The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson was a pretty moving novel for me. It might have been timing, but it changed a lot of views I have on life in general that have helped me towards my goals.
I want to believe that the way I am is just the way it goes. For the things that came, not the things I chose
to come. I want to know if I had any control. I want to know if it’d comfort me. And if my heart just stops, pack my memories in it-
I want to know all the love I’ve got. And if my heart just stops, keep me alive for a minute- I want to know if a curtain drops
I totally love the book Wasted by Marya Hornbacher. It's brutally honest and painfully moving and it actually made me want to become a psychologist. At last count I have read it 7 times! It's a memoir about the author's struggle with anorexia and bulimia so just a head's up if you decide to read it because it is dealing with a potentially triggering subject.
You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you wish to make.
I'll preface this by saying there is a difference between books I read and appreciated, and books I've read and would recommend to everyone else. It's hard to recommend any book to EVERYONE else because of the influence of varying tastes, reading skills, and experiences. I'll just put down a few that I enjoyed and think others might enjoy:
Fiction:
The MaddAddam trilogy by Margaret Atwood (Oryx and Crake, The Year of the Flood, and MaddAddam).
We Are All Completely Fine by Daryl Gregory
Affinity by Sarah Waters
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
The Drowning Girl by Caitlin R. Kiernan
The Passion by Jeanette Winterson
Room by Emma Donoghue
Wuthering Heights by Emma Bronte
The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers
Nonfiction:
35 Techniques Every Counselor Should Know by Bradley T. Erford
Killing Yourself to Live by Chuck Klosterman
A Man Without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut
I've just started The Night Circus, which is about this mysterious circus that pops up into this town in the middle of the night, and it's also about magic and romance and old friends beyond normal timespans. It's very mysterious but I really like it so far.
The Night Circus is AMAZING!!! I loved it!!! Some people don't care for it because it's more driven by the settings I guess? I don't know. All I know is that I loved every little detail and I can't wait for Morgenstern to write something else soon.
I'd also recommend Phantom by Susan Kay if you're a Phantom of the Opera fan. It's pretty hard to get a hold of because there's only a few copies printed but it's one of the best books I've ever read. It's about Eric (the Phantom) before he came to the Paris Opera house. It goes into immense detail about his experiences from childhood, his life as a deformed child prodigy in music, to his experiences as a circus freak and how he picked up all these tidbits of information along the way, illusion tricks, music, architecture, methods of assassination...it's just really incredible.
I bought The Humans and must read it, looking forward to it now.
It became like a sort of prison. Encased in a silver shell, words so full of bleeding need spilled like drops on dry leaves. And all the while laughter prevailed a long way from here. Nowhere land, nowhere time, nowhere space.
Jodie Picoult - Nineteen Minutes
War and Peace (not one to enter into lightly)
We Need to Talk About Kevin
♥It's the ups and downs of living life this way. Promise me you'll never go away. Just stay with me through one more night because it's always darkest before the light and now I promise you I'll never turn away. I won't let you give us one less heart to break...♥
The shock of the fall forgotten the author though. It's about a boy with schizophrenia trying to grieve for his dead brather whilst being unwell with schizophrenia. Super moving as well.
and the dark materials by Philip Pullman as mentioned above- seriously, just amazing!!!!
The Secret Scripture by Sebastien Barry (being made into a film at the moment)
The Barracks by John McGahern
Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
And in non fiction: The Secret Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Be kind - everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle
So maybe not everyone should read this as many will find it boring, but if you like maths, How Big Is Infinity by Tony Crilly is an excellent read! I'm not finished reading it yet, but am learning lots of super-exciting things from it already :)
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every second
Join Date: Dec 2010
Quote:
Originally Posted by dropsofjupiter
I'd also recommend Phantom by Susan Kay if you're a Phantom of the Opera fan. It's pretty hard to get a hold of because there's only a few copies printed but it's one of the best books I've ever read. It's about Eric (the Phantom) before he came to the Paris Opera house. It goes into immense detail about his experiences from childhood, his life as a deformed child prodigy in music, to his experiences as a circus freak and how he picked up all these tidbits of information along the way, illusion tricks, music, architecture, methods of assassination...it's just really incredible.
Thanks for the Phantom recommendation I am going to go book hunting!!
I think everyone here should read Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch - Best book ever in my opinion :D
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I think it is an excellent story that told the other side. I first read it in 2008 and it's become my favourite book. I was thrilled when the film was released because the characters on-screen were absolutely what my imagination had portrayed them to be. I went with my step dad and he had a few sniffles during it then I leant him the book which he thoroughly enjoyed.
It became like a sort of prison. Encased in a silver shell, words so full of bleeding need spilled like drops on dry leaves. And all the while laughter prevailed a long way from here. Nowhere land, nowhere time, nowhere space.
