My Five Favorite Books of All Time

Hello there! Welcome to my cozy little library, I hope you have a warm blanket and a delicious treat, cause today we are going to talk about beloved books.

​Everyone has a favorite book, and I am no exception, in fact I have 5 books that I would consider to be my favorites of all time.

 These books are special books with beautiful stories that have touched my life in deep ways. I love lots of books and lots of books have impacted me, but the books that are my favorites are the books that have characters I can’t forget, adventures that feel my own, and messages that change the way I live.

​These five books have truly done that. I can’t really rank these books (though I know which two are tied for first place). Now without any further ado, let’s talk books.

"My child, the troubles and temptations of your life are beginning, and may be many; but you can overcome and outlive them all, if you learn to feel the strength of your Heavenly Father as you do that of your earthly one."

If we were meeting for the first time and you were to ask me what my favorite book is, this is the book I would tell you. In fact, if you were to ask practically anyone who knows me, they would tell you that this book is my favorite, and that book is undoubtedly Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

This book has changed my life.

Story wise it is a coming of age story about four sisters in Civil War Era New England. It’s about their adventures and misadventures, their loves and friendships and most importantly, their sisterhood. I find bits of myself in each of the March sisters, and deeply relate to Jo’s fiery temper.

Everything about this book appeals to me, the sweet cozy Massachusetts setting, the tender romance, the love for God, family, and literature that permeates the book. The events in the story are a bit like memories for me, things that are so vivid and full of deep emotion and happiness. 

​But it’s not just this that makes Little Women my favorite, this book has changed the way I approach anger. Instead of gripping tightly in order to not explode, I learned to go to God “as dearly and confidingly as you come to your mother.” I’m not going to go super in-depth here, but if you would like to read more about what this book means to me, check out this blog post.

"Our free hands met. His felt warm and comforting and unsettling and bewildering - all at once."

This next book is unique to this list in the fact that it’s the only one published post 1960’s, and it’s the only fantasy novel on this list. This book is Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine.

Where do I even start with this book? It’s a Cinderella retelling about a girl named Ella who is cursed to be obedient. She has to obey anything everyone tells her. This of course creates a number of challenges for her, especially as she is sent off to finishing school and gains a stepmother and two less than lovely step sisters.

Ella is bold and strong minded despite her curse, she chooses to do what is right for the sake of those she loves rather than doing what will make her happy. It’s set in the Kingdom of Kyrria, a peaceful kingdom that has good alliances with all of the magical communities, except for the ogres, and it’s a country that is proud of its king and its prince - Ella’s friend Char.

​It’s a coming of age story with the important message of both self sacrifice and love.  I can quote probably 60% of this book and have read it countless times. It may not sound the most interesting, but trust me, this book is wonderful, I mean just look at how well loved my original copy is!

"She did bring home books from the library, in armloads, replenishing them every two or three days. She read avidly, indiscriminately, using them as an antidote for the pain in her heart. But they didn't help much. There was no one to talk them over with.”
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The next book is one that’s newer to me, but immediately, I knew I had a new favorite book. This book is Emily of Deep Valley by Maud Hart Lovelace. The story is set in Deep Valley, the town I grew to love while reading Lovelace’s most famous series, Betsy-Tacy (read more about that here).

Emily Webster has just graduated from high school, all of her friends are leaving to go to college, and she finds herself looking at her future glumly. She loves her house in the slough and her grandfather. But she wants to learn and she wants to love. Emily finds herself slipping into discontentment and depression. Finally she decides that she can make her life what she wants, whether she goes to college or not. She decides to connect with people from outside of her high school circle, and to continue to learn in her own way. Through this she finds a group of immigrants who live within her town, and she decides to teach them English and help them become part of the community. She also finds friendships and love.

Not to mention, it’s set in the early 1900’s with lots of literary references and the most wonderful cozy food and atmosphere.

​This book has impacted me so much, I often have felt like Emily, felt like my friends were growing up and moving on without me. But after reading this book, I was encouraged to know that I can make my life beautiful, and the circumstances I have were given to me for a reason.

“From that first moment, in a way she could never explain, the Meadows claimed her and made her their own.”

​It’s kind of funny that this next book is also about a girl who struggles to fit in. It’s The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. It’s about Kit Tyler, an orphan from Barbados, who decides to head to colonial New England to live with her Puritan aunt and uncle. She is thrown into a world so unlike her own, a world where people are dissatisfied with the King and his laws, and a world where women aren’t supposed to swim or dress in bright colors. There are so many misunderstandings as Kit tries to adapt to the hard life of being a farm girl, in the midst of one of her toughest moments, she finds herself in the meadow. The meadow where an old woman named Hannah Tupper lives. Hannah is an outcast of society and doesn’t quite belong, kind of like Kit. She’s a bit odd and a bit forgetful, but she’s sweet, though Kit can’t convince anyone else of that. Her connection with this woman is fateful, because this woman is considered by some, a witch.

​I love how in this book Kit is strong, despite difficult circumstances, she stands up for what she believes in even when the general assembly doesn’t agree with her. She refuses to believe that all there is to life is God’s judgment. She believes in beauty and love, and won’t settle for less. 

"Oh, I don't mean just the tree; of course it's lovely - yes, it's radiantly lovely - it blooms as if it meant it - but I meant everything, the garden and the orchard and the brook and the woods, the whole big dear world."
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When it comes to books that have changed how I live, this book definitely takes the cake. It’s a popular book that we are all familiar with in some form or another, and that story is Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. I’m sure you’re familiar with the story of Anne Shirley (spelled with an "E" of course), who’s reason for never being able to be completely happy is the color of her hair. And I’m sure you know the old Cuthbert siblings who adopt her, her bosom friend Diana Barry, and the terrible, terrible, Gilbert Blythe who called her carrots.  Let’s also not forget the stunning Prince Edward Island setting. 

Yes, we all know this, but somehow, re-reading this book when I was going through one of the hardest times of my life unlocked something within me. You see, Anne lives in constant awe. She sees the beauty in everything. She loves everything (except for Gilbert Blythe, Mrs. Lynde, and geometry of course), and she finds reasons to have joy no matter what. I made a conscious choice to think more like Anne. To see beauty everywhere, to relish things and to romanticize my life. 

​ I love the whole series very much, but when picking a favorite, though I adore Rainbow Valley and Anne of Avonlea the one that has impacted me the most, and the one I go back to the most is the one that started it all - Anne of Green Gables.

What are your favorite books? Have you read any of my favorites? If so, what do you think of them?

Belle Thomas

Belle is the writer behind An Old Fashioned Girl. She is passionate about Jesus, good books, and living a beautiful life.