Nostalgic Reads I Will Always Come Back To
I’m a person who loves nostalgic things, and I’m living for the fact that the 90s and 2000s are back in style right now (hello baggy jeans and crimped hair!). It all just takes me back to my childhood, and some of the warmest and happiest memories I have from when I was a kid revolve around books.
I was always asking my parents and older siblings to read to me. In fact, I asked them to read certain books so much that my parents eventually recorded themselves reading on tape so that I could play it over and over again–which I did, ad nauseum (being a parent now myself, I can totally relate to this. If I have to read Dragons Love Tacos one. more. time).
Sigh. Those were the days.
Anyway, I always love seeing others’ nostalgic reads so I thought I’d share mine. Maybe it’ll take you back to a simpler time.
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Okay, given the name of the blog, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see this book on my “Nostalgic Reads” lists. I loved this book, and the movies, when I was a kid, and I still do. The books are fun, funny, heartbreaking, warm, cozy, and just a great, great read. I can’t say enough how much I love L.M. Montgomery’s character building and just how timeless Anne’s joys and struggles are. It’s a classic for a reason. If you haven’t read it, please do. It’s a cozy read for any season. Also, I need to move to Prince Edward Island, stat.
The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
This book. This series. It is quintessential teenaged girl living in the early 2000s. I loved these books, and I still own the series (also, Meg Cabot has released two new additions to the original series that I bought immediately). The first book was one of the ones that got me into epistolary novels, books that tell their story largely or solely through journal entries, letters, or other forms of communication. This is just a fun read, and I will forever reread it whenever I need a laugh, or just want something that feels like home.
Victoria Victorious by Jean Plaidy
If you like historical fiction, you should read Jean Plaidy’s books. Any of them. I picked this one specifically because it was my first foray into historical fiction at a more adult reading level (not to say that there are adult themes–Plaidy’s books are not graphic or open door in any sense). It really fueled my love of reading British royal historical fiction. Plaidy had a knack for bringing history to life in a really interesting way.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
This series was so much fun to read. It dealt with real-life situations that most teenagers experience in some capacity, but it also felt like a warm hug from the people you love most. Tibby, Carmen, Lena, and Bridget feel like your friends by the end of the first book and you can’t wait to see what they get up to in the others. And what they do get up to is not as predictable as you might expect from a Young Adult book. If you read this series as a teen, this is your sign to read it again. If you haven’t yet, summer is the perfect time of year to dive in!
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
This was one of those rare series that translated well to movies and where the movies complemented the books very well. This was probably the start of my love for dystopian novels, and I have them on my reread list because they were just so well-written and the character development was so good. I also need to read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, because I still haven’t done that yet!
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
I didn’t read these until I was in my early 20s, but I grew up with the hype surrounding them. When I finally did read them (much to two of my best friends’ complete joy), I understood the hype. Rowling’s writing style is fantastic and her ability to weave so many story and character aspects together and maintain consistency is more than admirable. I reread these books for the fun story, but perhaps even more because of just how intricate the writing and plot are. I may have started late, but I’ve officially joined the realm of the Potterheads!
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
I was not a fantasy fan before this book. I liked fairytales, but that was it. Nothing beyond your Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty. But this book–and the Inheritance Cycle as a whole–totally changed my mind. I was in my teens when I read it for the first time, but it sticks with me to this day. The world-building, the dragons, all of it. It makes me happy to think about it, and I definitely want to reread this series soon so that I can finally read Paolini’s newest addition to the series, Murtaugh.
There are so many more books that I can add to this list, but I’ll refrain (for now!). They all bring back wonderful memories and I definitely wish I could go back in time just to read them for the first time again. It’s so fun to revisit these books!
Happy reading,
