**Finding Solace in Literature: A Personal Reflection**

As I sit here reflecting on my favorite books that help me navigate life's challenges, I am reminded of the powerful impact literature can have on our lives. For me, these books are more than just stories - they're a source of comfort, guidance, and understanding.

**Unrequited Love**

One book that comes to mind is "The Upside of Unrequited" by Becky Albertalli. This novel really resonates with me as it explores the complexities of unrequited love and relationships. The protagonist, Molly, is someone I can easily identify with - her struggles, fears, and insecurities are all too familiar. What struck me most about this book was how it forced me to confront my own flaws and shortcomings, much like Molly's journey. Her character serves as a reminder that we're not always perfect, and that's okay. In fact, it's our imperfections that make us more relatable and human.

**A Glimpse of History**

Another book that holds a special place in my heart is "The Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse. This novel transported me to the Netherlands during World War II, a period that has always fascinated me due to its significance in my family's history. The story of a young girl who becomes embroiled in the war effort and her struggles to survive resonated deeply with me. I couldn't help but think about my own ancestors, many of whom lived through this tumultuous time. Reading this book was like peeling back layers of an onion - it revealed so much about my heritage and the sacrifices made by those who came before me.

**Mental Illness and Suicide**

"The Astonishing Colour of After" by Emily X.R. Pan is a novel that tackles some of the most difficult topics in literature: depression, anxiety, and suicide. This book was incredibly important to me because it sheds light on the complexities of mental illness and how it can affect individuals from all walks of life. What struck me most about this story was its nuanced portrayal of the protagonist's struggles and her journey towards healing. While reading this book, I couldn't help but think about my own experiences with mental health and how it has impacted my relationships and daily life.

**Sisterhood and Resilience**

Last but not least, "The Nightingale" by Kristin Hannah is a novel that speaks directly to my heart. This powerful story explores the themes of sisterhood, resilience, and the power of women in the face of adversity. As someone who has always cherished her relationships with her sisters, I found this book to be a testament to the strength and solidarity that can come from female friendships. The way Hannah weaves together the stories of two sisters living in France during World War II is nothing short of remarkable, and it's a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope.

**A Reflection on My Favorite Books**

These books have become an integral part of my personal library, and I return to them whenever I need guidance or comfort. They remind me that I'm not alone in my struggles, and that there are others out there who understand what it's like to navigate the complexities of life. Whether you're struggling with mental health issues, relationship challenges, or simply feeling lost, I encourage you to find solace in literature. There's a book out there for everyone, and it may just be the key to helping you find your way.

