Top Ten Tuesday: Books for My Younger Self

There are so many books that I want my younger self to read, and it was difficult for me to list only ten titles. I’ve been reading since I was five (I’m twenty-eight now), but none of the books I read as a child and teenager made me feel seen. In a nutshell, I want young Lyra to see herself in books. As an Indian-Filipino child, I never saw myself in fiction. None of the heroines looked like me. Back then, there were also zero books with fat rep, and there were times I would feel so uncomfortable reading because there was so much emphasis in a heroine’s skinny body. Teen Lyra was also frequently bullied for looking different from her classmates, and books that mirrored how I look and my experiences would have been so helpful.

In this list, I included two YA contemporary books with fat rep, and where the plot didn’t solely revolve around the heroines feeling terrible about their bodies. These are There’s Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon and To be Honest by Maggie Ann Martin.

I included three YA fantasy books with either Indian or Filipino heroines. I wanted to specifically include books where both Indian and Filipino mythology are explored, and are integral parts of each story. Star Daughter by Shveta Thakhar and The Star Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi have Indian heroines, while Wicked as You Wish by Rin Chupeco has a Filipino heroine.

I included a very famous YA book that had bullying as one of its main concepts – Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson shows how the majority would often turn against you if you say something they don’t want to believe, regardless if it’s true or not.

I included two romance books where the heroines are fat, because, you know, love happens regardless of how your body looks like. Young Lyra would have enjoyed reading If the Dress Fits by Carla de Guzman (Filipino rep as well) and Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade. (Yes, I started reading romance at a young age!)

Finally, as I’ve realized over the past few years, it’s important to know what’s happening in the world. It’s important to know who are being oppressed, and who are the oppressors, regardless of one’s age. These two books are dark, honest, and necessary. I included Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay, which depicts the Duterte regime’s drug war against the poor, and The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas, which explores the police’s racial bias against black people that had lead to countless murders.

What about you? What books did you wish you read when you were young?