#3 The Catcher in the Rye

Reading it, The Catcher in the Rye is a depressing novel, but you have to read between the lines.

The Catcher in the Rye is very popular among young adults which is how I found out about and decided to read it. The first time I read it I was so confused, I had no idea what it meant and so I went online and looked up study notes and flipped through the book again. I finally got the whole meaning of the book. The Catcher in the Rye is a complex book and has many themes (here are a few). There was something I learned from the book and something I am still trying to fix; trust and the way I look at people. 

Whether we deny it or not, we judge people. I judged Holden when I first read the book. He came from a good background, he had a good family, what did he have to complain about? Then I caught myself.... 'What did he have to complain about?' that line is almost similar to what people have asked me, "What do you have to complain about?" For years I suffered (and still suffer at times) from depression and people have asked me that. It's almost another way of saying that you don't deserve to be depressed. Holden was deeply depressed for nearly the whole book and even considered suicide, but he kept it all to himself. After reading The Catcher I have begun to look at others differently, when I catch myself thinking why someone is depressed I say to myself that maybe there is something that I don't know about or maybe they just need someone that will listen to them, someone who understands them.

For a long time, I didn't want to trust people. I was afraid of opening myself fully to someone. After reading The Catcher I didn't want to become like Holden. I didn't want to become someone who didn't trust at all, but I was slowly becoming him. I built wall around myself, I pushed people away. I closed myself off from my family, I didn't want to make any close friends because I was so afraid they would leave. At the end of The Catcher when Holden realizes that he can't be alone anymore, he begins to trust his sister and starts to break down his walls. It was like waking up, I realized I couldn't keep on pushing myself away from others. I couldn't keep on building the wall higher and higher. 

I am still learning to trust people, I've learned that there are people who will listen, people who care. My brother (who recommended this book to me) once told me, "People will come and people will go." And it is true. People will come and go, but that doesn't mean you have to stop loving or trusting others. 

#4 The Hunger Games Trilogy

The Hunger Games trilogy changed my view on the media; of course the media is not as brutal as the Hunger Games, but it does come close.
Although many complain of the violence that it contains, I found the violence necessary. Suzanne Collins was not afraid to show the brutality of the Games and show the affects of something so violent.
The main characters have faults and are not perfect, they do have their weaknesses which is something I admired most about The Hunger Games. It was real and wasn't afraid to show an imperfect world with imperfect people.

It changed me as a writer and as a person; it made me realize that there are so many things I could be worried about instead of the latest scandal that's going on in Hollywood.

The Hunger Games main character, Katniss taught me that it was okay to depend on people. Because at time we need those closest to us or those not so close to us to help pick us up when we try to give up. 

I think by Suzanne Collins writing Katniss the way she did was encouraging because even though Katniss is a strong character, she still has weaknesses and she still needs help. 

I could go on and on forever on how these books changed my life, but there are some things that you simply can't put into words. It's something that you keep to yourself and that people will never be able to understand.

#5 Writing Fiction for Dummies

This was one of the first books I read when I got my Kindle and it completely changed the way I wrote and how I viewed writing. Writing Fiction shows you step by step on how to create your book starting off with how to come up with names for your characters and how to create a 'character bible'. The method of creating a character bible is one that I use and it has helped so much! It keeps me on track on what's going on with my character, what they look like, and such.
But it doesn't just stop at creating characters, Writing Fiction also helps for writing that first draft and also editing and rewriting (these two stages are probably the hardest!). It helps you not only with the creative side of writing, but also with the technical side by helping you find that audience you want to reach or prepare you for when you finally finish a book and want to publish.
It's such a helpful and informative book that I will keep going back to over and over again. I hope you writers out there will check it out because believe me it is super helpful!

Top 5 Books that Changed My Life

So I was looking through my bookshelf one day and was hit with a great way to keep updating my blog without readers having to wait for a review and so the Top 5 Books was born. Over five days (or weeks depending on how my schedule works out) starting on Monday I will be counting down the top 5 books that have changed my life.
So stay tuned and I will have the first post up on Monday (or Sunday depending on where you are)! Hope you passer byers will stay tuned! :)