Day 2 Your favorite books

Day 2 of 30 day writing prompt by weheartit user: theconstellations_

1. Heaven by V.C Andrews

This is one of the books that made me completely fall in love with reading when I was a kid. I was not even 12 when we were asked to do a book report at school, so I rummaged through old boxes and found a V.C Andrews collection left behind by some of our German relatives. Although V.C Andrews is more widely-known for her enticing gothic thrillers and incest-filled themes, I was still entranced by the storytelling and the shocking and traumatic events that followed in the first few pages of Heaven Casteel's story. Years later on, Andrews has become my most favorite author. Even if the latest works are done by a ghostwriter who took over after her death, I still have not found anyone who can weave intrigue with the same gothic touch that she does.

2. Say Goodnight, Gracie by Julie Reece Deaver

Again, another one done for a school book review. Say Goodnight, Gracie was honestly the best "judge the book by its cover" book for me. The blurb and the 1st page in itself describes the death of Jimmy, the childhood best friend of Morgan. Their lives were practically woven together from the moment they were born. So how can a book which gives away so much still be interesting? Well, you'll be in for a surprise. First, this book describes grief very briefly. Then, it tells you in detail the story of the two best friends right from the beginning until the day of Jimmy's death. You will fall in love with all the characters and in between reading, forget the inevitable tragic end. Until it hits you. It's been years since the first time I read this book, but the pain still feels raw.

3. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

I know of many people who think of Coelho as a mainstream and mediocre writer. But there is a reason why his books are bestsellers and his fame is a well-deserved recognition of his ability to breathe magic into his works. I postponed reading this book even though I've heard about it countless times. I initially thought that it just wasn't my genre, and the cover wasn't interesting enough, or it's too philosophical that it might just bore me. It might sound cliche, but this book has changed me in many ways. I hold Coelho's simple yet powerful words close to my heart every day. He has a gift for being able to speak directly to the reader and jolt them into waking.

4. We were liars by E. Lockhart

Back in 2016, when I experienced the worst reading slump, we made a book discussion together with my book club, which I guess, benefitted me the most.

We were liars is one of the latest addition to my favorite books in the sense that it started out slow and depressing, but ended up as one of the most unforgettable reads in my life. This is a story of 4 childhood friends who grew up in their own families' private island. It has all the themes that I love the most: a group of friends, love, mystery and tragedy. Although I suspected the ending, I was still very shocked and didn't expect the forecoming events.

5. Mister God, this is Anna by Fynn

I was sold on the title alone. When I saw that it was based on a true story and a bestseller, no matter how old its cover was, I was immediately interested.

Much like the classic, The Little Prince by Antoine Saint Exupery, Mister God, this is Anna is a life-changing account seen through the eyes of a 4-year old child. Anna is a genius. Not just a genius, she is also an artist, a mathematician, a scientist, philosopher, musician and so many more. You will be astounded by all the theories and ideas that this book offers. It'll make you question yourself and your belief systems. I was pretty convinced that the words were not just make-believe by the author, and even if they were, he is quite the exquisite writer. It's amazing how a child can teach us things so profound that they stay with us after many years.

6. Isis by Douglas Clegg

I would like to take this time to introduce a highly underrated author, Mr. Douglas Clegg. The first time I came across him was when I read his book, "The Afterlife". Words alone aren't enough to fully capture how intense and twistedly horrifying that book was. I've read quite a lot of horror books in my life, but I only find a few authors up to my standard of "scary". Douglas Clegg is along the lines of Stephen King in my list where his works will leave your mouth gaping open after you finish them and they'll haunt you for weeks, and even years. His works are macabre, gothic and beautifully-written. If you enjoy Edward Gorey, H.P Lovecraft and Ray Bradbury, you will also love this guy. I found Isis on a difference games website, where the game had wonderfully haunting artworks taken from the limited edition graphic novel, coupled with a chilling background music. From then on, I was on a search for this book. I was delighted to find excerpts in Clegg's website and even free giveaways so I immediately read it. Up to now, it is still one of the most unforgettable reads of my life. I still look forward to seeing Mr. Clegg's works in my local bookstores, and I'm very proud to promote him to fellow readers whenever I can.

There's still a whole lot more, but I'll keep it short this time.

~Dawn