My All-Time Favorite Books and Why They Stuck with Me

I've read a lot of books, but these are the ones I keep coming back to.

BOOK 1: METAMORPHOSIS by Franz Kafka

The Metamorphosis tells the surreal story of Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman who wakes up one morning to find himself inexplicably transformed into a giant insect-like creature. Trapped in his room and cut off from his work and family, Gregor grapples with his new condition while his family struggles with fear, shame, and the burden of caring for him. As the story unfolds, Kafka explores themes of identity, guilt, and the fragility of human relationships.

Why The Metamorphosis Stuck With Me

What stayed with me long after reading The Metamorphosis wasn’t just the absurdity of Gregor’s transformation, but the emotional unraveling that followed. Kafka captures the quiet, creeping horror of becoming invisible to the people you once mattered to. 

BOOK 2: THE THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS by Khaled Hosseini

Set in Afghanistan over a span of nearly 30 years, A Thousand Splendid Suns follows the intertwined lives of Mariam and Laila, two women from vastly different backgrounds who become unlikely allies under the oppressive rule of the Taliban and the abusive man they are both forced to marry. Through war, loss, and resilience, the novel paints a vivid picture of the hardships faced by Afghan women—and the deep bonds that can form even in the harshest circumstances.

Why A Thousand Splendid Suns Stuck With Me

This book wrecked me—in the best way. It’s not just a story about suffering, but about love, sacrifice, and the quiet strength of women in a world built to break them. Mariam and Laila’s relationship is one of the most moving portrayals of female solidarity I’ve ever read.

BOOK 3: KAFKA ON THE SHORE by Haruki Murakami

Kafka on the Shore follows two parallel narratives: that of Kafka Tamura, a fifteen-year-old runaway searching for his mother and sister, and Satoru Nakata, an older man with a mysterious ability to talk to cats. Their stories weave through a surreal landscape filled with metaphysical riddles, lost memories, talking cats, fish falling from the sky, and philosophical reflections on fate, identity, and consciousness. It’s a novel that defies traditional narrative logic, embracing the strange and the symbolic.

Why Kafka on the Shore Stuck With Me

Reading Kafka on the Shore felt like stepping into a dream I didn’t fully understand—but somehow deeply felt. It’s a book that asks more questions than it answers, and that’s exactly why it lingered in my mind. Murakami’s world is both surreal and eerily real, filled with symbolism that invites you to interpret and reinterpret long after you've finished.

These books didn’t just keep me hooked—they changed the way I look at life and myself. Kafka’s story showed me what it feels like to be completely alone, Hosseini’s reminded me of the quiet strength people carry, and Murakami’s made me think deeply, even if I didn’t always understand everything. I don’t just remember what happened in these stories—I remember how they made me feel.