Well, after seeing Waterstones' 'Best books you have never read' post on their blog, I decided that I was going to write my own list of books that I think everyone should read - and guess what - they're not necessarily what you'd expect!
Here goes... they are in no particular order of readability, this is just a list of books that I think everyone should at least try to read in their life time. There are things to be learned from these, titles that everyone should own a copy of, and others that I believe are important to our personal development as human beings.
- Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll - the story of the girl who fell down the rabbit hole, into a world of the strange and un-explainable. Carroll's tale is one of illogical ideas and a great example of literary nonsense, but tells the story of one brave, if not a little curious, young girl who learns about who she is as a person through her adventures in a strange and unknown world.
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon - a British mystery novel about a fifteen year old boy who discovers a murdered dog in the front yard of one of his neighbours. Although the book doesn't actually define the character's behavioural traits with label Christopher's condition is assumed to be Asperger's Syndrome or high-functioning Autism. Haddon uses Christopher's character to highlight what it means to be different, and that seeing the world around you in a different way to what others do, is not a bad thing. We can learn a lot about understanding those around us from this book, and I believe that all children aged 9-12 should read this book, and discuss what it means to them with an adult.
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - this historical novel, set during Nazi Germany, follows the story of young Liesel who discovers reading and writing as a form of escapism from the destructive world around her. Stuck between a lost childhood and the demands of a Nazi led town, Leisel finds power in books and starts to steal books that the Nazi party are wanting destroyed. The novel is narrated by Death, and from that, we get a look at how life can mean so much, despite how short it may be.
- Harry Potter Series by J K Rowling - the seven book series, plus the surrounding spin-offs, are a staple in every child's life. The world which Rowling created is one that will live on in generations to come, and the life lessons learned from each of the characters in the stories are ones that every individual will carry with them. For me, it was the lesson we learned from Severus Snape, the seemingly hostile Death Eater who was actually out to protect Harry the entire time. It didn't matter to him what people thought of him, or that he was constantly perceived as the bad guy, as long as the son of the woman he had loved was safe. He taught us that not all heroes wear capes, and that lesson has resonated in me since the moment I found out his dual nature!
- The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida - the stunning novel written by 13-year-old Naoki about his journey in life with a diagnosis for severe Autism Spectrum Disorder. Told through a question and answer format, Naoki tried to enable people to understand what it is like to live with Autism, and to show just how hard it can be to communicate. By reading this book, it helps you to understand, just a little, what life can be like for some families, and I believe that it makes people more likely to show compassion and empathy for those families, rather than the misunderstanding and assumed bad parenting that often occurs when misinformed people see these families out in public.
- Trumpet by Jackie Kay - a debut novel from a Scottish poet about the events after the death of fictional Jazz player Joss Moody. The novel takes place just after Joss' death, when it is revealed that he had in fact, been born female. The story follows the paths of several characters linked to Joss, including his wife, who was the only person who did know about Joss' hidden gender, and their adopted son, who did not know. The characters in the book all discuss how they knew Joss and the impact he'd had on their lives, all of which, by the end of the book, come to realise that despite the shock of the revelation, the fact that Joss had been born female wasn't important, and nor did it effect what they thought of him. Kay's novel battled identity, gender, race and grief alongside the love and relationships that shape a person's life. This book was one that I read at school, and truly changed how I viewed the world around me. Proving that no one really knows another person, despite what they may show to the world, everyone has a personal side to them that you may not know about. This book helps you to understand not to judge people, but to accept them for who they are.
- The Fault in our Stars by John Green - a story about Hazel Grace, a 16-year-old girl living with cancer, who meets 17-year-old Augusts Waters, an amputee at her support group. Green's story follows Hazel and Augustus through their relationship, where Augustus tries to fulfil one of Hazel's biggest dreams; to meet her favourite author. The book highlights the idea of living in the moment and doing the things that you want to do with your life without regret, because you never know just how little time you have left. Hazel and Augustus' story is heart-wrenching and tissue worthy, but one that everyone should read.
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - (There had to be one you'd expect to see on here) This was one of those books that you dreaded having to read, knowing that it was coming up on your school syllabus. I read this for my GCSE English Literature course, and if I'm honest, hated every minute of it. However, it doesn't change the fact that I admired Lee and her story, due to the impact it had on its readers. TKAM is a classic, and Scout is a character that is still talked about today. The book highlighted racial inequality and issues surrounding race and cultural differences, but did so in a way that empowered readers to want to change with it.
- Grimms' Fairy Tales by Jacob and Wilhem Grimm - Now there are so many adaptions and rewrites of the popular fairy tales, and which ones you read don't really matter. But I do believe that every child should have fairy tales read to them, and in a way, explained to them, as they all have a lesson to be learned from them. Once we are adults, I think that we should all reread those fairy tales, as our developed mind can see the things we couldn't see in them when we were children. Yes, you can learn from them. Pass on that wisdom to the younger generations, and see what a difference it can make when we learn to accept others for who they are, to not speak to strangers or divert from the path, but as an adult, understand that Prince Charming isn't going to pop around the corner when you're least expecting it, and that you aren't a Princess who will get everything handed to her in life. We work for what we achieve, and that is the message to pass on to our children.
Well, I hope you made it to the end - I know it went on for a while, but I also hope that you go out and look for at least one of the books on this list after reading it. Just one that you haven't read before, maybe never even heard of before. Go ahead and buy it, read it, and then pass it on to someone else. Spread the word on the books that you feel people should read and why. Don't be afraid to stand up and be counted as a book nerd. We will accept you.
All books are linked to Waterstones' website where you can purchase your copy today! You can by all means find them elsewhere, just remember that the bookshops won't be around forever if you go to places like Amazon all the time!! :)
Vanessa x
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