I wanted to introduce you to some of my all time favourite books. As an author, it goes without saying that I love to read. Even as a youngster, I would devour each one page by page – and I didn’t just read books for kids, I loved all kinds of genres like horrors, chick lit, thrillers and romance. I just couldn’t get enough of them. Perhaps it was because we moved to Portugal when I was ten years old and English books weren’t the easiest thing to come by at that time.
And now, with the advent of audio books, I can listen to my favourite books whilst doing the ironing, lying in bed or even while swimming in the pool! Here are some of my all time favourite books from over the years.
Memoirs of a Geisha by Authur Golden
I don’t often read books more than once but this is clearly up there as one of my top all time favourite books of all time. I’ve read it three times! It’s a world away from what I usually read these days (chick lit and young adult urban fantasy), but it’s one which will always have a place in my heart. If you love the Japanese way of life, you’ll adore this beautifully written tale. This was made into a movie in 2005 (click the link left for more info about that).
In Arthur Golden’s poised and beautifully written debut novel, Sayuri tells the extraordinary tale of her life, evoking a quarter of a century of Japan’s dramatic history, 1929 through to the post-war years.
Her story encompasses her childhood in a poor fishing village, before taking us, as she was taken at the tender age of nine, into the formal but intimate world of the geisha, a world supposedly of eroticism and enchantment, but also one of exploitation and degradation. Later, when the war has forced the closure of the geisha houses, Sayuri tells of her redemptive struggle, penniless and hungry, finally to forge her own freedom, on her own terms.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
I had to read this book for my English Literature A’level but completely fell in love with it. It’s such a brilliantly written dystopian story. You might have seen the TV adaptation on screens now (see link left)? I haven’t watched it yet but I’m hoping to soon. I did watch the 1990 film version with Aiden Quinn and Natasha Richardson though (see right).
In a remarkably prescient account of a dystopian society, this is Margaret Atwood’s chilling tale of one woman’s experience of an oppressive regime and the claustrophobic niche it insists she occupy.
The Republic of Gilead offers Offred only one function: to breed . If she deviates, she will, like dissenters, be hanged at the wall or sent out to die slowly of radiation sickness. But even a repressive state cannot obliterate desire – neither Offred’s nor that of the two men on which her future hangs….
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
Perhaps the weirdest book I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading! Again, this was another book I had to read for A’level English but I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. It’s really funny, in the freakiest way. I seem to recall that a cow’s leg fell off for no apparent reason lol. Like I said, it’s weird 😉 I’ve literally just discovered that the movie with Kate Beckinsale and Joanna Lumley was made some years ago. How did I not know that?!
Patricia Gallimore and Miriam Margolyes star in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of the classic comic novel.
Strong of will and slender of ankle, 20-year-old orphan Flora Poste is blessed with every virtue save that of being able to earn her own living. Casting around for suitable relatives with whom she can make her home, Flora alights on the mysterious Starkadders and heads down to darkest Sussex.
There she is confronted by an exceptionally odd cast of characters. Grief-stricken Judith, fervently religious Amos, the lusty, smouldering Seth, wild and mysterious Elfine and the invisible tyrant Great Aunt Ada Doom, who saw something nasty in the woodshed. Many would be overcome by the simmering passions of the Starkadder family, but not Flora. All they need is a little organising.
Emily by Jilly Cooper
I think I read all of Jilly’s books in the late 1980s and boy did I learn a lot about life (ahem… and sex). She is one of the best chick lit writers of her generation – hilariously funny and brilliant. I’d highly recommend you start with her shorter books like Emily, Imogen or Bella. I loved every one of them!
If Emily hadn’t gone to Annie Richmond’s party, she would never have met the impossibly irresistible Rory Balniel. She would never have married him and been carried off to the wild Scottish island of Irasa to live in his ancestral home. She’d never have met the wild and mysterious Marina, a wraith from Rory’s past. Nor her brother, the disagreeable Finn Maclean. And she would never have been caught stealing roses in a see-through nightie….
Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel
I was introduced to this book by some close friends and it was like no other I had ever read. Not to mention it was HUGE! I often shy away from books that are so heavy, probably because I find them daunting. I’m so glad I didn’t though – it is bloody brilliant. The Clan of the Cave Bear was also made into a movie starring a young Darryl Hannah (see link right). There are various other titles in the series but I haven’t read (or listened to) them….yet!
Clan of the Cave Bear is the first novel in Jean M. Auel’s best-selling epic of life 35,000 years ago. Set in Ice Age Europe, Ayla is a Cro-Magnon child who loses her parents in an earthquake. She is adopted by a Neanderthal Clan whose wary suspicion is gradually transformed into acceptance under the guidance of its medicine woman and holy man. Immerse yourself in a world dictated by the demands of survival in a hostile environment, and be swept away in an epic tale of love, identity and struggle.
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
My dad actually gave me a copy of this book quite a few years ago. Again, I found it daunting because it was another huge one lol. But, because Dad gave it to me, I wanted to read it. Seriously, this is epic! I couldn’t put it down. Eddie Redmayne starred in the TV adaptation.
The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of a monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral. Tom, the mason who becomes his architect – a man divided in his soul. The beautiful Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame. And of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother.
For some other interesting reads, check out my very own chick lit and YA books!
Come and check out my brand new WEEKLY TOP PICKS! Some of the things that have caught my eye whilst doing a little online shopping. I’ll be sharing exciting new things each and every week so do keep coming back for more!
LINKING UP with:
FOLLOW SUZY TURNER...
