10 books you must read before you die
Start your reading adventure with this ultimate list and then share it around
You must be thinking why the need for another list of books to read when the internet is flooded with them. That is exactly the reason, these books would not only take you on a journey of discovery inward and outward but also set your imagination alight. Each of the stories will stay in your heart for a long time.
These are without a doubt my favourite selection. Thought provoking, funny and some will even make you extremely uncomfortable and that’s good in my book.
1. The Alchemist
The brilliant Paulo Coelho brings us into a journey of self-discovery and the length one must go to seek out your destiny.
2. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
The Eat, Pray, Love author helps you through this big magic that’s lying dormant inside of you. The most important tip is how to harness the fear that’s inside all of us and make them your companion rather then blockage. Her latest book; City of Girls is a must read as well.
3. Pride and Prejudice
A love story in rural England and the quest of finding the person to marry. Not simply marry but marrying the right kind. The book’s famous opening lines says it all; “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of fortune must be in want of a wife”
4. Never let me go
Kazuo Ishiguro, a master storyteller blends a suspenseful future/past with emotions and longingness to love and be loved. I don’t want to give so much of the plot away. You will be blown away when you turn the last page over.
5. The god of small things
Set in post-independence India it’s a story of a family coming into new events that changes them forever. Third person narrative beautifully places us into the yearning and longing of love of a child and how a mother struggles in an Indian family juggling everything for the responsibility of raising children.
6. The Palace of Illusions
You’ve read the epic Mahabharata and all it’s struggle and teaching to mankind. Chitra Banarjee Divakaruni wrote this to give voices to the females in the story. The book is a rendition of the tale from Draupadi’s (Panchaali’s) point of view. Let me tell you it’s mystical and mind-boggling.
7. 1984
When I first read this book a small seed of fear towards our political landscape started germinating inside me. As many world events starting unfolding and our poor responses to them cemented that George Orwell was onto something big and revelatory about the type of society that we want to build and be part of. Are we heading to the demise of our civilisation?
8. In cold blood
A true masterpiece by American author Truman Capote. He details the 1959 murder of four members of the Herbert Clutter family in Kansas. This chilling account is a must read for not only for the plot but beautiful writing.
9. The Hitchhiker’s guide to Galaxy
I recently read this book in it’s audio format narrated by Stephen Fry. It was a pure joy and the many chuckles of comedy along the way. Sometimes your mind wanders into the wide expanse of space and appreciate the magical world created by Douglas Adam.
10. Life of Pi
Moving a zoo across the world cannot be a good idea in good of times. As suspected it goes awry and Pi ends up on a boat with a tiger. A story of the strength of mind and survival brings us closer to life and death. A remarkable achievement of the humankind in packet size floating on the ocean.
Please do share this list around. Happy reading!
