Books are kind of my life.
Reading is on the same level as film, TV and style for me. Back when I had time, I would average about 1-2 books a day. Recently, I’ve been giving myself more free time and I’ve been reading more and more.
Now, I haven’t always liked reading. When I was younger (maybe 8?) I absolutely could not stand reading. I thought it was boring, and to be perfectly honest, the books I was forced to read were boring. My mother, being an avid reader thought this was a serious issue and got me two books that really changed my perspective on reading. The first was a book of Arabians myths and the second was the Chronicles of Narnia. Both were the largest books I had ever seen in my entire life and I read them religiously. These books started off what has been a long-standing and fulfilling love affair with books and all things literature.
To really celebrate this love, I have here a comprehensive list of my favourite books. My tastes in books have changed as I’ve gotten older but these are the books that I either find myself coming back to all the time, or books that made me feel so much that I’ll always remember it.
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
This book is sitting next to me right now. It goes everywhere with me. I love it with all my heart. Now, I won’t act like I was instantly attracted to this book. In fact, when I first saw the cover and read the back I thought it sounded ridiculous. Jeez, it’s even set in the 80s, I said to myself. However, I did give it a go and wow. This book is nothing short of my favourite read of 2014. Really quickly, it’s about these two teenagers Eleanor and Park (really?) who are falling in love for the first time and all that sweetness. The book also deals with serious issues like domestic abuse, bullying and being different, but not in a condescending way at all. I like Eleanor’s character because even though she’s unusual and sometimes weird, it doesn’t feel like she’s being forced into that box of a ‘messed up pixie girl’. She is honestly, one of the strongest female characters I’ve ever come across.
Another Rainbow Rowell book! Fangirl is the story of Cather, who is just starting college with her twin sister Wren. The sisters have been together their entire lives and Cather is just realising that she has to live a life separate from her sister and their very dependent dad. Cather (and, to a degree, Wren) is obsessed with a book series about a character called Simon Snow (basically Harry Potter) and the book is littered with her fanfiction (which is very good) as well as excerpts from ‘book’. As well as being fantastically written, the book also reminded me how it felt to like something and to like it unapologetically, without reservation. I’m not a person who has ever been into acting disinterested to seem cool so Fangirl is my justification that there is nothing wrong excited about anything.
This book is gold. It isn’t fiction but rather a memoir/advice book from the founder and CEO of Nasty Gal, Sophia Amoruso. I know you aren’t supposed to judge a book by it’s cover, but this cover is amazing. I love it. However, it’s what’s inside that counts and this book is the Holy Grail for advice. I’ve applied a lot of what I’ve read in there to everyday life, consciously and unconsciously and I think this book is my sole reason for not completely burning out this year. If you’re trying to take your particular pursuits seriously then this book is beyond helpful. Sophia Amoruso had such an unusual beginning so I know that with a bit of hard work, I can get to where I need to be.
I literally cannot fully explain this book. I can give you the basic premise: Everyone over fifteen mysteriously disappears, leaving everyone else trapped in a prison like enclosure. Beyond that… well I’ll leave that up to you. There is sci-fi, romance, horror, action and a lot of things just don’t make sense. Gone is the first of a six-book series and trust me, it’s addictive enough that you’ll want to read all of them. The book also deals with a lot of interesting issues like prejudice, sexuality, belonging, friendship (two characters Brianna and Dekka have a really interesting relationship), violence and mental health. It’s a dystopian that is actually set in our world and deals with issues that people everywhere are facing.
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
This is the last book of the Infernal Devices series. You may recognise Cassandra Clare’s name from the mortal instrument series, which recently was made into a movie. In my opinion, the Infernal Devices series is loads better than the Mortal Instruments. The series follows Tessa Gray as she is forced to move from America to England following the death of her aunt. As the plot thickens, you realise that Tessa is not exactly human. Since Clockwork Princess is the last book in the series, I won’t talk too much about the plot, but I will say that it was a very emotional conclusion to an excellent series.
And: the romance, THE ROMANCE.
Another book from a series. Richelle Mead also wrote Vampire Academy (which is a lot better than it sounds). Indigo Spell is the third book in the bloodlines series, which follows Alchemist Sydney Sage as she tries to protect the vampire Princess, Jill Dragomir, from an imminent threat. Adding even more tension is the fact that Alchemists and vampires have a rocky relationship, at best and at worst they hate each other. Indigo Spell is by far my favourite book of the series because it’s the point where you see Sydney lose her prejudices and become more open as well as more confident. I wish I could say more about the book but just hear me out when I say the vampire aspect is not really that important.
This book follows assassin Caelena Sardothein as she tries to discover who she is and what that means in terms of freeing her kingdom. That is all I can tell you. Caelena is strong, ruthless and bloody smart. I really love her character. Even though she’s an assassin, she has a moral code that she sticks to without question. She’s loyal to a fault and cunning like a fox. The other characters in the book are also equally three-dimensional. I really, really love the character development in the character Rowan. This book is also the third book in a series! I can’t help it, but honestly, third times a charm. Though trust me when I say that every book in this series is equally amazing.
The Family Law by Benjamin Law
I actually had the pleasure of meeting Benjamin Law. He was friendly, hilarious and really insightful. Even so, when I read his book I was not prepared for how many times I would laugh out loud. The Family Law focuses on Benjamin’s life growing up gay, Asian and in a big family in Australia. The whole book feels more like a conversation with Law than just reading words on a page. If you have a big and weird family, you’ll find heaps of similarities in the book. Benjamin Law also writes for Frankie magazine so, have a look for one of his essays and if that doesn’t draw you in, I don’t know what will.
Have you read any of these books? Is there a book that will forever be on your favourite list? Let me know in the comments, twitter or instagram. I love hearing people’s reading suggestions.
xox Zaitoon Instagram | Twitter | Google+
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