Happy Thursday, book friends! When my mom came to visit, she brought four boxes of my books from their basement for me to go through. Yes, there are still at least four more boxes back in Ohio waiting for me. What can I say, I’ve been a book hoarder since I was a kid.

A lot of these books are destined for Half Price Books, but I did find some beloved books from my young adult years that I will definitely be keeping on my shelves. I thought I’d look back on the books my younger self loved for today’s post. It’s also National Puppy Day, so we have to throw it back to baby nugget Azula as well. Look at how small she was!

Okay, on to the books!

The Keisha’Ra Series by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

I’ve had the first book from this series, Hawksong, on my shelves in every place I’ve lived. I must’ve checked it out from the library a good 10 times before I finally found a copy of my own. It’s a paperback and kind of falling apart because I’ve reread it so many times. But there are four more books in the series, which are now reuinted with the first. I am thinking about rereading them sometime this year. These books are about shapeshifters who have been at war for as long as either group can remember–those who become snakes and those who become birds. In the first book, the royal families try to end the war through marriage between a hawk and a cobra.

Sarah Dessen Books

I own print copies of most of her books from when I was younger, and most of them were back home until now. I can’t bear to part with them because they meant so much to me growing up. I still read every new release she puts out, though they’ve been few and far between in recent years. My favorite growing up was Just Listen. I even drope to Naperville, Illinois to meet her and get it signed.

The Gemma Doyle Series by Libba Bray

A Great and Terrible Beauty was just an amazing reading experience for me when I was younger, so much so that I demanded my best friend read it, too. This is the first book in a trilogy about women who discover a world of magic… and danger. These books were relatively dark and I remember being so furious at some of the things that happened at the end, but they are magical and powerful books that have stayed with me for years.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

These books taught me so much about growing up and being a person. For years, I reread them every single summer and was amazed to find I related to a different one of the girls each time as I went through different experiences. Except Bridget. I’ll never be a Bridget. I haven’t revisited them in a while, though the first book is another one I always keep with me. Now, all four are back together at home.

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Have you read any of these books? What are your favorite books from years past?