I was thinking of a good topic for a blog post and decided to do my own top 5 this week. The Goodread's Top 5 Wednesday Group is covering the topic of series we wish had more books in them. Honestly, I am not a big fan of huge series. I do enjoy trilogies and duologies, but endless series exhaust me. Yes, it is nice to be able to dwell in the world we love for more than one book, but it is also very liberating to finally be done with a story. So I am doing my own personal top 5 this week and will instead list the best books I've read this year so far. Not all of these were published in 2015, but all of them were new to me. And as always, the books will cover a range of genres.
1. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The more time passes since I read this book, the more I am completely awed by it. The book was originally published in 1968 and I would consider it a modern classic. It is definitely up there with Catcher in the Rye for me. The book is written from the perspective of a teenage boy, and focuses on the struggles and dangers that Ponyboy and his friends face on a daily basis when they interact outside of adult supervision. I was completely blown away both by the writing and the story. I highly highly recommend this book. My full review can be viewed here.
2. The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma
This book was my reluctant venture into magical realism. I am normally not a big fan of the genre. However, this book was amazing. I think it would make a great pick for any book club or group discussion. The author touches upon many timeless topics such as being trapped by circumstances, teenage crime, being driven to desperation and getting justice. Again, I do have a full review of the book on my blog - go check it out. This is a new release. The book came out in March 2015.
3. Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon
This was another new release that I had the opportunity to review before the official publication date (which is September 1, 2015). My full review is already up on this blog. All I'd like to say is that if you need a pick-me-up, get this book. You will look at your life in a completely different way and hopefully start appreciating the little things that truly matter.
4. Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Just like many readers, I get intimidated by some classics, and approaching a literary titan like Kafka was really daunting for me. I had Metamorphosis on my shelf for probably 4 or 5 years before I finally felt ready to give it a go. Well, as you see it made it into my top 5 reads of the year. So if you are wondering whether to read this book, stop wondering and do it. It is amazing. This book is probably one of the most over-analyzed works of literary fiction, and some of the things that critics see in it go completely over my head. To me, the entire story is an allegory for how we react when faced with any condition or situation that is potentially embarrassing, unusual or strange. I did write a full review of the book, and cannot say enough great things about this classic.
5. Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol
I had never read any graphic novels until this year, and the ones I read so far have completely changed the way I look at graphic novels. Early in the year I read Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi which opened up a whole new world to me where a picture truly can be worth a thousand words (see my review). Anya's Ghost is another example of a graphic novel that has a very poignant and important message. The main character Anya is a teenage Russian-American girl who really struggles with her identity and fitting in at school. The usual teenage insecurities about weight, appearance and acceptance by her peers, are exacerbated for her by the fact that she is embarrassed by her mother who speaks with a weird accent and cooks strange food; and by the fact that the only other Russian kid in her school is a nerdy acquaintance from church whom she desperately tries to avoid. However, her perception of "what is cool" begins to change once she unexpectedly meet a ghost.... A great read. This is now my favorite graphic novel, and even if you don't read graphic novels, you should definitely pick this one up.
1. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The more time passes since I read this book, the more I am completely awed by it. The book was originally published in 1968 and I would consider it a modern classic. It is definitely up there with Catcher in the Rye for me. The book is written from the perspective of a teenage boy, and focuses on the struggles and dangers that Ponyboy and his friends face on a daily basis when they interact outside of adult supervision. I was completely blown away both by the writing and the story. I highly highly recommend this book. My full review can be viewed here.
2. The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma
This book was my reluctant venture into magical realism. I am normally not a big fan of the genre. However, this book was amazing. I think it would make a great pick for any book club or group discussion. The author touches upon many timeless topics such as being trapped by circumstances, teenage crime, being driven to desperation and getting justice. Again, I do have a full review of the book on my blog - go check it out. This is a new release. The book came out in March 2015.
3. Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon
This was another new release that I had the opportunity to review before the official publication date (which is September 1, 2015). My full review is already up on this blog. All I'd like to say is that if you need a pick-me-up, get this book. You will look at your life in a completely different way and hopefully start appreciating the little things that truly matter.
4. Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Just like many readers, I get intimidated by some classics, and approaching a literary titan like Kafka was really daunting for me. I had Metamorphosis on my shelf for probably 4 or 5 years before I finally felt ready to give it a go. Well, as you see it made it into my top 5 reads of the year. So if you are wondering whether to read this book, stop wondering and do it. It is amazing. This book is probably one of the most over-analyzed works of literary fiction, and some of the things that critics see in it go completely over my head. To me, the entire story is an allegory for how we react when faced with any condition or situation that is potentially embarrassing, unusual or strange. I did write a full review of the book, and cannot say enough great things about this classic.
5. Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol
I had never read any graphic novels until this year, and the ones I read so far have completely changed the way I look at graphic novels. Early in the year I read Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi which opened up a whole new world to me where a picture truly can be worth a thousand words (see my review). Anya's Ghost is another example of a graphic novel that has a very poignant and important message. The main character Anya is a teenage Russian-American girl who really struggles with her identity and fitting in at school. The usual teenage insecurities about weight, appearance and acceptance by her peers, are exacerbated for her by the fact that she is embarrassed by her mother who speaks with a weird accent and cooks strange food; and by the fact that the only other Russian kid in her school is a nerdy acquaintance from church whom she desperately tries to avoid. However, her perception of "what is cool" begins to change once she unexpectedly meet a ghost.... A great read. This is now my favorite graphic novel, and even if you don't read graphic novels, you should definitely pick this one up.
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