Even in these digital times, is there still anything better than curling up with a good book (even if it is on a Kindle)?
I’ve always been a big reader and have pretty much had a book on the go at all times since I was a young child. But even the most prolific bookworm can get overwhelmed by the incredible array of options out there and although I never read a book twice, I’m only ever going to get through a tiny percentage. This is where my OCD nature comes into play. I’m a huge list ticker so I’ve spent my reading life giving myself parameters to focus in on one area for a while. It started around age 13 when I decided to read every Agatha Christie novel (there are 66) and grew from there. I had a year when I only read books over 100 years old. Or six months when I only read gothic novels by women. There was D H Lawrence month followed by Murakami month (loved that one). Then there was my decision to work through the Guardian Best 100 Books list (that’s still a work in progress) or my need to read every winner of the Man Booker Prize. Sometimes it can lead to a strange or inappropriate book choice (finding myself reading Ulysses on a beach on vacation being one – though absolutely worth the effort) but its thrown up some absolute gems that I would probably never have picked up on. If you could do with a bit of a list yourself, here are a few of my absolute favorites…
Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie
An epic book about a boy born at the exact moment of Indian independence. There is more imagery and beautiful writing on one page of this book than in most full novels but it’s also a gripping and magical story.
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
A book about a boy’s struggle with his alcoholic mother in poverty-stricken Glasgow in the 80s doesn’t sound like much fun but it’s a very moving, very human and often very funny book and is amazingly non judgemental.
Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
Worth reading for the wonderful cinematic opening chapter alone, this groundbreaking stream-of-consciousness novel, all set in one day, is challenging but very rewarding. Interesting to read as a companion piece to Michael Cunningham’s ‘tribute’ book, The Hours.
Saturday by Ian McEwan
I’ve pretty much read everything by this guy and it’s hard to really choose my favorite but this one (also set on one day) explores the idea of moral responsibility in a post 9/11 world. His research and attention to detail are always amazing.
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
The highlight of my ‘epic Indian novel’ phase, this doorstop of a book is a huge, dramatic, sometimes traumatic picture of the great country. At the end of it you will love the characters as much as your family, trust me.
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
I resisted Dickens for so long but when I gave in and read this, I was blown away by just how entertaining he can be. David Copperfield is often laugh out loud funny and the characterisation is wonderful.
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Trying to get an Englishman to be interested in Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn is a huge task (we are force fed the history throughout our school days and I really felt there was nothing more to talk about) but this book (and the following other two in the trilogy) is absolutely stunning. Exciting, modern and often shocking, it’s like reading a really well written thriller. I adored it.