**Conclusion**

As I close this article, I want to express my gratitude to Penguin Random House for sponsoring this video. Their support allows me to share my passions with all of you. If you're looking for books that resonate with you on a deeper level, I encourage you to explore the ones mentioned above. And if you have a favorite book that helps you navigate life's challenges, please share it with me in the comments below!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: eneveryone its hailey and today I'm going to be talking about the books that helped me to find my way so today's video is sponsored by penguin Random House in honor of the upcoming release of I have lost my way by Gayle Forman Gayle Forman is the author of many a hard-hitting contemporaries such as the if I stay do ology the just one day do ology and I was here I have lost my way is her latest novel that is coming out on March 27 this book follows three characters who have all kind of lost their way and they end up coming together in realizing that the way through their own struggles might be helping each other Brea has lost her voice while recording her debut album her ruin is planning on running away from everyone that he knows and loves and Nathaniel arrives in New York City with nothing but a backpack in a desperate plan based on all of Carol Foreman's other novels I'm thinking that this is going to be a book that really hits home and is very impactful emotionally and I am very excited for it I also have a really exciting pre-order incentive to tell you guys about so I will have the link down below for this but if you pre-order I have lost my way or you send penguin teen a postcard then you get a free copy of either if I stay or just one day and it's your choice which one you get I think that is so awesome so definitely check that out and pre-order I have lost my way now I was inspired by this book to talk about some books that helped me find my way so there's always times in life where I feel a little bit lost now is one of those times honestly I graduated school after having gone to school for my whole life I'm expected to all of a sudden start a career so it's a time of a lot of changes so it's really easy to get caught up in it and feel like I have entirely lost my way but I do have a few books here that really helped to bring me back and really bring me back home and make me feel calm again and like I am found so I decided to film this video in kind of a more casual setting because it really is a more personal chatty sort of video so let's get into the titles that helped me to find my way I'm just going to go ahead and get the obvious ones out of the way so first of all we have Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and through the looking-glass by Lewis Carroll this is a story that I read time and time again because it reminds me of the Wonder there is in the world and it also reminds me that reading is a magical thing that is so open to interpretation I truly believe that no two people read the exact same book because everyone's different and they connect with the story in a different way so they end up interpreting it in a different way that is definitely the case with such a nonsensical story as Alice I studied this all four years of my university career with a different professor every time and every professor had something different to say about it and I think that just encompasses what this story is next is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak who if you didn't know is coming out with another book he just announced it I am so excited for it but The Book Thief is one of my favorite books of all time because kind of like Alice it reminds me of the magic of books I think that this story is so touching and you really see Lisl struggling to understand all the terrible things that are happening around her but she still is able to find an escape and do something as simple as learning how to read and this is just such an incredibly beautiful story though every time I read it it warms my heart it breaks my heart it is just amazing next is the Fault in Our Stars by John Green this is one of the first books that I remember ever really really loving and really read this book or Looking for Alaska or even Turtles all the way down now and feel like I'm coming home because there's just something about John Green's writing that really clicks with me I think he is an amazing amazing amazing writer I fell in love with all of his characters and I think that they are intelligent beyond their years but not unrealistically I just feel like he does such a great job of writing teens they are like teens maybe not like every teen but I mean everyone's different I think this is just a beautiful love story at which once again warms my heart and breaks my heart I have a thing for books that are just very hard-hitting and make me so sad but I love them next is Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery this is a story that as a Canadian who grew up with this and I feel like most Canadians grew up knowing this story it just brings me back to my roots I know this is a story that my mom really loves and that once again is something that makes me really love it and Ann is just a great character I found her so annoying when I was a kid but now that I'm your imagination and energy is contagious and sometimes you need to be reminded that it's okay to be imaginative and I feel like this is a book that really will reawaken my imagination when I'm struggling with it next is a little princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett this is another story that I grew up with I actually watched the movie a bunch as a kid and there was one of my favorite movies I loved Sarah she is such a compassionate and great storyteller of a character and this story is just so near and dear to my heart next I have a giant book of fairy tales here because really reading any fairy tales makes me feel like I'm coming home again because fairy tales are stories that you grow up with and coming back to the roots especially of the original fairy tales even though I wasn't familiar with them as a kid there's something about it that I can't even really describe what it's like or why it helps me find my way but it really does especially with my