Jane Austen - There are 6 pick one. All of them are excellent - some more than others obviously. Pride and Prejudice is OFC the most well known and useful for pop culture references, swooning, and mooning at your lack of your own Darcy. Well deserved of their status, they shine like jewels :)
The Thursday Next Series - Jasper Fforde - any book lover will love these references a plenty, side splittingly funny, wonderfully wacky and by the end you will, to quote my mother be left wondering who's crazier; you for going along with it, or him for coming up with it all in the first place. It is inspired, wonderful and absolute genius, he is, for my part, the literary version of Douglas Adams. Speaking of....
The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy - the first in a trilogy of five - Absurd, insightful, wonderfully British, tackling life's big questions in not so very subtle ways, all doused in a heavy garnish of mind boggling satire, if your funny un-tickled you need to see a therapist, just make sure its not Gag Halfrunt...
The Fault In Our Stars - John Green - I had to pick a title. But of his four books I can't fault any of them. Superbly written, intelligent, witty unflinching yet sympathetic, Green engages with the ordinary everyday characters more often than not get ignored or even ridiculed, he can take anything - even maths equations- and make it seem gripping. His books are full of the same panache and finesse, warmth and personability that have garnered him and his brother their huge and loyal following on YouTube.
Jane Eyre and Vilette - Charlotte Brönte. The longest lived and most talented Brönte turned out some incredible works, usually overshadowed by her sister's mediocre and frankly irritating Wuthering Heights (quite possibly the Edward and Bella of its time) Jane Eyre is the wild sweeping, Gothic romance, heights thinks it is. And Villette the gentle, beautiful, and enchanting tale of a British governess on the continent, its soft, sweet and full of charm that few books manage without being saccharine.
The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis - Harry Potter stand aside, The original children's fantasy is coming through. Now a definable classic, its period features just serve to make it all the more brilliant, when else do you get to exclaim "By Jove!" these days? A beautiful yet simple sweeping tale of a world in a dimension parallel to our own where time moves faster and animals can talk is as enchanting now as it was then and as engrossing on the 20th read as it was on the first. C.S. Lewis' Genius is on fully display in these books which are just as imaginative and yet more accessible and gender balanced than his friend Tolkien ever did, This absolute gem doesn't shy away from the tough stuff and teaches lessons along the way without being either preachy or even obvious. If you were deprived of this as a child, its time to walk through the Wardrobe for the first time. :)
Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde - The Stephen Fry if somewhat wilder, of his time. Wilde's Masterpiece is a cautionary tale like no other. His erudite witty prose never ceases to entertain and engage and its easy to imagine he excising his own demons as he weaves together a tragedy worthy of Shakespeare.
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins, Single handedly responsible for the reinvigoration of Young Adult Literature and helping to restore some of the reputation that was shattered by twilight, and spawning a hugely successful Film Franchise, Collins' superbly crafted dystopian novel explores themes with subtle yet devastating aplomb. Although I personally felt like punching her in the face fir the way in which she ended the series, the world and characters that Collins' crafts will remain with you long after you close the book.. even though none of the characters are entirely likeable, this serves only to add yet another layer of grit and realism lacking in many novels. Collins' commitment to realism however descends into pessimism that in my view taints the last book in the series, and caused me to rage all over the place.
Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
You've watched the TV show, seen the films and whether it's The Batch or RDJ that floats your particular boat, (calm down Hannah) it's time to read the book. Headier, twist-ier, and as intriguing as you'd expect. The earlier books are the best, which is understandable, Doyle killed Holmes off only to be pressured into bring him back because the mob demanded it. They are simply fantastic. I can do nothing but rave about the amazing craftsmanship of these books and the level of imagination behind it.
There you go: a list of incredible books I insist you go away and read. I'll do another of these at some point. and I promise that I'll post my Divergent series review at some point, just as soon as I get my head out of them....
There you go: a list of incredible books I insist you go away and read. I'll do another of these at some point. and I promise that I'll post my Divergent series review at some point, just as soon as I get my head out of them....
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