I’ll admit it, I’m a book nerd. I’ve always loved escaping into a good story whether it was mums bedtime tales, an action movie or novel. Ive been in a book club for five years now and my mouth waters when new books are presented to us. . I must be the only person in their 30’s who has a library card nestled in their wallet.
Those lists of “top 100 books” of all time make me excited. There’s an intellectual pleasure in ticking off all the ones I’ve read and the excitement of knowing that there’s still, at this stage, 47 books to devour.
One day, I’ll tick off all those suckers. Here’s our list (yes, I’m in a book club!) of favourite books:
1. Into thin air – John Krakauer. A true story about three different hiking groups facing a killer storm as they cling to mt Everest. Truly amazing. Can’t believe there hasn’t been a movie made about it
2. On Chesil Beach– Ian McEwan. It wont take you long to read this short book, however you’ll think about it for a long time. Lifetime regrets, missed moments in time and lost love. A true downer but a great read.
3. The book thief – Markus Zusak. This book is being made into a movie starring Geoffrey Rush. It’s the ny times best seller about life during nazi germany and a little girls love affair with books. She steals them from nazi book burning s and the mayors wife’s library.
4. Sarah’s key – Tatiana Rosnay. Not many books make me cry but Sarah’s key is one of them. Set in France in 1942, it tells the harrowing story of sarah who locked her brother in a cupboard to hide him from the Gestapo. As one of my friends said “why did you make me read this book?!” Well, it’s confronting but it happened and we can’t ignore it. Nor should we.
5. The Paris Wife – Paula McLain. Set in the 1920’s, this is a fascinating account of being Ernest Hemingways wife – the infidelity, the impromptu trips around Europe and trying to fit a child into that passionate, chaotic life.
6. The room – Emma Donoghue. This book is written from a childs oerspective which can be a bit trying but its worth pushing through. The less you know about this book, the better it is when you read it. Don’t talk to anyone about it, just read it if you haven’t already!
7. Sister – Rosamund Lupton. A gripping thriller as Bea searches for the truth about her sisters death and their fractured relationship. My brother is an English teacher and he loved “sister” so much that he’s now trying to get it on the syllabus
8. Breath – Tim Winton. I’ve struggled with a few of Tim Winton’s books but this one grabbed me. It’s about two boys growing up in WA and their obsession with surfing. they meet a big wave surfer and begin a friendship which takes them down an adult path
9. Maus – Art Spiegelman. Don’t be fooled by this book being a cartoon. It portrays a son learning how his father survived Auschwitz. It’s so full of tension that you soon forget that you’re really reading a cartoon book.
10. The boy in the striped pyjamas – John Boyne. Harrowing. A real bawler. Great, thanks, Livinia!