3 Books I Plan On Rereading To Remind Myself Of The Power Of Words

“To me, re-reading my favorite books is like spending time with my best friends. I’d never be satisfied to limit myself to just one experience each with my favorite people.” ― C.S. Lewis

Sometimes you need the comfort of familiar books.

Here are 3 books I'll be rereading, that inspired me, in one way or another, with the power of their words.

[1] Reasons To Stay Alive by Matt Haig

An exploration of depression. This is a book author Matt Haig wanted to write for a long time, but struggled with due to the personal nature of it.

In it, he details his own experience with depression and anxiety. He wrote this book to lessen the stigma around the two and uses his words to remind the reader that there is always so much to live for.

"So yes, I loved external narratives for the hope they offered. Films. TV dramas. And most of all, books. They were, in and of themselves, reasons to stay alive."

[2] The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo 

Raw and rhythmic.

A beautiful and powerful story that follows a girl named Xiomara, a Dominican teen living in Harlem.

This book details how she finds her voice through slam poetry. Written in free verse, it explores themes such as religion, sexuality, and identity. It’s a must read whether you like contemporary YA or not.

"My little words

feel important, for just a moment.

This is a feeling I could get addicted to."

[3] Just Kids by Patti Smith

An unforgettable memoir.

Patti tells the tender and heartbreaking story of her relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.

It begins with Patti's youth, detailing her longing to be an artist, and the first time she met Robert. The book highlights Patti and Robert's experience living together in New York City as starving artists.

"Why can't I write something that would awake the dead? That pursuit is what burns most deeply. I got over the loss of his desk and chair, but never the desire to produce a string of words more precious than the emeralds of Cortés."