We read a lot as students, whether we like it or not. In almost every class, students are required to read an article or a story of some kind. Of course, most reading takes place in our English classes, with at least one book being studied yearly. Many of them are forgettable or bring back unpleasant memories of skimming Sparknotes before a quiz, but a select few are still talked about fondly. Here are my three favorite books I’ve read throughout the years.

#3: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

This classic novel was a surprisingly enjoyable read. As someone who reads and writes very fast-paced, exciting stories, I—somewhat unfairly—avoid older literature for fear that it will be “boring.” Though it’s not a book I would pick up on my own, I enjoyed the book. It was cool to annotate and look at the differences between Frankenstein and his creature, and I loved going into the book with some historical knowledge of the early 1800s. A highlight I remember specifically was the end of the book, full of dramatic monologues and confessions from both characters that were engaging. Overall, this story about responsibility and idealism had its slow moments, but the well-written conflict is what makes it number three on my list.

#2: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

The Outsiders is a story that most people know, whether they read Hinton’s original novel or watched Francis Ford Coppola’s film adaptation. Like I said before, I tend to enjoy more action in the stories I read, so I enjoyed this book. The characters felt real and relatable, helped by the fact that the author was a teenager herself when she wrote them. I especially loved reading about Ponyboy’s struggle trying to balance new friendships with old ones. Because the characters felt so real, their deaths did, too. It was a very well-written book overall and was frankly inspiring to me as a writer because of how young the author was when she wrote such a widely beloved story.

#1: The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

This book was a blast to read. Granted, it was probably helped by the fact that I was in Mrs. DeLand’s English class, which was always fun, but I digress. I was excited about this book before we even started reading it; we learned about the Vietnam War and the social climate in the 1960s, a period I didn’t know much about. The Wednesday Wars follows 7th grader Holling Hoodhood as he tries to juggle love, family life, and a teacher he despises. The book was funny and, despite the sixty-year time difference, relatable to read as a 7th grader myself. I loved when Holling allied with his sister to stand up to their father, and when he realized that Mrs. Baker was trying to help him grow as a person. I would read this book again.