Fangirl Fridays - The books that came into my life and never left

So you know how there are book that stay with you for different reasons. You never forget them because they helped you understand something about yourself, they taught you something, they made you feel happy, they scared the crap out of you, they shocked you, they made you angry or sad, etc.

Well, join me after the jump and I'll name some of my all time favorites.

Grimm fairy tales  

I've read the gruesome ones. I don't know why children's library in my town had those but, to this day, I'm glad they did. All the blood, torture, sacrifices and the rest of the gore made me love it even more. I still read them from time to time.

The Day of the Bomb by Karl Bruckner 

The first book to ever make me cry. She just wanted to live. I kept hoping that she'd make it, that she'll finally make the thousandth crane and live. But she didn't. I just have to remember and it breaks my heart anew.

The Paul Street Boys by Ferenc Molnar 

The second saddest book I read. Two groups of kids fighting over territory. It's all fun and games until tragedy happens.

Bez Trećeg by Milan Begović 

(roughly translates as Without the Third)

I read this in secondary school.

It's a story about a husband and wife. The husband was in a Russian prison for many years and suddenly comes home. His wife is first overjoyed but soon things change. He thinks her unfaithful. They argue and fight. Suddenly he finds an old letter from the wife's late father and changes his story, he believes her now. But his wife will have none of it; she wants him to believe her, not some old letter.

The story centers on the two of them and there are no other characters in it.

I'll never forget this story because I think this is the first time I truly became aware of the problems women face, the discrimination.

A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen  
I read this one as a result of reading Bez Trećeg and my understanding of the feminist movement   became more apparent. I became interested in the topic and it has changed my perception of my everyday life. 

For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway

The reality and futility of war. The fact that you see that both sides have good, honest people. I love this book because it was my first Hemingway and it wasn't my last.

Crime and Punishment by F.M. Dostoyevsky 

The book that made me love Russian realism. The inner struggles of the characters; their choices and consequences. The true nature of a human being, the different sides of personality. 

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 

Light, easy-going and pretty. Somehow still manages to speak about social status and every-day life of women through realism, irony and clever writing.

Dracula by Bram Stoker 

Special place in my heart. My first day at the university. I read the whole book while waiting in line at the admissions desk. I've read it a few more times since then.

Therese Raquin by Emile Zola 

I borrowed this from the library one weekend when I was bored. I read it in a heartbeat and it blew my mind. The characters are amazing. The inner struggles, the love, the despair, the hate. I loved it all. 

Cold Fire by Dean Koontz 

My first field trip into the thriller genre. This book scared the crap out of me and I loved every minute of it. I made all my friends read it. This was my gateway to the weird, the unknown, sf, paranormal, etc. How can I forget my first? :D

Smrt Smail-age Čengića by Ivan Mažuranić 

(translates as: The Death of Smail-aga Čengić [Chengich]) 

This is a very important novel by a Croatian romantic writer. It’s about an army of Turks that terrorize Croatian people and a brave band of heroes led my Novica who fight these vile men.

This is so beautifully written with such wonderful prose it makes your spirit fly. Even though it was written in the 19^th century it’s able to excite a modern reader and take him/her on an  adventure.

Ljutit aga mrko gleda Gdje se silom divit mora Silan arslan gorskom mišu.

The angry aga glumly glances As he, the mighty lion, is forced To admire the mountain mouse.

Kate Daniels Series by Ilona Andrews 

The first urban fantasy I truly, madly, deeply fell for. Kate is an amazing character with so many layers to her personality and it's easy to see why the series carries her name. So far, Ilona has been consistent in the story and characterization, and I have hope it will end with a blast.

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Dear Saucy Readers, what are the books that stayed with you?? Please share and recommend....