Some Favorite Books (and Other Media)

Novels

Fantasy:

The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

- This was one of the first book series I ever read and loved with a passion; it was the kind of series that I stayed up reading with a flashlight under my covers. I love J. K. Rowling's amazing world-building, morals, creativity, suspense, and humour. I have also enjoyed her books The Ickabog and The Christmas Pig.

The Howl's Moving Castle series by Diana Wynne Jones

- The first book in this series was introduced to me by my favorite cousin, and the series quickly became one of my favorites. I love Diana Wynne Jones' world-building, creativity, suspense, and humour. Cart and Cwidder is good as well.

The Siren by Kiera Cass

- Although Kiera Cass' other books are great as well, this one is still my favorite of hers because of the world-building, creativity, and sweet romance that it displays.

The Light-walkers and the Dark Creatures by Amy Woodall (featured in the picture above)

- This is the second novel of my favorite cousin, and it is extremely creative, exciting, and intriguing. Her other novel, Name, is great as well.

The Curse of the Pirate series by Cortney Pearson

- What a journey it has been for me to ease into loving Cortney's books and get to know her on a personal level! After first reading her currently-standalone novel The Perilous In-Between and thinking it was amazing, I have only enjoyed her romantic fantasy more and more. Cortney can also be found under the name Catelyn Meadows doing clean, contemporary romance, and my favorite of hers under that name so far is Christmas in Magnolia Glen. I look forward to catching up on her books I have not yet read and would recommend that everyone check her out!

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

- Introduced to me (again) by my favorite cousin, I love the sweetness, creativity, and excitement with which Jessica Day George introduced me to this unique Norse fairy tale. Her other books are really good as well.

The My Fair Godmother series by Janette Rallison

- Introduced to me by a Church youth leader, this series is not only creative and well-fleshed-out, but it is hilarious. Janette Rallison's books are so much fun to read.

Sci-fi:

The Divergent series by Veronica Roth

- Another one of my favorite series that contains great world-building, character connection, suspense, and romance. Most of her other books are great as well.

Realistic:

Waiting For Fitz by Spencer Hyde

- This book rocked me to my core with its character connection, mental health exploration, romance, and flowing language that I think does a great job of melding classical prose with contemporary subjects. It has become one of my favorites! Hyde’s other book, What the Other Three Don’t Know, is pretty good, too. (It even gives a little shout-out to Waiting For Fitz later on in its plot!)

The Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery

- Though I surprisingly did not read this series until I was in high school, I immediately loved Anne and Lucy Maud Montgomery’s ability to generate so much interest, familiarity, and detail so flawlessly. I’m excited to read her other books at some point, too.

The Calpurnia Tate duology by Jacqueline Kelly

- First discovered by randomly picking up The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate in my local library, I have always loved the charm and kinship that I have easily felt with Calpurnia, her life and her world, and her scientific interest.

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

- I watched the Netflix film adaptation with my mom and then also loved the YA book that it originally came from. This book is exactly the kind of thing that so many people need to read and be aware about today: feminism, empowerment, and how to teach guys to be respectful. I’m going to wear hearts and stars on my hands every International Women’s Day from now on. Anyone is welcome to join me! I also highly enjoyed her other novels.

(Also discovered since 2023: wearing purple to signify justice and dignity!)

My first time participating in 2022:

https://www.facebook.com/megan.olds.779/posts/1164964944241648

*Another great novel that goes along with this one, with its own unique perspectives, is Off the Record by Camryn Garrett. I look forward to reading more from her, too!

Strength to Endure by Tristi Pinkston

· A tear-jerker in the best way about World War II, family, faith, and bravery, I loved this book and would highly recommend it.

*Also good and in some of the same veins: the TV series All the Light We Cannot See.

Romance:

Dreamology by Lucy Keating

- This book is a hilarious but heartwarming and well-written romance that I can read over and over again without losing appreciation for it. Lucy Keating’s other two books are fun reads as well.

Until We Meet Again by Renee Collins

- I love this book’s time-travel romance concept that draws you in to the characters and adds unexpected suspense among it all, too. Renee Collins’ book Remember Me Always is an interesting read as well.

