Ten books you can begin with if you do not know where to start reading

1)      The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

This book takes us through Taliban Afghanistan, through the eyes of young Amir who commits a sin which destroys several lives. The guilt remained with Amir throughout his life as later on he goes on to seek redemption. Amir’s friendship with Hassan, his Baba, Ali and several other characters are bound to mesmerise the reader.

2)      The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak

This is the tale of a little girl, Liesel living with her foster-parents in the backdrop of Nazi Germany. Away from her parents, she adjusts with her new life in Himmel Street. Through a very unique perspective Liesel’s life is depicted as she learns to read English and falls in love with words and books. She starts to love the people around her and live a happy life until doom strikes. A very inimitable narrative and mesmerizing language keeps the reader hooked to this amazing read.

3)      A Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee

This book describes the life of Draupadi, through her childhood till the very end. It elaborates on the entire Mahabharata as seen through Draupadi’s eyes. A shocking truth, an intimate revelation set alongside a timeless and epic tale of honour, trickery, divinity and lastly justice; it is one of the best books of the 21^st century!

4)      The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Nick Carraway moves to New York to achieve the American Dream. Upon encountering his enigmatic neighbour Jay Gatsby and being truly wound up in his personal life he finds out the hollowness of wealth and the American Dream in its entirety. This story describes a tale of passionate love, infidelity and mostly hollowness. One of the best books to ever have been written and Fitzgerald’s masterful use of words keeps the reader enticed throughout the story.

5)      Tell me your Dreams by Sidney Sheldon

One of the lesser known works of the God of thriller presents one story which is sure to give the reader Goosebumps. A psychological thriller revolving around the lives of three girls and a dramatic and unpredictable progression is sure to keep anyone hooked to the story. As the unreliable narrator tells a maddening story, the readers will surely find themselves screaming with shock in the end.

6)      The Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins

Declared as one of the best crime thrillers of 21^st century, it has been a best seller for a very long time. An unreliable and alcoholic narrator describes her daily journey on the train as she looks through the window and sees the people from there. One day she sees something shocking which she has to fix. An uneven narrative and an extremely unpredictable ending will make any reader love this book.

7)      The Ghost by Danielle Steel

Distressed by the end of his ten-year old marriage and career tumult, Charles finds himself stranded moves from London to a small town in Massachusetts in search of an unknown resolve. He finds himself extremely intrigued after living in a house haunted for the past 200 years by a mysterious woman. A wonderful and timeless tale of love which takes the reader through several centuries, it is one of the lesser known Danielle Steel books yet a brilliant one.

8)      The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

It is the most magical tale of all times, figuratively and literally. Harry Potter faces several tumultuous situations at his magical school, Hogwarts. He goes on to solve problems and mysteries with his best friends, Ron and Hermione under the guidance of the Headmaster Dumbledore. It is a story of friendship, love, trust, joy, sadness, betrayal, darkness, humour and all the emotions one could possibly imagine. Without reading Harry Potter, a reader cannot be a “reader” in a true sense.

9)      Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

We've all heard about this story and we all know Alice but the thing is that children's literature can give you a whole new perspective for a book when read as an adult. The story begins when Alice sees a white rabbit wearing a waistcoat. She decides to follow it and the next thing you know, she's fallen into a rabbit hole. There are creatures she meets and experiences she gathers. All in all, the book when read as an adult, seems to be a metaphor for life. It is a timeless classic.

10)   The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

This is the actual autobiography of Anne Frank, an adolescent Jewish girl attempting to survive in Nazi Germany. Her family was in hiding for two years during the Nazi regime in Netherlands. She was finally taken away to a concentration camp where she passed away at an extremely young age. But she kept a diary with her in which she has articulately penned down her experiences. We don't get a lot of personal accounts of the atrocities faced by people under the Nazi regime and this one coming from an innocent child is all the more heart-breaking.  One should read it to find motivation and get inspired.