Do you read? I love to relax with a good book, but sometimes life can get in the way, and the best books can just past you by... I did make a New Year's resolution to read at least one book a month, but choosing can be really hard, so I’ve researched the top ten books you need to read, and here’s my top list...
This is the story of Batuk, a fifteen-year-old girl from rural India whose father sells her to sexual slavery when she is just nine years old. The book is written in Batuk’s own words, as it’s written from her journal, and is very raw reading... you can really feel her pain through reading her thoughts and actions. The book is unputdownable... through the pain and suffering shines Batuk’s unique optimistic approach to life, and the beauty she finds in her life. It’s hard, but amazing reading.
These essays reveal the inner thinkings of a curious and intelligent woman, who in writing about different topics, manages to link them all back to personal events to create very readable and different essays. The book is a weird read...as strange as reading a book of unrelated essays could be, but reading about the writer's growth and changing experiences is strangely exhilarating! A wonderful book really...
Shortlisted for Book of the Year, this is a confusing and flawed masterpiece, that will keep you hooked. The characters are a mix of Victorian and Edwardian, and the book explores their lives in intimate detail. While it can be hard remembering who is who, once you’ve come to terms with it, you’ll feel you really know the people, and it becomes an educational, inspirational and gripping read.
This book combines a mixture of fascinating stories, that will really make you think. From Viking marauders to teenage girls,everyone is bound to find a character they can relate with and their story is sure to shock. Tower’s writing style is fast and funny, and his stories often feature a lot of drama and confusion. You’ll find yourself hooked after the first few pages!
This book will make you cry more than any other. Mixing the stories of twins, ghosts, devotion and devastation, the story is carefully sewn together to make one of the most heartfelt and amazing reads of the century. And while the ending might not be what you’d hoped for, you’ll still feel satisfied, and be desperate for Niffenegger’s new book!
Audrey Niffenegger, renowned for her work, "The Time Traveler's Wife," does not disappoint with this hauntingly beautiful narrative. Her Fearful Symmetry transports its readers to London's Highgate Cemetery with vivid descriptions that entwine the living with the spectral. The experience is an exploration of love, identity, and the complexities of sisterhood that transcends the supernatural elements of the plot. Niffenegger's prose is both elegant and eerie, ensuring that the emotional journey feels as real as the ghosts that flicker through its pages. Prepare for a story that grips your heart and lingers long after the final page is turned.
This is an interesting novel, as when you start to read, you already know the ending. And while you would think that would ruin the book and make you stop reading, it’s written in such a way that you’ll be desperate to link together the consequences to their actions, and be equally shocked by the twists... The two brothers are fascinating, as they are so detached from society and as you begin to watch them spiral into madness, the ending suddenly doesn’t matter. You’ll be hooked. This is an amazing book, so clear your week!
A woman finally gets to the end of her tether, and leaves her rock and roll obsessed husband, planning to start over. Cutting off an old marriage isn’t easy though and the relationship and characters are described so well that you’ll feel attached to them and be hoping for an excellent outcome... whatever that may be. Whether you are an old fan or a new one, this is an amazing book, and really does Hornby justice.
This book starts in 1954, in New Hampshire. The logging camp has been under attack from bears, and everyone is on their guard, including a twelve-year-old boy who confuses the constable’s girlfriend for a bear and causes his father to grab him and start running. Their adventure across New England isn’t easy, but a father’s love will overcome all difficulties... won’t it?
Seventeen-year-old Veronica’s life is turned upside down by the shocking revelation that her parents are getting divorced and her father is moving states. Three years later, the divorce has caused her to feel alone and angry, and the distance between her and her family is more then just physical. Her mother feels frustrated at her lack of ability to help, and so sends Veronica to her father, who lives in a beach house in Wilmington. As she travels, Veronica begins to understand love in every form... between children and parents, first loves, lost loves and forbidden loves... and how relationships that can hurt us, can also heal us. A dramatic and gripping read! If you loved The Notebook, I guarantee you will love this.
This is the story of a relationship between a Nigerian Refuge girl and a British magazine editor. Little Bee has learnt to speak English, and speaks like the Queen, describing her life in perfect English. By the second page you’ll think you know her, and by the fifth, you’ll be in love. Little Bee is in Britain illegally and gets tangled in the life of Sarah, a woman whose life is falling apart despite having the husband and son she has always wanted. While this contains all sorts of horrible, terrible and frightening events, it is one of the most hopeful books ever written.
Whatever you like to read, sometimes you have to grab something a little different and immerse yourself in someone else’s world. These books are the perfect way to do it! Amazingly written, the stories can be confusing, frightening and frustrating, but are all so worth reading. You’ll be glad you did! Have you read a book you think everyone should read? Please let me know, I’d love to read it!