Essential Books/Movies
Every once in awhile I come across a book or a movie that changes the way I look at the world. A book that I think everyone should read at least once in their lifetime. A movie that everyone should see. Here are some of those.
Schindler's List
It's a long movie but it doesn't really feel like it. I watched it for the first time this weekend and when it was over, I literally couldn't stop crying. It's a very powerful, moving film. It's about Oscar Schindler, a man who saved over a thousand Jews during the Holocaust by keeping them working in his factories.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Lee Harper
This was one of the few books that I was assigned to read in high school that I actually finished. Even rarer was the fact that I loved every minute of it. It's a fantastic book and one of my favorite classics. It's a story of love, innocence, racism, and life in the Southern town.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
While I don't recommend reading this book in a public place, I do highly recommend reading it. The writing is absolutely beautiful. TBT is the story of a girl living in Nazi Germany who steals books from book burnings. I read it last year and it's stuck with me ever since.
1984 by George Orwell
This is a chilling dystopian tale. It was written as what Orwell thought the world would be like in 1984, but it shares some scary similarities with the modern world. Like To Kill a Mockingbird, this was one of the few classics from high school that I actually finished and loved.
I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak
This is a fascinating and quirky book about the effects we can have on the lives of others. The story features Ed Kennedy, an underage cab driver who accidentally stops a bank robbery and then begins to receive playing cards with instructions in the mail.
Sold by Patricia McCormick
This book tore me to pieces but was worth every second of it. The writing is gorgeous and the story powerful. Sold is about a thirteen-year-old girl living in Nepal until she's sold into prostitution by her stepfather.
The Giver by Lois Lowry
I read this in middle school and have been very fond of it ever since. It's a quick but amazing read. It's about a dystopian future in which everyone is assigned a job and emotions no longer exist. When Jonas is assigned a job, he receives the position of The Giver, the one who holds all the memories of feelings in the world.
Do you have any books or movies that affected your life or that you feel everyone should read?
Schindler's List
It's a long movie but it doesn't really feel like it. I watched it for the first time this weekend and when it was over, I literally couldn't stop crying. It's a very powerful, moving film. It's about Oscar Schindler, a man who saved over a thousand Jews during the Holocaust by keeping them working in his factories.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Lee Harper
This was one of the few books that I was assigned to read in high school that I actually finished. Even rarer was the fact that I loved every minute of it. It's a fantastic book and one of my favorite classics. It's a story of love, innocence, racism, and life in the Southern town.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
While I don't recommend reading this book in a public place, I do highly recommend reading it. The writing is absolutely beautiful. TBT is the story of a girl living in Nazi Germany who steals books from book burnings. I read it last year and it's stuck with me ever since.
1984 by George Orwell
This is a chilling dystopian tale. It was written as what Orwell thought the world would be like in 1984, but it shares some scary similarities with the modern world. Like To Kill a Mockingbird, this was one of the few classics from high school that I actually finished and loved.
I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak
This is a fascinating and quirky book about the effects we can have on the lives of others. The story features Ed Kennedy, an underage cab driver who accidentally stops a bank robbery and then begins to receive playing cards with instructions in the mail.
Sold by Patricia McCormick
This book tore me to pieces but was worth every second of it. The writing is gorgeous and the story powerful. Sold is about a thirteen-year-old girl living in Nepal until she's sold into prostitution by her stepfather.
The Giver by Lois Lowry
I read this in middle school and have been very fond of it ever since. It's a quick but amazing read. It's about a dystopian future in which everyone is assigned a job and emotions no longer exist. When Jonas is assigned a job, he receives the position of The Giver, the one who holds all the memories of feelings in the world.
Do you have any books or movies that affected your life or that you feel everyone should read?
Comments
I read a handful of these, but I'll definitely check out more.
I think the movie The Devil's Advocate was really powerful for me. Such a moving film. And a book that I feel people should read for a different type of YA romance is Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti. I love that one.