My Top Ten Favourite Books Of All Time

If you've gathered one thing from my blog, it's probably that I'm a huge bookworm and love getting into a good novel. I've read countless books in my fifteen years, but I've managed to narrow it down to my favourite ten. Some of these are series since I found it impossible to choose just one book that I liked from a collection of stories, but regardless these are still my top ten novels, in no particular order. They are all from the young adult genre, with most of them having fantasy and science fiction elements, but there are a couple contemporary reads, so I hope you find my choices interesting.

Hush Hush Series by Becca Fitzpatrick

I read this book series back in 2014 and fell in love with the entire storyline and concept; so much so that I managed to persuade my best friend to read it (she also loved it, if you're wondering). Although books about fallen angels and nephilim wouldn't usually appeal to me, I'm incredibly glad that I tried this one as I thoroughly enjoyed it. Out of the series, my favourites are Hush Hush and Silence, but honestly, all of the books are outstanding and Becca Fitzpatrick did an amazing job to create them.

Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth

This is one of those books that I read after the film was released, simply because I'd heard a huge amount of hype surrounding it and was eager to know whether it was as good as people were saying. Turns out they were right, as I fell in love with this trilogy and couldn't put it down whilst reading it. The characters are loveable and it's amazing to watch them develop throughout the course of the series, and there are definitely some huge plot twists that you won't see coming. As always I'd recommend reading the books before watching the films, as quite a few things are changed or left out.

The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare

This is hands-down my favourite book series of all time, no doubt about it. I've read all six books, even battling through the 733 pages of City of Heavenly Fire, and honestly loved every moment of it. I think this was the first book that I became emotionally invested in and really connected with the characters, as well as loving the entire storyline. Cassandra Clare is also a talented writer and I love her specific attention to details and foreshadowing, which really makes the plot twists shocking and memorable. It might seem like a big commitment to read six books, but I honestly couldn't recommend it enough.

The Infernal Devices Trilogy by Cassandra Clare

I had to include another Cassandra Clare series in this post, since she's probably my favourite author (and I was lucky enough to meet her last year!) The Infernal Devices follows a completely different set of characters and events to The Mortal Instruments, but they still share links and complement each other nicely, as they have the same premise. I found the events to be extremely dramatic and definitely unpredictable, and I really grew to love the characters in the novel. If you've read the Mortal Instruments then I'd highly recommend reading these books as well, as they're wonderfully written and emotionally captivating.

Finding Sky by Joss Stirling

This book is one that I'd heard a great deal about before reading and I could instantly tell that it was the perfect novel for me. Everything from the storyline to the background was exactly what I was looking for in a book, so I was really hopeful that it lived up to my expectations. Needless to say, I fell in love with it and enjoyed it from cover to cover. There was definitely some new ideas presented in this book that made it unique, and I loved how there was more of a contemporary feel to this urban fantasy novel. It's a fairly short read but definitely worth trying, since I can guarantee you will fall in love with it like I did. There are actually other books in this series and I'm hoping to get my hands on them soon.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

This is such a powerful and beautifully written book that manages to convey many important messages and themes. This coming of age novel is definitely one of my favourite reads and I was addicted throughout it. The book has some humorous and emotional moments, but is ultimately very touching and opened my eyes. The characters are easy to get along with and I fell in love with the concept of Charlie writing letters. My only wish is that Stephen Chbosky would've written more books, as I loved this novel and his style of writing was touching yet personal.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

My friend Anna actually bought this book for me, and I was really pleased as I'd wanted to read it for what felt like forever. I don't usually enjoy historical fiction, but this book was an exception as I honestly enjoyed every moment of it. The book has such a wonderful concept and I loved hearing about Liesel's adventures during the lead-up to WW2. Markus Zusak is an incredible writer and the idea of having death as a narrator was both unique and excellently carried out. I'd definitely recommend this to all readers, but be aware that you might tear up at times.

Looking For Alaska by John Green

I've read a few John Green books, but it was this one that I really connected with and found to be the most suspenseful. The characters were both loveable and realistic, so much so that I found myself becoming quite attached to them. This is definitely a classic John Green book, with an unpredictable yet equally as beautiful ending and with the most suspenseful and emotional part not being at the end. I'd definitely recommend trying this book, as there are some wonderfully crafted moments and underlying yet important themes.

Reason to Breathe by Rebecca Donovan

This is actually quite a recent read of mine, but I enjoyed it so much that I thought it deserved a place within this post. This is definitely the most chilling and powerful book I have read, and it addresses the major issue of child abuse. The characters are creatively crafted and the book is well-written, with a lurking threat of the antagonist following you throughout. If you don't like upsetting books then this one probably isn't for you, but it was definitely worth the read and I found it to be very thought provoking and important. Again, this is the first book in a trilogy which I'm really hoping to read soon.

Freaks by Lisa M Forester

The final book of this post is one that I immensely enjoyed and managed to get through in a few hours, since I was utterly addicted to it. I love science fiction novels and the whole premise of genetic engineering and artificially creating humans with different abilities both amazed and intrigued me. Lisa M Forester is a great writer and definitely puts a lot of thought and detail into her books to achieve realism and anticipation. The characters were outstanding and I really hope that there is a sequel coming up, as I'd love to know what the future holds for Abigail and her fellow Allelobrids.

It was very hard to narrow it down, but I'm pleased to call these my favourite books. Of course, you could ask me the same question in six months time and my answer could be completely different, so I may bring you an updated version of this in the future. I'd love to know what your favourite books of all time are and if there are any that you think I've missed out, so make sure you leave all of that in a comment down below.

Love from Daisy x