*Along the same lines is the movie Girl Haunts Boy.

Of Grace and Chocolate by Krista Lynne Jensen

- I love Krista Lynne Jensen’s writing style and descriptive prose in these sweet romances that she writes. She is definitely someone I want to write more like. Other books of hers such as Kisses In the Rain are really good as well.

Love and F1rst Sight by Josh Sundquist (featured in the picture above)

- This book is another intriguing-concept, funny-but-heartwarming romance that I can read over and over again and love it every time.

I Believe In a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo

- I’ve been reading a lot of Asian American YA Lit in the past year and especially a lot that talks about Korean culture, and I’ve liked all of them. But this one has been my favorite; the only other one that has even come close to my liking it this much is To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

In this book, the characters, including the relatable protagonist Desi, and the plot…they’re all just so good that I can’t even explain it! So let’s just leave it at: you should pick this book up as soon as you can, and I’m really excited to read more Maurene Goo in the future! I was introduced to her through some of her short stories in anthologies, and I have also liked her other novels so far.

*Also good and exploring a similar but still unique plotline: Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant! It’s super sweet, relatable, witty, and writerly. I love it as well as its sequels and It's Elementary. (I was also originally introduced to this author through a short story.)

*Another great novel about Korean culture and K-dramas is The Noh Family by Grace K. Shim! (Also enjoyed her other book Not Your Average Jo.)

The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim

- I read this book at a time when I really needed it in my life. Alongside an immersion into Bengali culture, a fun romance plotline, and a little bit of something for everyone, there is much to relate to in this novel, and I love Zahra as a protagonist. So I would urge you that it is yet another novel you should pick up as soon as you can! (I look forward to more from Taslim in the future.)

*Also great and a little similar in plot setup and culture is When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon! I have enjoyed some of her short stories and collaborations as well, and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

*A few other books that really helped me through that same period of my life are The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less by Terry Ryan (nonfiction), This Raging Light by Estelle Laure (contemporary fiction. And I look forward to reading more by her), and A Thousand Questions by Saadia Faruqi (contemporary fiction. I also loved her book The Partition Project.)

*Another book that I highly related to personally for music love, family situations, and so forth is More Than Maybe by Erin Hahn. (And I continue to look forward to more from her!)

The Heart of Holiday by Michele Paige Holmes

- Sweet and faith-based with realistic themes like grief, this novel is one I loved for its relatable characters and its journey of healing and home. I also, as of yet, have enjoyed her Counting Stars trilogy, her Love Unbound duology, and her novel Between Heaven and Earth.

(From my childhood)

Fantasy:

The Rainbow Magic series by Daisy Meadows

- I had to have read over a hundred of these books in my childhood. I loved the fairy concept, the main characters, and the humour of them so much.

Realistic:

The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes series by Anne Mazer

- I read every book in this series after I got one of them for free in a summer reading contest at my local library, and I always loved how much I related to and loved so much writerly, middle-kid (even though I’m personally an oldest-kid) Abby.

The Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene

- I read as many of these books as I could get my hands on as a kid because I loved Nancy and her friends so much and the intriguing mysteries that they worked together to solve. I hope to try the River Heights series someday, too.

American Girl books (Valerie Tripp's are especially great!)

- I got my first book of these, Brave Emily by Valerie Tripp, when my mom bought me my own American Girl doll (Emily) for my eighth birthday. Since then, these books have taught me more about American history, from the American Revolution to the Great Depression to World War II, than I’d say almost any other resources have. They handed all this knowledge to me in emotionally connecting, easy-to-read packages that I still love today.

Nonfiction

Latter-day Saint canonical scriptures

- Since my religious faith is the most important thing to me in my life, these fundamental books could never be excluded from my “favorite books” list. I believe that no other books will teach me the most essential and profound things that I need to know and live every day.

I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb

- This book was so well-written, culture-immersive, empowering, and connecting that it made me wish I could meet Malala and tell her she’s awesome and hug her.

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

- This book is one of those essential World War II books in my mind. I love Anne and am so glad that we have access to her well-written diary today.

