There are books that change your life with their absolute perfection. I've been lucky to encounter (at least) 10 of those in the years since I started seriously reading again.

I posted part 1 of this on instagram, which covers the following 5 books:

• The Need by Helen Phillips: This book introduced to the world of speculative fiction, which has completely changed my reading life and the relationship I have with fiction.

• Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam: This one taught me just how much I love character-based stories, which has helped me find my grove in the lit-fic genre.

• A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab: This book sets the bar for every fantasy series I will ever read.

• The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik: This book cemented my love for found family and decreased my tolerence for bad plotting in series... sorry, not sorry.

• Elmet by Fiona Mozley: This book gave me so much confidence as a reader in a time when that was really needed. I don't think I'd have picked up a lot of books I have over the last few years without Elmet.

If you haven't and you want to hear my full thoughts on these 5, you can watch the full video here.

Now, for the next five...

Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi

This book is the reason that I will fiercly defend the merits of Young Adult/Teen Literature for the rest of my life. This book proves to all the naysayers that teen books can be both powerful and complex. I read this book in my late 20s and it was still one of the most impactful coming-of-age narratives I have ever read.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Look, I am not unique or profound for saying this, but this book is one of the greatest books ever written. The Haunting of Hill House taught me that just because a book is long does not mean that it is good and just because a book is good it doesn't mean it has to be long. I love short fiction because of this book.

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

This is the book that introduced me to Stephen Graham Jones, and most importantly, the most flawlessly written character in all of fiction–Jade Daniels. The character development in this series emotionally affected me in ways that no other book has really been able to rival. This series is also one of the first series that my husband and I bonded over, so there's even more sentimentality behind this one.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

They say nostalgia is the world's strongest drug, and this book proves it. I still vividly remember the days I spent reading this book and those memories immediately alter something in my brain. While I love The Night Circus, there was something about this one that I still have a hard time capturing in words. I truly think this was one of those "some stories never leave you" moments that reinvigorated the magic of books for me.

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

As sad as it is to admit, I'm fairly certain this was the first book I read with a transgender main character. It took me 26 years to find this book and learn that queer stories can be gentle and joyful. As, someone who now owns a very openly-queer bookstore, this is one of the books that I recommend to both teens and parents-of-teens who are confronting their own understanding, misconceptions, or relationship to gender. Much like Yolk, this book made me believe in the power and impact that books can have in a very jaded time of my life.