writing I find I draw a lot of inspiration from fairy tales so reading any of my many fairytale books definitely helps me next is miss peregrine's home for peculiar children by ransom Riggs this is definitely one of the first y-a books that I read just kind of on my own just because I thought it looked interesting I remember when this first came out and it was on display in all the bookstores and everything and I was like I don't think I can read that it looks too creepy but then I finally read it and I was blown away by the inventiveness of this story I think because I read this so long ago reading it again now would honestly just bring me back to that time before I read so so so much honestly when I read this I probably read a book like maybe once a year so it's crazy to think how much things have changed next is talking Jack the Ripper by Carrie Maniscalco I feel like this book helps me find my way because of Audrey rose Audrey Rose is such an amazing and really inspirational character in my opinion she's extremely intelligent and she doesn't let social barriers dictate what she's going to do she just kind of does her thing and I find her to be a real inspiration because of that next is I see London I see France by Sarah mine now ski I feel like this book helps me find my way because it reminds me of last May when I went on a backpacking trip across Europe with my sister for the entire month sometimes I think about that and I'm like did I really do that because it was such a whirlwind of a trip but it was honestly amazing and this book even has a map like I bought it because of this map because we went to so many of the places like 90% of the places on here we have been to it was really because interlaken and switzerland is in there and i had never seen it in any backpacking books before so I was like oh my goodness I need this and the nostalgia when I did read it was so strong and that's why it just really reminds me of those good times that we had next is the upside of unrequited by becky albertalli this book really just reminds me of myself I see so much of myself in the character of Molly that sometimes it's scary but it's interesting because I feel like I'm looking at myself from a bird's-eye view so I think in that respect that's why this book is really helpful for me and because it helps me to see the flaws that I see in myself in the character of Molly and then also the good things that I see in myself and the character of Molly I didn't identify with everything about the character but there were so many things that I was like my goodness next is the girl in the blue coat by Monica Hesse this one I decided to include because it makes me think of my family and my ancestors and really ancestors that weren't that far off but particularly my grandparents who died before I got the chance to meet them so my mother's side of the family we are Dutch and this book is set in the Netherlands during World War two reading this book I just thought of all the things that not only my grandparents but my other relatives who were alive at that time period would have had to deal with I can't even imagine being the age that they were during that time because it's not even like you're a kid and you don't understand what's going on you fully know what's happening and every second is terrifying we had relatives who were taken to build trenches we had relatives who were working in the black market we had relatives who were sharing information with the British to try and stop this war so I think reading a book that reminded me so much of the stories that I had been told from the relatives that I have been fortunate enough to speak to it really reminded me of my heritage and all of the things that I have to be thankful for next is the astonishing colour of after by Emily axe our pan this was really important to me because of its representation of depression and suicide I feel like nowadays it's rare to find someone who hasn't been touched by mental illness and suicide and I'm no different it has affected me in my life greatly and I think this book is really helpful because it shows that there's no real one reason that you can pinpoint why someone would commit suicide so I felt like this book was honestly one of the best representations of mental illness that I have ever read but definitely if depression or suicide are triggers for you this would be one to skip the final book on this list is the nightingale by Kristen Hanna I don't even know where to begin with this book because this book I feel like really shows me a couple of things it shows me sisterhood which is something that's really important to me I'm the youngest of three sisters and being a sister is one of my favorite things I mean I have a tattoo that is three because I'm the youngest and I feel like you can only understand what it's like to be a sister if you are one I guess but my sisters are really important to me and family in general is really important to me so I think that's part of the reason why this book means so much to me but another thing is I feel like it shows you the resilience of women and it shows you the power of women during the war World War two and it was just such a powerful and well done novel and it just shows you how strong you can be as a woman and how you can stand up against these really formidable forces and you can fight back even though you're not necessarily given the same resources to fight back as maybe a man would be you can still make a big difference and prove everyone wrong which I feel like recent history has really shown so those are all the books that I turn to to help me find my way when I'm feeling a little bit lost let me know what books you turn to because I feel like it's a really interesting topic thank you so much to penguin team for sponsoring this video don't forget to check out I have lost my way by Gayle Forman it's out March 27th but get your pre-order in because you can get a free book like why wouldn't you do that but the information for that and the link will be down below for you guys so I hope you guys enjoyed today's video if you did don't forget to subscribe I put new videos every Monday and Thursday and sometimes bonus videos as well you can also follow me on my social media I have twitter my twitter is at Hales and