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom

- Another World War II essential, this book made me admire the ten Booms’ faith, goodness, and resilience so much.

*Another heartbreaking resource on World War II—although it is realistic fiction, not nonfiction—is the movie The Boy In the Striped Pajamas, the original book by John Boyne of which is also really good. See also resources like Jojo Rabbit (the original book, Caging Skies, by Christine Leunens is a little weird but interesting) and The Book Thief (both the movie and the original book by Markus Zusak.)

Pickles, Poetry, and Pearls by Alena Reid

- This is a book written by a close friend of mine that features true funny stories from her own life, creative, original poetry, and a few inspiring thoughts as well that I have appreciated time and again.

My Story by Elizabeth Smart and Charles Stewart

- This is a book that will break your heart in two but will make you admire from the depths of your soul Elizabeth’s amazing attitude, resilience, and faith; at least it did for me. I will definitely be interested in reading her other book someday, too.

An Unseen Angel by Alissa Parker

- This book is another tearjerker, yet in the most beautiful and peaceful way possible. I love the vulnerability of this family’s loss and forgiveness but also everything to do with angels, healing, and spirituality. Lots of love for sweet Emilie.

Always a Princess by Meg Johnson

- Meg Johnson’s life story and attitudes are so inspiring to me, and I love the self-worth and everyday mindsets she promotes to everyone. Her book When Life Gets Hard… is really good as well.

Without the Mask: Coming Out and Coming Into God’s Light by Charlie Bird

· This book is so touching, relatable, and important. Whether you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who wants to understand LGBTQ+ people better or you are a non-member who wants to understand how LGBTQ+ Church members see their faith, this book is phenomenal. At least in my opinion, you can’t help loving Charlie.

*Just as good: A Walk In My Shoes: Questions I’m Often Asked as a Gay Latter-day Saint by Ben Schilaty.

Short stories

Realistic:

The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor

- I love Flannery O’Connor: her religious and equality attitudes; her writing ability; her characters—everything! I’ll admit that I’ve found I’m not as into her earlier short stories for the most part as I am her later ones. But my favorites are "Revelation," "A Good Man Is Hard to Find," and "Good Country People." It’s also way fun for you to get to the end of this collection and tell yourself that you made it to “Judgment Day”! I also really enjoyed her nonfiction collection Mystery and Manners. So overall, I'm just kind of obsessed with Flannery O'Connor! I would definitely recommend to everyone that they read her; she's great! I want to write more like she does.

Romance:

The six that are contained in A Timeless Romance Anthology: Love Letter Collection

- These sweet romances touched my heart and provided a wide variety of setting immersion to me. Many other Timeless Romance Anthologies are really good as well.

“A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong” (from Stephanie Perkins' anthology Summer Days & Summer Nights) by Jennifer E. Smith

- I thought that this story was cute but also enlightening into the subject of autism. I liked it so much that I typed it up myself to my flash drive from how it’s featured in Stephanie Perkins’ anthology. Her novels are really good as well.

Poetry

Emily Dickinson

- I love Emily Dickinson’s profound insights on her poems’ subjects, quirky writing style, and overall personality and mindset. I have loved trying to imitate her sometimes in my own poetry and think it’s awesome that FamilySearch told me I’m related to her.

Anne Bradstreet

- I think Anne Bradstreet is a great example of simplicity meets thoughtful and well-written. Her ability to translate her humble thoughts and everyday life into such amazing poetry truly is admirable to me.

e. e. cummings

- As with Emily Dickinson, I love e. e. cummings’ quirky and unique writing style and think that the subjects and insights of his poems are amazing. I hope to take a good look at his entire collected works someday, because the handful of poems that I have read so far are definitely American classics in my mind.

Music

(Mainly alternative rock)

Of Monsters and Men

- Inspiring the base ideas for two of my novels, instilling a feel of “kindred spirits” between them and me, and providing a love of Iceland and folk rock for me through their music, Of Monsters and Men are so unique and amazing that I wouldn’t be who I am today without them. *Also interesting to check out is Nanna’s former solo project Songbird and her current one under her own name (Nanna)!

twenty one pilots

- With a groundbreaking new genre creation, fun humour, amazing talent, and keen insights into faith and mental health, I can’t help but love twenty one pilots forever after my first time seeing them live blew my mind.

