Books That Make You Feel Things
- Megan Noel Opava
- May 29, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: May 30, 2024
1. Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow (literature thriller)
5+ stars
This book forced me to have to journal. It really hit. A girl is sent to a psychiatric hospital with other woman with similar issues. A growth story. Heart breaking. I cried. Authentic. Raw. Beautiful.
2. The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter (thriller)
5+ stars
A gut wrenching heart breaking family horror. The worst nightmares come true. Horrifying because of how close to reality it is. This book had me shaking and crying. From page one it starts off with a bang.
3. The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien (literature)
5++++ stars
A man’s experience in the Vietnam War. How it truly felt versus objective facts. One of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read and according to family members the most accurate. Will make you cry. Moving. Gut wrenching. Eye opening.
4. The Warrior Retreat by John Lynch (extreme horror)
5 stars
This was a tough read. As someone who comes from a family where nearly everyone was in the military, I can say this novel of a group of men who served together is intense. Nightmares and grief and trauma come alive with terrible intensity. They only wanted to reunite and heal.
5. Dead Girl Blues by David Sodergren (extreme horror)
5++ stars
Whoa. The scariest book I’ve ever read. Books have never truly scared me until this one. The underground scene of what only the darkest souls of humanity enjoy. This isn’t solely horror, but a literature dive into the evils that lurk in a select few of us. I had to take a break from reading after this book. I was scarred. I was holding my breath. I was physically sick.
6. The Overstory by Richard Powers (literature)
5++ stars
If I could force every single person in the world to read this book the world would change. A collection of interconnected stories about trees and climate change. If you know me in person then you know I’m obsessed with trees. This book is NOT a page turner. It’s a slow process. Meant to be savored. I read it during my month and a half long road trip across the US in my old Chevy van camping out in the wilderness every night. I’ll say, you’ll enjoy the book more if you already have an in depth knowledge of trees. Don’t ask about mine and my partner’s tree books and field notes. There’s a lot. This book could change the world. It’s beautiful.
7. Saving Noah by Lucinda Berry (literature)
5 stars
I’ve never read or experienced anything from this point of view. I received a bachelor’s of science in neuroscience and studied this topic and knew it existed, but never was I able to read something that addressed those topics. Check your warnings. I’m serious. When a person is evil, but their soul isn’t.
8. How High We Go in the Dark by Seqoia Nagamatsu (literature thriller)
5+ stars
A collection of interconnected fables. A scientist whose battling her own demons studies the changing climate’s effect on the Antarctica where an ancient civilization is discovered in the ice. As it melts away a virus is released. A story of immense loss. Heartbreak. Passing away is so normal that funeral homes and burial/disposal places are everywhere you look. What does it mean to be conscious?
9. Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy (literature adventure thriller)
5++++ stars
Survival, hopelessness, danger, adventure, wandering steps, and passion. A woman is tracking the last Arctic terns as all the animals have been going extinct. She finds one of the last fishing vessels left to take her along their migration. (Fishing has become almost illegal) A beautiful story of growth and hanging onto the last feather of hope. What’s the point of living if everything around us is dying? One of my favorite books I’ve ever read.
10. The Summer I Died by Ryan C Thomas (extreme horror)
A man comes back from college to spend the summer with his best friend. They go on a hike and hear screaming. They go to investigate and their worst, disgusting, depraved, psychotic, horrifying, puke worthy, spine shivering nightmares come alive. Very EXTREME. You’ve been warned.
11. I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (memoir)
5 stars
Raised in a Morman household to a narcissistic, mood swinging mother who forced her into child acting at 6. McCurdy’s mental health journey from struggling with eating and OCD tendencies. Her intimate outlook on life. The time she spent with Nickelodeon. The hard journey of discovering one’s self.
12. The Ecstacy of Agony by Wrath James White (extreme horror, horror, and literature short stories and poems)
5+ stars
The stories get crazier as you progress. Addresses issues that are hidden and/or ignored in our society. Deep and moving. Not just gory, but intensely raw and authentic. This book will make you think. Make you question. The way he develops all his characters in such a short time is astounding.
13. Psychic Teenage Bloodbath by Carl John Lee (extreme horror)
5 stars
Sapphic, bloody, unhinged, raging, revenge story. Alongside the intense splatter punk is a beautiful coming of age story. Set several decades ago when being queer was dangerous is where the story begins. Susan’s been in a coma for an entire year and the anger has festered until she finds she has abilities. All hell breaks loose.
14. Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped into Slavery and Their Astonishing Odyssey Home by Richard Bell (history)
5 stars
A historical account of the reverse Underground Railroad. A rigorously researched , true story of 5 free boys who are kidnapped from Philadelphia and brought down to the marshes of Mississippi. I was crying before the first quarter of the book was over. The torture they had to endure, the traveling and hiding they were forced into all the way until they were reunited with family.
15. Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh (nonfiction philosophy)
5 stars
Finding inner peace and happiness. The best thing you can do for others and the world as a whole is radiating peace and staying calm even when storms are raging. Question your knowledge with great fervor. Until you hammer it, squish it, bend it, drill it, slam it apart then can you be mostly sure. If we hold onto knowledge too intensely then we won’t see the truth when it’s literally knocking on our door. If we believe we’re on the last rung of a ladder then we can climb no further. Nothing is personal. People, often peaceful people, can serve as a mirror to other people. Take this and apply it to everyone. Non-duality. When we feel anger we are also anger. We must not say or do anything while angry, but acknowledge it, feel it, and let it go. We cannot be gentle with others until we’re gentle with ourselves. We must look at others with compassion. This doesn’t mean your better than nor are you saying what they do is okay. You go into it with nonviolence and compassion.
16. Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism by Chogyam Trungpa (nonfiction philosophy)
5+ stars
It can be egotistical to try to rid ourselves of our ego if we’re not careful. Spirituality and meditation isn’t something to ‘get’ or achieve. Often we’re so concerned with what we’ll get out of an operation that we forget to notice the doctor. Only once our knowledge has been beaten, pressed, hammered, chiseled, and carved away then can we wear it as jewelry. Don’t put people on pedestals. People come to seeking spiritualism with preconceived notions. We must rid ourselves of these. Whatever your feeling towards your guru is your own feelings. I can apply this to others as well. All things can become the guru. We can learn something from everything. View the lure of temptation as sacred. A time to test yourself and transcend. Don’t try to recreate a past experience or you’ll miss out on life. Have them as they come. Unmasking. It’s easy to undress ourselves in a private room, but difficult in front of people. You must make a friendship with yourself. You’re not open when you try to prove something. Have a sense of humor. Notice the absurdity in the world and chuckle. Simplicity and purpose is important to live everyday.
17. The Reformatory by Tananarive Due (historical horror)
A paranormal horror set in the boonies of Florida shortly after slavery was made illegal. A brother and sister’s bond. The brother is sentenced to The Reformatory after kicking a white boy for messing with his sister. Ghosts and secrets and past and present all merges together into a painful nightmare. The past leaves their impressions especially when there was no peace or justice.
18. Lanny by Max Porter (dark fairy-tale literature)
5+ stars
Reads like a poetic fever dream. A young boy who seems to belong with the fairies in the woods is mentored by an old famous artist. Ancient folklore. Beautiful writing. Unique. I cried. Love and acceptance. Where to find solace.
19. Taming the Tiger Within by Thich Nhat Hanh (nonfiction philosophy)
5 stars
If every single person read this book, the world would be a better place. Where anger comes from, how to deal with it properly, the toxicity and manipulation of expressing your anger towards others, how not to suppress it, and finding peace. When your house is burning down you don’t run after the arsonist to prove something or tell them they did wrong. No, you put the fire out in your own house. Apply this to your anger.
20. Rabbit Hunt by Wrath James White (extreme horror)
5 stars
A group of fraternity brothers join up 10 years later to relive one of their most relished, depraved activities from back in the day. They plan to hunt ‘rabbits’. Tackles issues of race, prejudices, obsession, evilness, letting go, and unbelievable terror. One of the most gory books I’ve ever read. Finished it in a day. EXTREME.
21. Winterset Hollow by Jonathon Edward Durham (fairy-tale horror)
5+++ stars
This book was every single thing I loved in a book. It was perfect for me. A guy receives ferry tickets to visit the island of his favorite departed fairy tale writer taking his two friends along. On the island the enormous abandoned mansion sits behind a towering wrought iron fence. They find a way in. Imagine meeting the characters and experiencing your favorite fairy-tale. It would be a dream come true right? Run! Terror. Heart pumping. Creative. Imaginative. Unique. Deeper issues of humanity and what else could have existed alongside us.
With all my book recommendations, please check any trigger warnings if you need to. Some of these books are extreme! Even the books that aren’t marked extreme can still contain material some readers wouldn’t want to experience. Thank you so much for reading my blog! If you enjoy my work please consider using one of the links on my website next time you make a purchase on Amazon as I make a tiny commission each time. Subscribe on the home page to be notified when I write new blogs.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Comments