book land and I also have Instagram and my Instagram is that Hayley book land but all the information and my other social media are down below for you guys so thank you guys so much for watching and I will see you guys in my next video bye youeveryone its hailey and today I'm going to be talking about the books that helped me to find my way so today's video is sponsored by penguin Random House in honor of the upcoming release of I have lost my way by Gayle Forman Gayle Forman is the author of many a hard-hitting contemporaries such as the if I stay do ology the just one day do ology and I was here I have lost my way is her latest novel that is coming out on March 27 this book follows three characters who have all kind of lost their way and they end up coming together in realizing that the way through their own struggles might be helping each other Brea has lost her voice while recording her debut album her ruin is planning on running away from everyone that he knows and loves and Nathaniel arrives in New York City with nothing but a backpack in a desperate plan based on all of Carol Foreman's other novels I'm thinking that this is going to be a book that really hits home and is very impactful emotionally and I am very excited for it I also have a really exciting pre-order incentive to tell you guys about so I will have the link down below for this but if you pre-order I have lost my way or you send penguin teen a postcard then you get a free copy of either if I stay or just one day and it's your choice which one you get I think that is so awesome so definitely check that out and pre-order I have lost my way now I was inspired by this book to talk about some books that helped me find my way so there's always times in life where I feel a little bit lost now is one of those times honestly I graduated school after having gone to school for my whole life I'm expected to all of a sudden start a career so it's a time of a lot of changes so it's really easy to get caught up in it and feel like I have entirely lost my way but I do have a few books here that really helped to bring me back and really bring me back home and make me feel calm again and like I am found so I decided to film this video in kind of a more casual setting because it really is a more personal chatty sort of video so let's get into the titles that helped me to find my way I'm just going to go ahead and get the obvious ones out of the way so first of all we have Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and through the looking-glass by Lewis Carroll this is a story that I read time and time again because it reminds me of the Wonder there is in the world and it also reminds me that reading is a magical thing that is so open to interpretation I truly believe that no two people read the exact same book because everyone's different and they connect with the story in a different way so they end up interpreting it in a different way that is definitely the case with such a nonsensical story as Alice I studied this all four years of my university career with a different professor every time and every professor had something different to say about it and I think that just encompasses what this story is next is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak who if you didn't know is coming out with another book he just announced it I am so excited for it but The Book Thief is one of my favorite books of all time because kind of like Alice it reminds me of the magic of books I think that this story is so touching and you really see Lisl struggling to understand all the terrible things that are happening around her but she still is able to find an escape and do something as simple as learning how to read and this is just such an incredibly beautiful story though every time I read it it warms my heart it breaks my heart it is just amazing next is the Fault in Our Stars by John Green this is one of the first books that I remember ever really really loving and really read this book or Looking for Alaska or even Turtles all the way down now and feel like I'm coming home because there's just something about John Green's writing that really clicks with me I think he is an amazing amazing amazing writer I fell in love with all of his characters and I think that they are intelligent beyond their years but not unrealistically I just feel like he does such a great job of writing teens they are like teens maybe not like every teen but I mean everyone's different I think this is just a beautiful love story at which once again warms my heart and breaks my heart I have a thing for books that are just very hard-hitting and make me so sad but I love them next is Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery this is a story that as a Canadian who grew up with this and I feel like most Canadians grew up knowing this story it just brings me back to my roots I know this is a story that my mom really loves and that once again is something that makes me really love it and Ann is just a great character I found her so annoying when I was a kid but now that I'm your imagination and energy is contagious and sometimes you need to be reminded that it's okay to be imaginative and I feel like this is a book that really will reawaken my imagination when I'm struggling with it next is a little princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett this is another story that I grew up with I actually watched the movie a bunch as a kid and there was one of my favorite movies I loved Sarah she is such a compassionate and great storyteller of a character and this story is just so near and dear to my heart next I have a giant book of fairy tales here because really reading any fairy tales makes me feel like I'm coming home again because fairy tales are stories that you grow up with and coming back to the roots especially of the original fairy tales even though I wasn't familiar with them as a kid there's something about it that I can't even really describe what it's like or why it helps me find my way but it really does especially with my writing I find I draw a lot of inspiration from fairy tales so reading any of my many fairytale books definitely helps me next is miss peregrine's home for peculiar children by ransom Riggs this is definitely one of the first y-a books that I