You never really run out of book recommendations in an office full of bibliophiles. So, if you’re looking for some literary action to light up your life, here are some of our favourite books and a guide to when you should read them:
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Enter the world of Christopher John Francis Boone, a 15-year-old who feels like an outsider. The book gives us insight into what mental illness feels like since our protagonist has an autism spectrum disorder. The novel helps us find hope as we watch Christopher navigate several unfortunate circumstances with initial struggle and eventual success. It’s a great read on a winter night when you’ve got a mug of hot cocoa in one hand and a beautiful view outside your window.
Wings of Fire
APJ Abdul Kalam was one of India’s most loved presidents. The book describes our beloved leader’s struggles and achievements and inspires us to do better and try harder. It’s the ideal book for when the going gets too tough.
My Friend Dahmer
Artist John Backderf (AKA Derf) drew this memoir to reflect on his teenage friendship with the serial killer, Jeffery Dahmer. The graphic novel isn’t for the faint-hearted, but the illustrations are beautiful. Honestly, it’s a hard pill to swallow, but the book does show us how teenagers think and how a little love can go a long way. The only time to read this is when you’re mentally ready to understand what Derf is trying to say.
Flawed
Somewhere between YA fiction and Aesop’s fables, Flawed introduces us to a futuristic The Handmaid’s Tale-type world where everybody is either perfect or branded flawed. Living in this divided society breaks the heart of our protagonist. She stands up for the Flawed’s rights and ends up with more brands than you can count. This gripping story reminds us that our similarities should always outweigh our differences. Dive into this novel any time you feel upset about the state of the world.
My (Not So) Perfect Life
Influencers, this one is for you! The book introduces you to Kat, a struggling young designer who desperately tries to make her reel life look more glamorous than her real one. After living a lie on Instagram, she finally decides to go back home and help her dad out with his latest business venture. What ensues is a lot of comedy and endless drama. It’s the book you need to read when you’re ready for a social media detox.
The Lake House
This thriller is a real page-turner and will have you hooked right from the start. You’ll uncover a few mysteries lurking in the abandoned Edevane family house. We won’t spoil this one for you (being a thriller and all), but we recommend reading this on the first day of a holiday or over a long weekend.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
In our opinion, there’s never a wrong time to re-read the Harry Potter series. But for this list, we’ve decided to put our favourite book forward. Order of the Phoenix teaches us some crucial lessons:
- People on both sides of the spectrum are evil (we’re looking at you, Umbridge).
- Creatures who are different from us can also be kind to us.
- It’s never okay to abuse power.
- The government should never be allowed to interfere with education.
Do you have any recommendations you’d like to share with us?