Happy Tuesday everyone! As it is Tuesday, it is time for a Top Ten Tuesday update. Top Ten Tuesday is an original blog meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and is currently being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week’s given topic is Books I Recommend to Others the Most

toptentuesday

I rarely recommend books. I find it difficult to recommend a book because I need to first know what books a reader or even a non-reader is into. As such, whenever someone asks me to recommend a book, my first question is always, “What type of reader are you?” Or I ask them what they are looking for. Is it mystery or suspense? Is it thrill or adventure? Is it romance? Or a book that they can just lay back and relax? It is always a tricky business to recommend a book for one has to gauge what book is suitable to one’s personality. Nevertheless, here are some of the books I often recommend. How about you fellow readers? What book do you often recommend?

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

To be honest, I wasn’t too keen on reading Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s Shadow of the Wind. I eventually relented after I was convinced by the positive feedback from fellow book bloggers. I am glad I did! The book provided me a surreal experience. Ruiz Zafón, with his atmospheric and descriptive prose, made me walk through every nook and cranny of Barcelona. He made me discover a secret or two. The Shadow of the Wind is a book I wouldn’t mind recommending because it is about reading, books, and literature.

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

The pandemic has made me realize that I am more of a cat person. This reminded me of Hiro Arikawa’s The Travelling Cat Chronicles, a book I will always recommend to both book lovers and non-book lovers. It is an easy read and gives a different dimension to the reading experience in general because Arikawa convincingly situated the readers into the mind of a cat! It was a unique and interesting experience. The novel also has a heartwarming, although heartbreaking, premise. It will surely pluck the proverbial strings of the heart.

Circe by Madeline Miller

I like Greek mythology and mythology in general. It is for this reason that I would not mind recommending Madeline Miller’s Circe. What I loved about the book was Miller’s undertaking to carefully dissect the titular character, one who was often vilified in mainstream Greek mythology. Miller gave the readers a heartwarming story of a character who is often misunderstood because of her unique abilities. It is an accessible read, one that can easily be appreciated by both readers and non-readers alike, regardless of whether they like mythology or not.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee 

Sure, Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is easily one of the most recognizable titles out there. It was even adapted into an award-winning film! There is a good reason why the book, a classic of literature, is part of this list. To be honest, I was daunted by the book; its reputation precedes it. But once I got over my intimidation, I started to appreciate the nuances of the story. It is, without a doubt, a masterfully written story about a young girl’s coming of age in a tumultuous period. It is no different from today’s conditions, thus, the story transcends the boundaries of time.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger 

Equally popular and equally vastly studied as To Kill A Mockingbird is J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. Interestingly, when I bought the book, I didn’t have an iota about what it was about. Salinger also barely rang a bell of familiarity. I would soon learn that the book was a classic of American and world literature. It wasn’t difficult to see why. Holden Caufield, the sardonic and even pessimistic main character is easily one of the most memorable in literature. He is a distinct voice and it is for this reason that I sometimes recommend the book.

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman 

Fredrik Backman’s Anxious People is another book that I would never tire of recommending to anyone. I loved A Man Called Ove, my first Backman (I also recommend it!), which led to Anxious People. It had the signature Swedish humor that Backman’s prose is renowned for. However, this lightheartedness belies the book’s deeper messages about mental health. The unusual story also reminds the readers about kindness and how it ripples through a wider range. It is indeed a memorable book and one of the books that made the lockdown bearable.

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry 

Any recommendation list curated by yours truly would never be complete without Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince. I read the book over a decade ago but my memories of it are still vivid. The premise is simple and the book is slender but the messages interwoven into the Little Prince’s adventure resonate on all levels. I wanted to be his friend. I wanted to hug him and be his older brother. It is that kind of book. The book also contains one of my favorite literary quotes: “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.“

Love, Rosie by Cecilia Ahern 

I still recall reading Love, Rosie by Cecilia Ahern as if it was just yesterday. For the record, I read the book over a decade ago but the have good memories of reading the book still linger. While the premise was simple, the execution was brilliant. Related entirely through letters, emails, instant messages, and postcards, it was one of the books that showed me that telling a story can come in different ways. When I had the chance to recommend the book, I did.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini 

There is simply no word to express how much I admire Hosseini’s works. I loved all three of his novels, with his debut novel, The Kite Runner just a little further ahead. The story of a son and a father in the Afghan capital of Kabul, Hosseini managed to transport me to Kabul and made me walk its alleys and colorful markets. It was an immersive read, both raw and powerful. He provided a picture of Afghanistan away from how it is depicted in mainstream media. He made me fall in love with his country with the beauty of his prose. His works reminded me of literature’s power to transport one to another place and time.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie 

When I read my first Agatha Christie novel, Murder on the Orient Express, I was on the cusp of giving up on mystery and suspense fiction entirely. I have become bored of their predictable plots and their formulaic storytelling. I did not expect what Murder on the Orient Express had in store. The book riveted me from the onset and the ending was also brilliant. It is safe to say that the book renewed my interest in the genre. I do believe that this is a book that non-readers will like because it is witty, suspenseful, and an entertaining read. It has all the elements to convince one to pick up the next book.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez 

To be honest, Nobel Laureate in Literature Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude is not for the faint of heart, as I learned when I read it. It was actually one of the first works of magical realism that I read. I was not ready for the roller-coaster ride it gave me. But it was also this wild ride that made me appreciate the beauty of this literary classic. I totally will recommend it to readers who want to explore beyond what literature can offer, to readers who are willing to step out of their comfort zones, and to everyone who wants to explore a different world.

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