“Picking five favorite books is like picking the five body parts you’d most like not to lose.” – Neil Gaiman
OK. Five books? Really? Out of the hundred I read this year alone…I know it is a little bit extreme but what is life without challenges!
Hello guys and welcome to the countdown of my five favorite books that I have read through the years. I will try to give you as much information about each novel without any spoilers. This is after all a wormbook-friendly post.
Shall we begin?
5. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
This Gothic novel is the one that made me see my surrounding in a different light. The fact that the novel has for its title the surname of the creator but is actually known as the name of the monster is what made me read this in the first place. There are a lot of misconceptions about the book and by extension about the monster that it becomes almost a game for the reader. You want to read in order to discover what really happened. Do find out about the real monster that lays beneath the surface and not the one that only has the looks of one.
Ultimately, if you want a mysterious and dark novel this is the book for you.
4.Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
The innocence of Alice is still with me until this day, even if it has been years since the first time I read this book. Carroll has a way with words almost like playing a trick and you often find yourself wondering who are the quotes directed to; the readers or the characters. Not to mention that it is intriguing, reading the book as an adult, to observe the comments about science, technology, and even psychology that still apply today.
It is a simple book that gets your gears going without even knowing it.
3. The Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
Deception at its best. You are a woman with no power in society but want to prove yourself and establish your position…what do you do? I guess you could say this is a book for the feminists. A comedy by Shakespeare that has the HEA ending that we seek today in our readings. Btw I know that many would say that this is a play but I first read it and then decided to see the dialogues acted out. So, my fellow bookworms I suggest the same to you. It is an experience of its own, reading Shakespearean English, and has a romantic feeling that can only be generated by the writing of the Bard himself.
Tip: If you find yourself struggling with the language , it will be most constructive to read the dialogues out loud as you go through the scenes.
2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling
I already hear the Potterheads out there shouting about their favorite Harry Potter book or books. I am sorry to disappoint but as this is my list it is only fitting that the third book of the series makes it to the top five. I single out the Prisoner of the Azkaban because for me it serves as a right of passage from Harry’s childhood to his teens. Things are more serious(pun intended) in this book and you get the feeling that some major action is about to go down…and it does. It goes without saying that if you haven’t read the first two books prior to this one, you should!
1. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
If you like dystopian novels and you like literature, you are going to love this book. It is the worst nightmare for a book enthusiast but has a unique way of introducing the lost notion of books since the aim of the characters is to destroy every single copy left. You should give this one a chance. I know you are fed up with all the YA dystopian novels of the last decade, some you loved and some you hated, but this one should be a category on its own. I strongly recommend this but you have been warned…the feelings will get real, really fast because it is a story that can come true in the near future. And that gets you to wonder, if we burn all the books, what will we burn next?
Enjoy and Happy Reading!
Author’s Bio
Marianna lives in Athens, Greece and is a Bookstagrammer and a fellow Book blogger. She loves all book genres but tends to have a soft spot for the classics. You can keep up with her library and reviews on her blog at Marianna Reads, or through her Instagram.
[…] Check out my guest article in Confessions of a Readaholic! […]
Thanks for this, I have read all of the books and loved them except for Farenheit 451 and now you have made me want to read that. An awesome review thanks
Credits goes to Marianna. Check out her blog!
Great idea for a guest spot. It is a challenge coming up with only 5 (I have tried) and everyone’s 5 is going to be so different. Thank you
You have rightly said. The amount of books might be less and the titles are very different and vary vastly from list to list.
I read all except the Harry Potter. But I am a retired English professor, so of course I too love the classics.
🙂
good choice of books. that is my favourite harry potter book too — and film.