Our latest installment in our Three Favorites series is by debut novelist Vanessa Le. Her YA fantasy is incredibly original and inspired by her Vietnamese heritage. She delves into the novels that helped her become the writer and reader she is today. So, what are Vanessa’s three favorite books that changed, shaped and showed her more about herself?
I’m Vanessa, author of The Last Bloodcarver. Here are some of my favorite books for how they changed the trajectory of my writing, shaped my perspective on literature, or showed me little parts of myself I had never noticed before.
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
The first is Cinder, a Cinderella retelling by Marissa Meyer. When I read this book in high school, I had never before seen a popular YA fantasy with a main character who looked so much like myself—and, as a result, I was obsessed with Linh Cinder’s journey. The story follows Cinder, a cyborg mechanic, beset by interplanetary struggles when she fixes the wrong android. It takes place in a futuristic world that is so imaginative and effortlessly diverse. The entire series, but Cinder especially, holds a dear place in my heart for showing me that such unique characters could exist in mainstream fantasy and sci-fi—not as tokens but as protagonists.
The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
In line with fairytale retellings, another book near and dear to me is The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen. In this graphic novel, a young boy named Tiến grapples with his connection to his Vietnamese mother—and the language barrier that makes it difficult to talk to her about his homosexuality. They bridge the gap through the language of fairytales, which Nguyen beautifully adapts through artwork. This graphic novel touches on so many topics I have also struggled with. This includes that yearning for connection to one’s family and culture—which is also explored in The Last Bloodcarver. But most of all, I will never forget seeing artwork of mermaids in traditional Vietnamese dress: stories from my American childhood told in quintessentially Vietnamese ways.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
And, finally, my favorites could not be complete without The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I easily consider this my favorite book of all time. It taught me to love reading—no, to love devouring, the act of picking apart sentences and putting them back together. To look behind every word and linger on the ones I liked.
My copy at home is dog-eared, tear-stained, highlighted and annotated to bits. This book takes place in Nazi Germany, set in the perspective of Death, who follows little Liesel Meminger as she picks through the perilous politics of the World War 2 era. As has been the theme with my favorites, this is a story about stories—as Liesel learns to read and write, she discovers a small beacon of hope in bleak times: stories. If I had to pick a moment in my life where I truly became a storyteller, it would be the moment I read about Liesel becoming one, too.
The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le is available now in hardcover, audiobook and e-book
Vanessa Le author photo credit NT Lam. Featured image designed by Jon Negroni. Read more articles by Brianna Robinson here.
Brianna Robinson is a book publicist and Sarah Lawrence College alum. She lives in New York with too many books and two enthusiastic dachshunds. You can find her on twitter @blrobins2.
