling with accepting my sexuality (I am ace). I had never felt more personally attacked than I had while reading this book. Every internal monologue Georgia had, I completely understood.

The Little Princess by Frances Hodgeson Burnett

I read this book last year, but I think that I should’ve read it in my middle school years because it fits with books I read then that I still love today. When I was ten/eleven years old, I loved The Secret Garden, which is also by Burnett. I also really love Anne of Green Gables. It’s one of my favorite books, if not my favorite. (It just depends on the day) This book has really similar themes to both of those, and I think it would have had a much stronger impact with me as a child.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

I read this back in January, and I didn’t connect to it as much as I thought it would. I think it’s because I waited too long to read it and had already read many books like this one that it took away from my enjoyment. I am a firm believer that if I read this when I was in high school or even late middle school, it would’ve been a favorite book of mine now.

Peter Pan by JM Barrie

I read this when I was a junior in high school, but I also think that this is one of those that I should’ve read in middle school or elementary school. I think young me would have really enjoyed the whimsy, and the message of it would’ve stayed with me for the rest of my life.

Those are all the books I have for you today! What are some books that you would introduce to your younger self? I would love to chat in the comments.