read just kind of on my own just because I thought it looked interesting I remember when this first came out and it was on display in all the bookstores and everything and I was like I don't think I can read that it looks too creepy but then I finally read it and I was blown away by the inventiveness of this story I think because I read this so long ago reading it again now would honestly just bring me back to that time before I read so so so much honestly when I read this I probably read a book like maybe once a year so it's crazy to think how much things have changed next is talking Jack the Ripper by Carrie Maniscalco I feel like this book helps me find my way because of Audrey rose Audrey Rose is such an amazing and really inspirational character in my opinion she's extremely intelligent and she doesn't let social barriers dictate what she's going to do she just kind of does her thing and I find her to be a real inspiration because of that next is I see London I see France by Sarah mine now ski I feel like this book helps me find my way because it reminds me of last May when I went on a backpacking trip across Europe with my sister for the entire month sometimes I think about that and I'm like did I really do that because it was such a whirlwind of a trip but it was honestly amazing and this book even has a map like I bought it because of this map because we went to so many of the places like 90% of the places on here we have been to it was really because interlaken and switzerland is in there and i had never seen it in any backpacking books before so I was like oh my goodness I need this and the nostalgia when I did read it was so strong and that's why it just really reminds me of those good times that we had next is the upside of unrequited by becky albertalli this book really just reminds me of myself I see so much of myself in the character of Molly that sometimes it's scary but it's interesting because I feel like I'm looking at myself from a bird's-eye view so I think in that respect that's why this book is really helpful for me and because it helps me to see the flaws that I see in myself in the character of Molly and then also the good things that I see in myself and the character of Molly I didn't identify with everything about the character but there were so many things that I was like my goodness next is the girl in the blue coat by Monica Hesse this one I decided to include because it makes me think of my family and my ancestors and really ancestors that weren't that far off but particularly my grandparents who died before I got the chance to meet them so my mother's side of the family we are Dutch and this book is set in the Netherlands during World War two reading this book I just thought of all the things that not only my grandparents but my other relatives who were alive at that time period would have had to deal with I can't even imagine being the age that they were during that time because it's not even like you're a kid and you don't understand what's going on you fully know what's happening and every second is terrifying we had relatives who were taken to build trenches we had relatives who were working in the black market we had relatives who were sharing information with the British to try and stop this war so I think reading a book that reminded me so much of the stories that I had been told from the relatives that I have been fortunate enough to speak to it really reminded me of my heritage and all of the things that I have to be thankful for next is the astonishing colour of after by Emily axe our pan this was really important to me because of its representation of depression and suicide I feel like nowadays it's rare to find someone who hasn't been touched by mental illness and suicide and I'm no different it has affected me in my life greatly and I think this book is really helpful because it shows that there's no real one reason that you can pinpoint why someone would commit suicide so I felt like this book was honestly one of the best representations of mental illness that I have ever read but definitely if depression or suicide are triggers for you this would be one to skip the final book on this list is the nightingale by Kristen Hanna I don't even know where to begin with this book because this book I feel like really shows me a couple of things it shows me sisterhood which is something that's really important to me I'm the youngest of three sisters and being a sister is one of my favorite things I mean I have a tattoo that is three because I'm the youngest and I feel like you can only understand what it's like to be a sister if you are one I guess but my sisters are really important to me and family in general is really important to me so I think that's part of the reason why this book means so much to me but another thing is I feel like it shows you the resilience of women and it shows you the power of women during the war World War two and it was just such a powerful and well done novel and it just shows you how strong you can be as a woman and how you can stand up against these really formidable forces and you can fight back even though you're not necessarily given the same resources to fight back as maybe a man would be you can still make a big difference and prove everyone wrong which I feel like recent history has really shown so those are all the books that I turn to to help me find my way when I'm feeling a little bit lost let me know what books you turn to because I feel like it's a really interesting topic thank you so much to penguin team for sponsoring this video don't forget to check out I have lost my way by Gayle Forman it's out March 27th but get your pre-order in because you can get a free book like why wouldn't you do that but the information for that and the link will be down below for you guys so I hope you guys enjoyed today's video if you did don't forget to subscribe I put new videos every Monday and Thursday and sometimes bonus videos as well you can also follow me on my social media I have twitter my twitter is at Hales and book land and I also have Instagram and my Instagram is that Hayley book land but all the information and my other social media are down below for you guys so thank you guys so much for watching and I will see you guys in my next video bye you\n"