Hey, it’s time for Top 5 Wednesday again! This week is all about books that made you think. Well, hmm, that seems a little vague. But I guess find the deeper meaning or made me think about something that reflected in my life? Sure! We’ll go with that!

5. “The House of the Scorpion” by Nancy Farmer

I know I used this book in last week’s T5W, but this book was just so impactful on me as a teen. It made me think more about what if: what if we lived in a society like that? What if I was a clone and had to give my life to someone I didn’t even know (myself, essentially)? What if I hadn’t read this book; would I still love reading as much? (Yes, most definitely.)

4. “This Star Won’t Go Out” by Esther Earl

This book was non-fiction and had many writings by Esther, as well as her parents and others. It was a true story about her life with cancer and how she ultimately died from that cancer. It just made me think what if I had cancer? Would I keep my faith like her? Would I have so much will to live and vitality as Esther? Would I blog about it? Start a charity around it for those with the same cancer?

3. “A Certain Slant of Light” by Laura Whitcomb

This was one of my favorite books as a teen (plus it was the only book I ever actually read for required summer reading) and it had a big impact on me and why I loved to read. It was beautifully written and was a great tale about love, loss, and dealing with being dead. It made me think about just how beautiful it would be to live the life the characters did and how they lived could affect others, ultimately making them better people. It’s amazing the power of a story, really.

2. “Trolls” by Brian and Wendy Froud

I love their art and storytelling, I really do. This book is more art than story, but it still tells a great many tales about trolls that I had never known about. It made me think of how much of the magic we had as a kid gets lost as we grow older, dealing with “reality” rather than “unreality.” I love to think that there are things out there, special things, magical things. It makes the world just a little bit more interesting.

1. “Stardust” by Neil Gaiman

As my first Gaiman book, this was a beautiful piece of art. Seriously, art. I loved the way he wove the story and told it from so many perspectives, eventually linking them all together and having the story come together as one. It made me think of my own writing and how I want to become a published author one day. His style is definitely an influence on my own and I just think that his writing has its own life, breathing and alive. I want to strive to get my own words to be like that one day.

So that’s it for this T5W! Let me know what your top five picks would be for this topic!