1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
This book is narrated by death, and if that isn't enough to get you interested then I don't know what you're looking for in a book. I read this when I was 11, but it is aimed for much older readers and I have re-read it twice since to get a proper grasp of the genius that is this book. It's set in Nazi Germany and follows a young girl called Liesel who starts to steal books during WWII. Read it. Now.
2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J K Rowling
This is a slightly cheeky choice, I adore the Harry Potter books but really you'd have to read all seven to get a proper grasp of the storyline, and POA is my absolute favourite of all the books, maybe because it's also my favourite film, or maybe it's just because it's one of the less appreciated books in the series. I don't know, but I do know that nobody older than 10 should have not read a Harry Potter book in their life (and no, seeing the films does not count.)
3. The Fault in our Stars by John Green
Possibly the hottest book around right now, if you haven't read of this book then you clearly haven't set foot on Tumblr (in which case, RUN and don't go anywhere near the site) or heard any of the news about the upcoming film starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort. Despite the slightly crazy reputation it is gaining, this is a genuinely wonderful book. TFIOS is the closest I've come to crying at a book in recent years, you will laugh and most probably cry. Not to be read if you enjoy extremely happy endings however.
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
The coolest book I've ever read, many will argue that it started the sci-fi genre but regardless of whether you know your R2-D2's from your blu-rays, you will love this book. The book begins with Earth's imminent destruction to make room for a hyperspace bypass, Arthur Dent, an exceptionally normal human, and his friend Ford Prefect are (very luckily) picked up by first the aliens who are demolishing the planet, and then by Ford's cousin Zaphod Beeblebrox. I'm not going into any more detail or I'll get extremely confused, but this book is laugh out loud funny and extremely clever, and the 4 sequels are brilliant too!
5. Divergent by Veronica Roth
I've already done a blog post on this, so scroll down for a more in depth review, but Divergent is brilliant. This is another book with an upcoming movie release, and I personally cannot wait. Not a difficult read, so great for any young adult or older!
6. Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt
I've only read one book by Laura Jarratt, but it was a brilliant one. Skin Deep centers around Jenna, who was left permanently disfigured by a car accident which also killed her best friend. She is pretty damn miserable, understandably, until she meets Ryan, who's a traveller. They get close and their relationship develops. Both of their back stories are wonderfully moving, and it really opens your eyes to the suffering that disfigured people go through. Beautiful.
7. Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Another one of the books that you could only have missed if you were living under a rock. Perks is brilliant, the book really addresses both mental issues and the struggles of growing up. I believe that adult critics describe as a 'coming of age' novel. It is wonderful, I loved it, the movie was brilliant and you have to read it.
8. Inventing Elliot by Graham Gardener
Inventing Elliot centers around Elliot Sutton, a 14 year old boy who attempts to reinvent himself when moving school, at his new school he discovers a society called The Guardians, a group of older students who basically orchestrate bullying at their school. Elliot then has to choose between his new found popularity and his own conscious. It's clever, brilliant and (without trying to sound cliched) very thought provoking.
9. 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Thirteen Reasons Why is told from the perspective of Clay Jensen, a young boy whose crush Hannah Baker had committed suicide several weeks before. Clay receives a box of cassette tapes containing the reasons why Hannah committed suicide, they work like a chain letter and explain to 13 people the role they played in her death. Ridiculously moving, wonderfully sad and completely engrossing, the style makes it extremely hard to read this book in sections, definitely an 'all in one go' kind of book!
10. A Note of Madness by Tabitha Suzuma
Basically, this is the best book I've ever read. ANOM centers around Flynn, a young and extremely talented pianist at a music college. He suffers from manic depression and the story follows him in his attempt to overcome the depression that is ruining his life. I borrowed this book from the library and unfortunately had to return it, but I've recently discovered that there is a second novel, and I CANNOT wait to read it. This is a wonderful book, it shows depression in its most raw form. I adore it.
PHEW, this post has taken me almost an hour to write, and if you've stuck with me till the end then you've definitely done enough reading for today. But honestly, read these books, they're brilliant. Also, if you have any to recommend to me, then leave a comment! Have a good weekend!
No comments:
Post a Comment