1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
My absolute favourite book. I studied this for A’Level and despite reading it and discussing it to death it didn’t put me off. The book follows Jane from her childhood, and education to her time at Thornfield Hall with Mr Rochester. There is something about Jane that appeals to me. She has had a tough upbringing and has suffered, but is never portrayed as a damsel in distress. She knows her own mind, and what she wants out of life. I have read this book so many times my copy is falling apart.
2. Before I Go To Sleep by S J Watson
This book was recommended to me by a friend, and I became so gripped by it that I couldn’t put it down. Early nights became late nights as I read ‘just another page’. It is a thriller about a woman suffering from amnesia who wakes every day with no knowledge of who she is. The novel follows her as she tries to reconstruct her memories from a journal she has been keeping. Surprises came thick and fast with this book, with me having no idea how it would end. Kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.
3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin
Every girl secretly wants a Mr Darcy. And I think that is what has made Pride and Prejudice one of the most popular novels in English literature. It follows the Bennet sisters as they look for husbands. I really admire Elizabeth, who is independent and strong enough to refuse Mr Collins hand in marriage, going against her mothers wishes. My favourite quote from Mr Darcy to Elizabeth
4. Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian.
A heartwarming tale of how a little boy mends an old mans heart, and how an old man teaches a little boy to trust again. William is evacuated to the country during the war and is taken in by Mister Tom. They are both delicate, Mister Tom is heartbroken after losing his wife and baby son 40 years ago, and William was badly abused by his mother. They both help each other to laugh again, and I cried at the end when William calls Mister Tom Dad.
5. Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
I am not usually a fan of war literature, but I couldn’t not like this book. It tells the story of a man called Stephen Wraysford at different stages of his life, both before and during World War I, and is fascinating.You really get to know the main character, and find out just how tough and awful life in the trenches is. There are parts of the book that stay with you forever. It shows all types of emotions that humans feel, from close friendships and love, to terror, heartbreak and sadness. Well worth a read.
6. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
I picked this book up in
7. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J K Rowling
Being a Potter fan as everyone knows it is only right that one of the books makes it into my list. Every fan has their favorite, and mine is The Chamber of Secrets. I love the opening scenes, where Ron and Harry have to drive a flying car to Hogwarts. I am equally terrified and curious by the Basilisk, and find the scenes in the bathroom with Myrtle funny. Even now I still want to be a pupil at Hogwarts (only in Gryffindor house of course).
8. Room by Emma Donoghue
This was a book chosen for my book club, and at first I wasn’t sure. However a few pages in I found it to be a really clever book and was hooked. It is the story of five-year-old Jack who has spent his whole life in Room, and thinks it is all there is. The items in Room are his friends. This book makes you look at the world a bit differently and apprieciate what is around you.
9. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
I always loved The Wizard of Oz and I was so excited to go and see this new musical. It blew me away! Straight after I bought the book and now I can’t look at The Wizard of Oz in the same way. The book tells the story of the ‘wicked’ witch Elphaba, and is set long before Dorothy lands in Oz.A brilliant book, that looks at the traditional story in a different way.
10. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
I spent many hours as a child dreaming about going on adventures with Ratty and Mole, and wanted my own boat so I too could ‘spend time messing around on the water.’As a child the book excited a range of emotions in me, and as an adult I still feel the same. The antics of the spoilt Toad amuse me, I still get scared when they walk through the forest to Badgers house, and cheer when Toad Hall is saved from the Weasels and Stoats. This is a book that lets you escape and be a child again.
11. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
A story about four sisters, who are each very different. There is Margaret, the oldest and the beautiful one, Jo the clumsy, hotheaded tomboy, Beth the shy, musical one, and Amy, who is the youngest and often spoilt. I loved being a part of their lives, seeing how they interacted with each other and the world around them. Out of the sisters my favourite is Jo, for her love of literature and also her good heart and the way she learns to control her hot temper. This book had me in floods of tears at the end, but definitely earnt its place in my top 20.
12. Michael McIntyre Life and Laughing
I had to include this autobiography in the list as it is absolutely hilarious! Michael McIntyre is my favourite comedian, and this book is just as funny as one of his shows. I laughed from start to finish, and got some very funny looks while reading it in public. I just love the way he describes his birth: “A midwife asked my mother if my father was Chinese or Japanese. My grandparents thought my parents took home the wrong baby. Questions were asked about my mother’s fidelity. My father beat up our local dry cleaner Mr Wu.” I can’t wait to see him live in July!
13. A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
I had to include one of Shakespeare’s books as I am a big fan, and what better than a book that includes fairies, naughty imps and a man whose head is replaced by a donkeys?! I have seen this play performed countless times, and I never get sick of it. The confusion between the characters is brilliant, and it is clear to see why this is one of Shakespeare’s comedies. I can almost guarantee that even those who are not Shakespeare fans will enjoy this book.
14. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Another great author that had to be included in my top 20. Everyone knows the story of Oliver Twist, and how he falls into a bad crowd with Fagin forcing him to steal. I love the contrast between sweet little Oliver and the mischievous pickpocket the Artful Dodger. It is an insight into what life was like on the streets in the 1800’s.
15. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
My favorite part of history at school was the Tudors, so this book was perfect for me. I was recommended this for my book club, and it was a brilliant look at palace life in Tudor England. Told from the point of view of the other Boleyn girl Mary Boleyn it charts life living in the palace, and of being picked by King Henry. We see Mary picked first, but then replaced by her sister Anne (who ends up being beheaded by the King). After reading this I quicky bought and read all her other books, and my fascination with the Tudors still grows.
16. Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du MaurierHaving Cornish blood in me it seems only natural that one of my top 20 should be a Cornish novel. Set in
17. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
The final novel in the story of Bella Swan and her love triangle with vampire Edward Cullen (swoon) and werewolf Jacob Black. This is my favourite in the series as it ties everything up, with Bella becoming a vampire and giving birth to Renesmee. Also – I love Edward! Where can I find myself a vampire?!
18. Eragon by Christopher Paolini.
The first in the series of books about a boy called Eragon and his dragon Saphira. I enjoyed watching Eragon get to grips with the fact his is a dragon rider, and to learn how to communicate with Saphira. This book lets you escape reality, and mix with elves, dwarfs, dragons and wizards. It convinced me that a carer swap from journalist to dragon rider was a brilliant idea!
19. My Best Friend’s Daughter by Dorothy Koomson
This is a heart warming tale about a woman who adopts her best friend’s daughter after she dies. It follows her progress at trying to get used to having a child around, and charts the highs and lows of their relationship. After reading this book I bought a few more by the same author and enjoyed them all. I like her quirky style of writing, and the difficult issues she tackles in all her books.
20. The Bell Jar by Silvia PlathThis was Silvia Plath’s only novel and tells the story of Esther Greenwood, a young woman from the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. She gets an internship at a magazine which she thinks she will love. However the big city frightens and disorients her. This book shows her struggles and how she copes
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