I thought I would share with you some books that have had a lasting impact on me over the years. Books that in spite of me only reading them once I have yet to forget them. Books that, make you think and, stick with you long after you have finished the last page are the best kind of book. Please keep reading for the ten books, which first spring to mind, that have stuck with me over the years.
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
I love this book, it is probably my most favourite book of life. Holden Caulfield is such a fuck up, he definitely makes me feel better about my life. He serves as a reminder that we are all just fumbling through life one day at a time. It is a well-written, understated masterpiece in my opinion.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
I tried and failed to read this book several times, and then I was forced to read it because I had to partake in a thrilling discussion in front of all my classmates in my fourth year at secondary school. After you get past Chapter Four, it no longer becomes a struggle to read, it becomes captivating. This was the oddest love story and possibly one of the best classics I have ever read. The two main characters are definitely imperfect, but they do genuinely have a real love and passion for each other. It's a classic that when you read it does not feel like you are reading something that was written very long ago. It's a book I have not reread but have very fond thoughts of, I will always remember how I felt when I read it and I don't think if I read it again I would experience the same feelings, hence my reluctance. There are only a few books that have managed to make me feel like that, and they are mostly the classics.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Again, another classic by a Brontë. The Brontë sisters seem to knock it out of the park every time they take to writing a book. This book I read after a friend recommended it to me and it was a novel I was instantly hooked on, the first ten chapters are slow going and, not to mention, miserable. Poor plain Jane had a tough life. As soon as she meets Mr. Rochester it picks up and is fascinating to read, I love Jane's honesty and transparency, she is a great character. I remember not wanting to sleep because I desperately wanted to finish this book, I got up absurdly early so I could get back to reading it in the morning. I even reread it as soon as I had finished it. I have always wanted to read it again since those few days but I hadn't been able to find that exact copy which I have now grown emotionally attached to. I feel like if I read the same story from a different book it wouldn't be the same. I'm weird, I know.
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
A children's book that I adore, I want to thank my friend Kate for introducing me to this author because she (both my friend and the author) is brilliant. The characters in this book, particularly Dustfinger and Farid, are mesmerising. They are fleshed out, somehow believable, and the story feels complete even though several fictitious worlds collide. The whole trilogy is brilliant, each word you read feels special because it reinforces that belief that the written word is, not only important but, magical. Also Farid and the little ferret, both seriously cute. Never get to old for this book. I think Inkspell is possibly my favourite out of the three in this series, however, you have to start at the beginning with this trilogy.
The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me by Roald Dahl
Every Roald Dahl book is worth reading, that is a well-known fact. I love this bizarre book which I haven't picked up since I was a child. I just know if I ever have a child I am going to read Roald Dahl to them every night because he was a true genius. It's short, funny and wonderful.
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
This is possibly the oddest and best book I have read, it doesn't make me feel better about my life like Catcher in the Rye but it is suspenseful and slow. It is written cleverly and perfectly, it seems so real that you feel you and the protagonist are interchangeable. I will never forget this book. Even the cover is memorable. Greatest cover award, for sure.
The Godfather by Mario Puzo
I borrowed this from someone, I can't remember who, and read it on a little holiday in Cornwall. It was thrilling, I have a genuine love affair with the movies (yes all three of them, fuck you the third one is just as brilliant) so for the first time I expected the book to be underwhelming. It wasn't, it was even better than the movie, though of course the book is always better than the movie, everyone knows that. It just felt more complete in the written form, although the movies are perfection in their own right and brilliantly executed, the book contains characters you don't even know existed and more sickness-inducing events that some can bare to stomach. The descriptive language is fantastic, one of my favourite aspects of novels is reading descriptions of characters, you can imagine every single person in this book. Maybe that's why the casting for the films were so on point.
Chocolat by Joanne Harris
Yet another book, I read after watching one of the best films in the world. I love this for the same reason I love The Godfather, regardless of the significant lack of violence and horses' heads, it is written beautifully. The characters are fully developed, I have read this book over and over again and I never get bored of it, it is written so well. Plus, the actual story is so odd, only Joanne Harris would think of a plot so wonderful and strange. Great film too, I would say the book and film are on par with each other, because they are both equally as incredible.
Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
This was one of those books that I had to stop reading from time to time, it made me cry, it made me angry. I actually hated the protagonist in this novel, I thought he was a weak, cowardly asshole who didn't deserve any semblance of happiness. But this author is very talented in bringing not just the characters but also the relationships alive for the reader, which not many authors can do. It also, in my opinion, isn't a perfect ending and even though I pine for happy endings it is a lot more realistic in this case. Several things occur in this novel that will make you cry like a little bitch, consider yourself warned, but it is worth it.
Junk by Melvin Burgess
Last but not least, I am not entirely sure why I felt the need to include this. I just know that in my early teens I read this book at least ten times, it was always in the library. Plus, this cover is very memorable to me. Honestly, I think I like this book so much because it was aimed at teenagers and wasn't about love or relationships or anything soppy like that. Despite the misleading cover it's not really about addiction either, although admittedly there is a lot of it in this novel. I like this book because Gemma and Tar are so different, and Gemma's lust for adventure and desire to experience something other than her ordinary life is something most people can relate to. It's one of those books that leave you feeling sad and a little disheartened but I certainly feel this book effected me in some way and that was why I was so drawn to it. Hey, if you ever want a reminder that drugs are bad this is a book you should read.
Sorry to end on a not-so-happy book, but I hope you enjoyed this post. I very much enjoyed writing it, all of these books hold so many memories for me, from different times of my life to some of the dearest, smartest friends I have ever had. If you don't have friends that recommend life-changing books to you, then you need new friends. Or you could just keep reading my blog, either or. Thank you for reading, please leave a comment sharing your favourite, life-changing and most memorable books below because I would enjoy checking them out, take care.
Best wishes,
Kiran.