Bastille

- Musical and lyrical talent galore, Bastille’s subject-matters ranging from classical literature to contemporary issues get packed into catchy tunes and amazing live shows that I love wholeheartedly.

American Authors

- With a sense of heartening familiarity permeating their music, I have loved American Authors since the first time I heard “Believer” and do quite believe that will never, ever stop. *The music they put out under their former name, The Blue Pages, is good, too!

Colony House

- I love their personalities, their faith, their beautiful music, and their inspiring, personal lyrics. They have gotten me through so many hard times, and if only they knew that. I wish I hadn’t been so dumbstruck when I met them so that I could have told them that. *The music they put out under their former name, Caleb, is good, too!

Coldplay

- Being one of the bands I most grew up hearing, it’s no wonder Coldplay are so world-renowned. Their lyrics and musical innovation are amazing and inspiring; live, they are a lot of fun; and I will just be unable to help loving them forever.

U2

- I also grew up hearing U2 and, again, don’t have a hard time at all believing that they are world-renowned. They too are definite musical innovators and have been very inspirational to me personally. I think everyone should love U2.

Andrew McMahon In the Wilderness

- I love Andrew McMahon’s piano-based musical style, story-telling lyrics, and great personality. He’s great live, too, and I just think it’s no wonder I automatically love each new song that he comes out with. *His former bands, Jack's Mannequin and Something Corporate, are good, too!

Walk the Moon

- Walk the Moon are unique and fun, expanding into many different forms of alternative rock, putting on cool shows, and contending for good issues in the world. I think they’re awesome.

COIN

- COIN, too, are very unique and fun and have catchy tunes while relaying well-written, relatable lyrics and putting on good shows. I hope they will keep gaining more and more support like they deserve.

flor

- flor have such a cool and intoxicating electronica style of music alongside lyrics that I relate to personally and find help my mental health. They’re really good live, too, and I’m excited to see where they go with recognition and popularity. *The music they put out under their former name, Sunderland, is good, too!

MisterWives

- I’ve always loved MisterWives’ unique, fierce, and fun sound. They're so danceable and relatable! (And also good live.)

Art

(Worldwide acclaim)

Vincent Van Gogh

- As he is a classic and clearly talented painter, I can’t help but love Van Gogh’s unique style, abilities, and subject-matters. A favorite painting is, of course, The Starry Night

Thomas Kinkade

- I think Thomas Kinkade’s light-filled paintings of nature are beautiful and extremely talented. One favorite painting of his is Stairway to Paradise. It was also a lot of fun to learn more about his background through the movie Christmas Cottage!

(Indie acclaim/religious paintings)

Liz Lemon Swindle

- I love Liz Lemon Swindle’s talented abilities and faith-based paintings. In particular, Daughter of a King has always struck a personal chord in my heart.

Karen Tarlton

- I love Karen Tarlton’s unique and colorful style. Her paintings of animals, angels, and couples are very sweet to me. A favorite one is Embrace.

Annie Henrie Nader (sometimes also known as Ann Adele Henrie)

- I love Annie Henrie Nader’s talent for detail, light, and color as well; her paintings are so pretty. A favorite one of mine is Together At Last.

Michael Malm

- I also love Michael Malm’s realistic, colorful style that mainly revolves around people, nature and flowers, and light. A favorite painting of mine is shown just above his name here (title unknown).

Mark Missman

- In general, I just love artwork of Christ with children, and Walk Beside Me by Mark Missman is another sweet and cute example. Missman has a really nice detailed and aesthetic style for spiritual topics.

Movies

Animated

Fantasy/sci-fi:

Big Hero 6

- I tried to deny it for a while, but I love this movie, its fun characters, and its original concept so much that I can seriously watch it over and over again and not get tired of it—and still get emotional every time, too. It’s pretty much my favorite.

The Despicable Me and Minion movies

- These movies are so creative, original, hilarious, and family-centered that I can’t help but love them.

