5 books one must read!

This is for all the avid reader, the book lovers, those who just started reading or who wants to start reading. My mother always tells me what a good habit it is, to read books. Books teach us about love, friendship, war, resilience of the human spirit and what not. Books, for me, and maybe for you as well, is an escape to the perfect world. The world we design using nothing but just our colourful imagination. For those who just started reading, I want you to know that you're doing a great job and you are yet to open up to a whole new world. Trust me, my dearest reader, you'll love every bit of it. And  I'm here to help you out! You know how people are when they start discussing theories of Game of Thrones, and the moment you tell them you haven't watched the series, they all just go berserk and tell you, so passionately, of what you've been missing out on. Similarly, here's a list of books that you HAVE to read.( Just like you have to watch Game of Thrones. Yes. I'm leaving you no choice.)

     

 

       

       1.       Asura - Anand Neelakantan

We have all heard stories about Ramayana as a kid, stories about lord ram’s valour which was and still is quite fascinating. But all that we’ve heard are the stories from the perspective of lord Rama, the incarnation of god. As always,it is the story of the victor that lives on. The voice of the vanquished remains lost in sheer silence. This book specifically provides a different perspective than the usual. It untangles the story of asuras ( the demons),the story of Ravan, of how he got to capture Lanka and the atrocities he went through. Most importantly,it forces you to think, if Ravan even was a bad person. Being a fan of mythology, this books tops my list

   2.             The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald

This is for all the old-schoolers out there who think, like me, that they’re born in the wrong era, I present you this book. This is a love-story, a mystery that showcases the NYC life, with the lavish lifestyle, the luxurious parties, the grand houses and the tempting fashion. It provides an insight of a jazzy lifestyle. It will surely make you feel a lot of things at the same time. This book is a great example of how failure can breed success. If you have ever felt downbeat because of work or a project that’s not working out, try reading this book and see what can arise from the ashes.

   3.       Angels and Demons- Dan Brown

This is for all the curious minds out there, who like reading about certain things that makes you question the basis of it. This book will surely cringe you from inside, forcing you to find out more about the theories of Jesus Christ. It will make you think if the bloodline of Jesus Christ continued, and if there’s a possibility of the existence of heir of Jesus Christ, still alive. Dan brown is one of my favourite authors and all his books are surely commendable. It not only leaves you speechless but also boggles with your mind. This was the first book written by him in 2000, followed by The Da Vinci Code in 2003. His novels are basically treasure hunts, set in a time span of 24 hours. Exciting right? So if you find angels and demons a good book (and I hope you do), then also read The Da Vinci Code.

   4.       The Alchemist- Paul Coelho

This book was originally written in Portuguese and then translated to 70 other languages. To put into into simple words, it’s a story about following your dreams. The reason I'm putting the book into this list is because, its one epic novel which is written in fairly simple language containing some great quotes. One of my favourite quote from the book is -
                 “tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the fearing itself. And that no heart    has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the  search is a second’s encounter with god and with eternity.”

This is the book that will have a major impact on your life and you’ll soon realise that “dreams are made to be followed, and life is there, to be lived. Every single page of this book will definitely teach you some lessons. And finally, May the omens ever be in your favour. 

     5.       The Perks of being a Wallflower- Stephen Chbosky 

Wallflower is a metaphor for the people who find it difficult to socialise, people who often get excluded at social gatherings, people who are found in the corner of a room, with a drink in their hand, trying to act busy on their phones. The reason why I am including this book here, is because it’s quite relatable. It incorporates some of the best quotes I know. One of my favourite is-
                        “I want you to know that I'm both happy and sad. And I’m still trying to figure out how that could be.”

This book deals with some pretty heavy issues, issues one usually goes through his/her life, especially in the teenage years. The things that we usually make fun of, that we usually ignore, thinking It’s just some other muck. This book talks about bullying, anxiety, love, friendship, abandonment etc. its light hearted at the same time, so that you’re not overwhelmed but just touched. And again, it's written in a rather easy manner,so that makes it effortless to understand!

In addition to the above mentioned books, I would also like to mention one author, Khaled Hosseini. One of my favourite authors who has written just 3 books, and all three of them are bestsellers. I cannot even begin to emphasise on how good of a author he is. The three books are ‘And the Mountains Echoed’, ‘The Kite Runner’, and ‘ A Thousand Splendid Suns’. I would greatly encourage you all read his books, and if you do decide to read the books, then my dear friend, be prepared to be devastated by his kind words.

So these were the 5 books ( and one author) that you MUST read, according to me. Being an avid reader, it became quite difficult for me to cut down to just these 5 books. So, if you think that I have not included some book, that must be there, the book that one must read, do let me know in the comments, I will definitely read!