Top Ten Tuesday was created byย The Broke and the Bookishย in June of 2010 and was moved toย That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.ย ย
Depending on the weekly topic I write a post and this week’s theme picked my interest!
This weekโs TTT topic is Books for My Younger Self (These could be books you wish you had read as a child, books younger you could have really learned something from, books that meshed with your hobbies/interests, books that could have helped you go through events/changes in your life, etc.).
I decided to go with a short comment about the reason of my choice and one favorite quote.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Deliah Owens
I would have read it to realize not to judge by social standing. A little girl in ragged clothes should not be shunned or overlooked but helped and cherished.
โBut just as her collection grew, so did her loneliness. A pain as large as her heart lived in her chest. Nothing eased it. Not the gulls, not a splendid sunset, not the rarest of shells.
The lonely became larger than she could hold. She wished for someoneโs voice, presence, touch, but wished more to protect her heart.โ
Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris
I would have read it to never forget. Because when we don’t speak of the horror of the past, we forget and it repeats itself. And also because the human body and soul can be formidably resilient
โTo have lost everything. To have had to endure what she has endured, and be punished for it. How can she go on? How can she work for a new enemy? Live to see the women around her tire, starve, diminish, die. But she โ she WILL live. She does not know why she has always been sure of that, why she feels he can persist but she can.
It is fire then that keeps her going. But it is also a curse. It makes her stand out, be singled out. She must contain it, control it, direct it.
To survive.โ
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
To remind me to be brave, to speak up.
โThatโs why people are speaking out, huh? Because it wonโt change if we donโt say something?โ โExactly. We canโt be silent.โ
Birthday by Meredith Russo
To truly grasp what being transgenre means and to offer my help and no judgment.
โI wonder if maybe I just can’t cry anymore, if maybe growing up means testosterone is running through my body like an invading army, butchering and bunting everything tender.โ
โย Birthday
A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
I would have read it to stop being so distrusting after 9/11 towards every muslim. I truly tried not to but the collective hysteria was hard to resist. That book would have done wonders.
“It didn’t matter how unaccented my English was. It didn’t matter that I told people, over and over again, that I was born here, in America, that English was my first language, that my cousins in Iran made fun of me for speaking mediocre Farsi with an American accent -it didn’t matter. Everyone assumed I was fresh off the boat from a foreign land.”
The Radius of us by Marie Marquardt
To open my eyes about the migrants and realize that no, they don’t leave everything behindย on a whim. And no fleeing his country is no picnic. And no, they don’t come to steal our work and our women.
โI have this strange feeling that we’re both on our way to someplace better.โ
โย The Radius of Us
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
First because that book was a hell of fun but also because it would have helped me to understant autism so much better!
โHow did one not obsess over something wonderful? How did one like something a reasonable amount?โ
โย The Kiss Quotient
Harry Potter by JK Rowling

Because I read Harry Potter in my thirties and I would have had so much fun! It’s magic!
โNow, you two โ this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you’ve โ you’ve blown up a toilet or โ”
“Blown up a toilet? We’ve never blown up a toilet.”
“Great idea though, thanks, Mum.โ
โย Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
A List of Cages by Robin Roe
To remind me to open my eyes, to truly see my classmates, my friends because maybe, one of them was abused home. And I would have acted upon it. Protected.
โNothing theyโre doing hurts, but it feels as if something is tearing away the center of my chest. The cold is dissolving. Their hands are soft. Everything is quiet except the tears that are climbing from somewhere beneath my ribs. Iโve cried in pain and Iโve cried in fear, but these tears are different, deeper, like Iโm breaking apart.โ
The Silver Cage by Anonymous
Because that book made me rage at life’s unfairness and how people can be so close minded. Again I would have helped anyone who would have ridiculed homosexuals at my time.ย
โItโs like, if they donโt know, God doesnโt know. And I want to go to Heaven.โ
โย The Silver Cage
What books would you have recommended to your younger self?
Thanks for reading
Ok, I’ll admit I haven’t read any of these books but you listed some very persuasive reasons why I should pick up some of these…great post!
I love your choices and your reasons! Definitely agree with The Hate U Give, The Kiss Quotient and Birthday. A Very Large Expanse of Sea is on my TBR.
I hope you’ll love it Lindsey!
Excellent picks. So many great lessons learned or reminded through these books too! Thanks for sharing! ๐
You are most welcome Lashaan!
I have Cilka’s Journey on my tbr rn and I really need to sit down and read it at some point. I’m sure I’ll cry
Oh yes stack up on tissues!
Birthday and A List of Cages would have done wonders in opening my eyes to those around me. I was so quiet and in my own head as a teenager, and those books would have got me thinking about something other than myself.
That’s exactly what I thought Tanya! Plus we didn’t speak of these things at our time!
Great list! I really need to read Where the Crawdads Sing!
Oh yes please Caro!
So many amazing and important reads on your list! I have a few to get to myself here. ๐
๐
I really love your reasons for picking each of these books.
Thank you Suzanne!
I would also recommend The Hate U Give to my younger self, it’s such a powerful and important read & I NEED to read Birthday, I know it will make me cry but I can’t wait to read it โค๏ธ
I can’t wait for you to read it Sofii!
Great post! I completely agree with The Hate U Give. It’s such an incredible read!
It was so inspiring!
Where the Crawdads Sing by Deliah Owens is so high on my wishlist!
Stephanie I hope you’ll get to read it!!!