Disney princess movies (Frozen, Enchanted, Little Mermaid, Princess & the Frog, etc.)

- Some of them I grew up with. Some of them I just think are brilliant, creative, and heartwarming anyway. But all of them I think portray excellent messages and stories, especially to girls in particular.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

- I grew up playing Mario games. So it was pretty fun to see how they turned it into this movie plotline, and I think that they did it well. (The Sonic the Hedgehog movie was pretty fun, too.)

Live-action

Fantasy/sci-fi/realistic/documentary:

Movie adaptations for some of the above-listed books

- Even when they sometimes differ a bit from what happens in the books, I still really love and appreciate the movie adaptations for Harry Potter, Divergent, Anne of Green Gables, the American Girls Molly, Samantha, Felicity, and Kit, and He Named Me Malala.

Realistic:

Dear Evan Hansen

- I don’t know why I do this with some of my favorite movies, but I think that this is another one where I tried to deny to myself that I liked it so much for some reason. Maybe I just needed time to digest it. But seriously. The hype from my friends was totally merited. My mom and I both wanted to just hug Evan—and maybe even Connor (except he probably wouldn’t let us) and his family—the whole time that we watched this movie. I related to it so much. It meant a lot to me personally, and simply put, I loved it.

*Another really good movie on a somewhat similar note is A Man Called Otto, and a good book on a similar note is A Breath Too Late by Rocky Callen.

A Raisin In the Sun (1961)

- I read this play for a college class and loved it, so then I thought perhaps I’d love a movie adaptation, too. And I did. I love the characters and message of this movie and am surprised that more people don’t talk about it.

The Color Purple

- Another beautiful but heartbreaking story about racial tensions, the need for feminism, and the unbreakable bond of sisters, based on the fascinating, classic novel by Alice Walker. I love Celie so much.

*See also I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, both the autobiography by Maya Angelou and the 1979 film adaptation.

The Hate U Give

- I was a little late catching on to this movie compared to everyone else, but now that I have, I love the messages and characters in it so much that I just want to hug people like Starr in it the entire time that I watch it. I think that this movie is something everyone should be seeing and talking about, providing a much-needed perspective of current American history. *Also, a note: I know that there is a book that this movie originally came from, too; I just personally couldn’t get into it. However, that doesn’t mean that I would say anything about whether other people should read it or not. And I think it still counts for something if I immediately recognized Angie Thomas’ cameo in the movie; I still appreciate her for creating such an amazing story! Just saying! Pretty much, you can assume this same sentiment for any other movies or TV shows that I list here that originally came from books; usually, I am thorough in knowing about those. So…I’m also just saying that you can keep that in mind if the question arises in your mind about anything else listed here! *A few more books that I feel portray a similar message to The Hate U Give and that are just as moving --- they could totally be read in schools, too --- are Hollow Fires by Samira Ahmed (I love her other work, too!), The Silence That Binds Us by Joanna Ho (I'm excited for more from her in the future!), You Truly Assumed by Laila Sabreen (I enjoyed her short story from Aashna Avachat’s anthology Study Break as well!), Saints and Misfits by S. K. Ali (I love her other work, too!), Other Side of the Tracks by Charity Alyse (I’m excited for more from her in the future!), I Rise by Marie Arnold (I look forward to reading more from her!), Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed (I look forward to reading more from her!), and Perfectly Parvin by Olivia Abtahi (I also highly enjoyed Twin Flames!)

(Me as Starr Carter for Halloween 2022)

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life

- A sweet and funny story about a middle-school troublemaker who loves to pull pranks and draw.

Not Cinderella’s Type

- This movie is sweet, relatable, and impactful, as topics such as emotional abuse, trust, and the possibilities for real salvation and happy endings are explored.

Once I Was a Beehive

- This movie is so fun, relatable, and heartwarming to me. I love the messages contained in it and think that the characters are a blast. The sequel movie is not quite as good, but I still thought it had its funniness.

Romance:

Some Kind of Wonderful

- Again, I loved the messages, romance, and characters in this movie, connecting with them immediately.

