1984, George Orwell
I really liked this one. Read it after Animal Farm (liked that too); great use of language and discusses the topic really well. A really powerful book; felt really depressed after I read it - Animal Farm wasn't that depressing as this one.
Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
Currently on my bookshelf! I only bought it last week, with three other books.
The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
Despite being the one book that everyone uses to describe a moody intellectual, hating the world, I liked this one. Salinger managed to write in that flowy style that makes you keep reading, and his words has a certain rhythm to it. Now I sound like a pretentious Arts student (well, I am an Arts student...) does anyone understand what I mean? But yeah, I did this for Yr11 English, and I liked it even better after studying it...if anyone likes the book, go watch
Igby Goes Down - it's similar to Catcher.
Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
Okay, can I just say, sooooo much better than the movie! Definitely a chick's book, but with a love triangle, angry but passionate lover, a war, and a fiesty protagonist - this is really really good. If you can manage to get into it, you'll be hooked and you'll just keep reading! But its a bit of a slog, in terms of pages.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
Hm, I think I preferred Prisoner of Azkaban to this one. But this is probably the most action packed one out of the lot (although Order comes close). Good read though, but I like all of the HP books!
His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
I'm not a fantasy fan, but this is a great trilogy. don't be put off by the fact that its in the kid's section in the bookstore, it's written well and has a great storyline behind it. Also the backstory and the stories aroudn the minor characters are really interesting.
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
Okay, I've read this years ago, but I didn't like it at all. I don't know why. I seem to have a thing against the Bronte sisters, because I can't stand the characters inthem, full of tremendous passion, with characters on such extremes ends of the spectrum. Yes, there is the ugly Jane Eyre with the larger than life Mr Rochester...and the evil cousins who will always be evil except for the one who is slightly more humane....bleh, I don't know.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
First few of the series were good. Read this in like Year 4, but I can remember trying to find each book of the series in the library, so I must have really enjoyed them. From a quick scan of them int eh holidays, they're written well, have great story line (Don't know about the Christian allegory, I just read it for the story), but I think it gets a bit old by the 6th and 7th...I was struggling to finish them, and I just finished them for the sake of finishing them.
Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
This was good. I liked it. Better than the movie by a long shot; the 2nd & 4th book isn't as great, but I liked the 3rd one, about the generation after.
Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
I'm not a fantasy fan. I read this because it's always in the top 100 books of all time, usually in the top 1 or 2. Tolkein's vivid description of everything, including a chair, which can go on for about a page, and history about every single bloody character makes the book a bit slow. I mean, weget the point, its achair. Can we have some more plot please?
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
Year 10 English. Read it and studied it to death (but i enjoyed studying it), but I can't remember much from it. Shall have to read it again.
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
Okay, you either love it or hate it. I love it. But I admit it, I didn't like it the first time either. But it's funny once you get into it, and if you don't....just watch Colin Firth.
But yes, one of my favourites! (I have 2, one paperback, one hardcover, so I can read it when Im travelling.
)
The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
Why does everyone like this book? I hated it when I first read it, have refused to read it since.
Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
Gotta love the Pooh.
Its a cute book.
Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
Bleh, can't stand Romantic writers. Okay, Cathy and Heathcliff can't live without each other. And Heathcliff is Cathy's rock, her love for him never changing. COmbine that with incestuous love, what more could you want? Did it for Yr12 English, that might explain my aversion to it.
phew, that was a long type.
