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The list for this week was a Top Ten books you would recommend based on a certain book/author. But in my opinion, that sounded way too difficult, as I read too widely to give good recommendations based on just one author. So I decided to choose a subject area and give ten books within that subject. The powerful subject of the Holocaust is sometimes extremely difficult to read about, but confronting the subject material means that the stories of the people who have encountered atrocities will live on.

Some of the books on this list (perhaps most of them) will be familiar to you, but not everyone has read these books, which I deem essential to an (attempted) understanding at one of the most horrible and tragic events in recent history.

 The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank–I don’t think I need to explain about this one…I’ve read it at least three times and every time I read it, it brings me something new.

Anne Frank Remembered by Miep Gies–A biography of Anne Frank from one of the women who helped to hide her, a beautiful new perspective on a legendary story. I used a passage from this book when I was in speech and debate.

Night by Elie Wiesel–another book I don’t think I have to explain. Read the first one. Read the entire trilogy.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak–Enough good things cannot be said about this book. I absolutely loved it.

The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon–This book is absolutely amazing. My teacher recommended this to me in high school, and this was one of the firsttimes a book inspired me to be a writer and not just a reader.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Burrow– This book deals with the aftermath and healing from the Holocaust in a corner of the world where people have rarely looked: a little island off the coast of England.

Maus I & II by Art Spiegelman–Probably the most powerful graphic novel you will ever read.

Briar Rose by Anne Yolen–This book deftly combines fairy tale adaptation with a powerful story about the Holocaust.

and here are some on my to be read list:

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky

All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell

Love & Treasure by Ayelet Waldman

Did I miss a great book (fiction or nonfiction) on this topic? Let me know what your favorite book on this list is in the comments.