Brooklyn

- I loved this poignant story of a young girl finding her way in a new world and falling in love. I like to think that Eilis and I would be good friends were she real (and lived in my time period).

And, although I do not like it as much, I did still like and appreciate to an extent the original novel by Colm Tóibín that this movie was adapted from, too.

Sleepless In Seattle

- With a sweet connection and plot, this classic romance movie caught my heart, too, and immortalized in my mind the idea of MFEO.

Titanic

- No wonder it is an acclaimed masterpiece. I loved the characters, felt deeply over the suspense and tragedy that occurred in this depiction of a real-life disaster that happened, and think the hubbub over the romance in it is absolutely fitting.

*Also, a great book to read if you’re interested in the Titanic disaster that also has a unique and moving AAPI perspective is Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee.

The Lakehouse

- Another sweet time-travel-ish romance that I connected with personally and can watch over and over again very happily.

A Walk to Remember

- Another sweet romance I loved about redemption, staying true to yourself, and how love changes you.

Hybrid

Fantasy/sci-fi:

Pokémon: Detective Pikachu

- Considering I have been a Pokémaniac since I was a kid, I loved this film version of my long-time nerdery and thought that the suspenseful story it portrayed was great.

(Pokémon jack-o'-lanterns 2022: a Pikachu peeking out from a Pokéball, and a Gengar face)

The Lego movies

- These movies are so funny and creative, and I love the characters that exist in them. I can definitely watch them over and over again without complaint.

(Me as Lucy/Wyldstyle for Halloween 2019)

TV Shows

Live-action

Sitcoms:

Psych

- Considering I’m on my second time around watching the series, I kind of love the mixture of humour and mystery-solving that this show and its quirky main characters display. It’s definitely one of my favorites.

Gilmore Girls

- Yes, I watched it with my mom. And we both agree that we hope we would be friends with Lorelai and Rory were they real. This show is so funny and relatable, it’s pretty much an American classic now.

Dash & Lily

- I thought this show was very funny, cute, and relatable. I totally relate to bookish nerds trying to overcome their social barriers in order to be together. It certainly doesn’t hurt that it’s something to bond over with my best friend, either!

Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist

- Combining humour, real issues, and a musical concept, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist easily makes you care about what happens next (or at least it does for me). And I love that they still went on with making the Christmas movie!

One Day at a Time (the 2017–present edition, not the 1975–1984 edition; I haven't seen the original series yet)

- I love the humour, the values/issues explored, the culture, and the family of this show. I hope to be able to watch the fourth season someday!

Select Disney channel shows (sometimes, these are animated instead)

- From Good Luck, Charlie to Shake It Up! to Phineas and Ferb, I can’t help but love these unique and relatable depictions of tweens and teens in our world today; they’re so much fun.

Situational dramas:

Julie & the Phantoms­

- I related to this show so much personally, loved the characters in it, and really liked the music concept it revolved around, too. I'm so sad it got cancelled!

*A book I loved on the same topic is The In-Between by Marc Klein.

Virgin River

- Being another show that I watch with my mom, the emotional connection and suspense that this show give off are so strong, you (or at least I) can’t help rooting for Mel wherever she goes.

We also watch/watched Robyn Carr’s other show Sullivan’s Crossing, and it can’t beat Virgin River, but it’s interesting as well! I also tried the first of the original books by Robyn Carr that this show is based off of, and it seemed nice enough. Things occur or are revealed in a different order than what happens in the show, though—the show seems to take things at a slower pace—so that has to be kept in mind, too. For all I know, maybe I only like the show better because I saw it first!

Sketch comedy:

(Through Season 9) Studio C

- I loved this show so much for years and still get a kick out of watching the sketches on YouTube for the fiftieth time; it’s one of my favorites. I’m also glad that the personable original cast still continues on today as JK! Studios.

Animated

From my childhood/sci-fi:

Cyberchase

- This show taught me so much about math and science growing up as well as just drew me in to the awesome world-building and the fun characters that are involved. I know that even if I am to always watch it by myself, I will continue to watch the new episodes that come out periodically because Cyberchase is a part of my heart.