The Most Unforgettable Novels I Have Ever Read

1. Harry Potter Series, J.K. Rowling: I tried thinking of simply one book to put on this list, but each book connects so well with the next that I simply had to list the entire series. Harry's epic adventures, leadership ability, and undying ambition to overthrow the evil Lord Voldemort make the story captivating, easily relatable, and full of excitement. Besides, I've been reading the books since I was 7; to me the series is not only a good story, but also a part of my childhood.

2. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain: Sorry for seeming sexist, but being a boy made me appreciate the novel so much more in my opinion. Huck's journey away from home (similar to my journey to college in the near future), the idyllic settings of his travels, his boyish rough-and-tough attitude, and Twain's mastery of different southern dialects really made the novel stand out from other adventures I've read.

3. Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card: Ever since reading Ender's Game in 7th grade, I've been hooked on science fiction novels. Everything is so new and bizarre, and thinking about the new world and life in general as one giant game really changed my perspective about the world and opened my eyes to the fragility of human existence. Ender's quick rise to fame, coupled with his extremely young age (which was similar to my age at the time) led to both awe and understanding of him on a personal level.

4. Artemis Fowl Series, Eoin Colfer: Although this series is unfinished, its importance to me has generally remained the same. Artemis Fowl, a young genius around my age, is a character whom I admire for intellectual and literary reasons. His adventures, or should I say international law-breaking antics both above and below the ground, give him one of the most unique personalities and capabilities of any character I've ever seen in literature.

5. Angels and Demons, Dan Brown: Angels and Demons was the first novel that got me hooked on conspiracy stories. I think something in human consciousness always seeks to discover the unknown or believe in the mysterious. Something about Robert Langdon's journey to the Vatican, discovery of Rome's hidden secrets, and showdown with those who try to keep the secret away from him all make for a great adventure full of history and mystery and suspense.

6. Series of Unfortunate Events Series, Lemony Snicket: Snicket has always done things differently, and a lot of that shows in his series. The story, which follows three unfortunate siblings, is symbolically arranged in 13 books, the first 12 of which have two-word titles beginning with the same letter (e.g. The Penultimate Peril). In addition to his symbolism, his mere presence in the story itself, which technically makes him both fake and real, draws a fascination towards his background as well. This phenomenon is usually rare, but in the case of this series, both the novels themselves and the author interest the reader.