Top Ten Tuesday - Top Books I Need In The Event of an Apocalypse

This is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. They feature a different top ten list every week. This week's topic was a freebie. I chose to do one on books I would need in the event of an apocalypse.

Here's the thing: one of my favorite genres is dystopian literature. You can't possibly read as many post-apocalyptic books as I have without giving serious thought to ways you would handle it. I have 95% of my books on my Kindle. But in the event of an apocalypse, my battery would only last me so long. And once my Kindle died, I would still want lots of reading material. And these books would need to be ones that I wouldn't mind reading over and over and over . . . 

I may have given this a little too much though, but here are the ones I would like with me. The only problem is making sure I have a bag big enough for all these books plus any survival supplies I might need.

1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Yes, it's heartbreaking. But it's also a beautiful piece of literature that I would want to hold onto forever.

2. Where The Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein - I have no second thoughts about including this one on my list. It is funny and will let me keep in touch with my inner child while running for my life.

3. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - One of my favorite classics. I could read this one over and over.

4. Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan - This is one of my favorite books from this year. It is unbelievably beautiful and so hopeful. I will need that with zombies chasing after me.

5. Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay - I adore this book! For those of you who have read it, I don't think I need to elaborate on this one.

6. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - The original dystopian novel. Very creepy and yes, I would love to read this one over and over again. 

7. Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins - Yeah, yeah I know this is cheating because this one is actually three books. But it is my favorite dystopian series ever. And maybe I could pick up some survival tips from Katniss.

8. Stupid and Contagious by Caprice Crane - This one is purely for sentimental reasons. My husband and I met through eharmony and were communicating for months before we actually went on a date (NINE years ago!!). He knew I was a big reader, so he bought a book for me as a gift for our first date. He even put a little note in it for me to find while I was reading it! I remember that I really enjoyed this book, but I do think it may be time for a reread. There is no way I would ever leave this one behind.

9. The Princess Bride by William Goldman - A great love story that is freaking hilarious and just makes me smile the entire time I am reading it. I will need all the smiles I can get in case of an apocalypse. 

10. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell - My favorite Rowell book (so far). I find this one incredibly sweet. Sweet is good when dealing with life and death.


Bonus: The Blue Day Book: A Lesson in Cheering Yourself Up by Bradley Trevor Greive

This one is also for sentimental reasons. I grew up in Georgia, but went to college in upstate New York. At one point, I wasn't having a good time there. There were lots of reasons: being homesick, adjusting to a new city, etc., etc. So a friend of mine from back home bought this book for me as a gift when I was feeling particularly sad. It is so adorable! It is less than 100 pages and has lots of pictures of cute animals with self-help advice splattered throughout. The advice wasn't necessarily as helpful as the pictures of the cute animals. And when I am running for my life, I assume that I will need a lot of cheering up.

The only issue is that most of the books on this list are ones that I own in ebook form. I desperately need to get the physical copies of these as well . . . just in case!

What books would you want with you in the event of an apocalypse?