THE BOOK SHELF

01

Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna

This novel is contemporary literature gold; it is historiographic metafiction at its finest. Kingsolver takes her reader through the Mexican revolution and on into the anti-communist days of 1950s America, all the while delving into the questions of identity, belonging, and the power of what isn't openly spoken.  

 

02

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

This novel is timeless, and you'll probably be hard pressed to find someone who hasn't read it--or at least been subjected to one of the multiple adaptations. As far as classic romance couples go, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy have to be one of my favourite.

 

03

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series

This one goes without saying: a book that has become so much more than a franchise. This series grew with me through my teenage years and will forever hold a special place in my heart.

 

04

Justin Cronin's The Passage

At a time when the vampire genre was monopolised by vampires that sparkled in the sun, this book offered a refreshing return to vampire basics--with a post-apocalyptic twist. Spanning over ninety years and following multiple generations, this novel makes a terrifying world seem a very likely reality.

 

05

Jonathan Franzen's Freedom

This novel follows the members of a middle class American family through the closing decades of the twentieth century and into the start of the twenty-first. Franzen successfully delves into the social, political, and real wars of today, but the most striking revelation of the book is the truth--what really goes on behind closed doors. 

 

06

Kristina Olsson's Boy Lost

This memoir tells the story of a boy who was stolen from his mothers arms in 1950s Australia. Olsson delicately gives light to the suffering of her mother and the confusion of her lost brother, while highlighting the affect it had on the whole family. By extention, Olsson shines a light on a catalogue of untold stories of children lost in Australian history.

 

07

Josephine Angelini's Starcrossed

As a young adult fantasy romance this is not the most complicated or eye opening book you will ever read, but Angelini has succeeded in creating characters you can't help but love. This book throws the reader into a world of greek mythology, fate, and destiny that forces its characters to fight the history they are doomed to repeat.

 

08

Ian McEwan's Atonement

Another great piece of historigraphic metafiction, with a twist at the end that left me wanting to hate the author for cheating me while applauding him for his literary genius. Set in three time periods, McEwan explores one girl's need to atone for a mistake that had devestating consequences.

 

09

Jojo Moyes's Me Before You

Moyes handles the sensitive subject of euthanasia perfectly in this novel, and succeeds in creating a book that generates discussion. This book looks at the fine line between living a quality life and simply existing, the battle of personal opinions with the decisions of others, and the difference one person can make to another's life. This novel gives you everyting you expect it to, yet still manages to leave you not quite believing it happened. Warning: it's a tear-jerker.

 

10

John Green's The Fault in Our Stars

Another genius piece of contemporary literature. Green deals with the sensitive topic of cancer in a way that is real and honest, yet not depressing. Yes, it is sad, and yes, I cried (a lot), but Green brings a lot of light and hope to an otherwise sad topic. It is hard not to fall in love with the books protagonists while you follow them as they try to achieve their dreams and persuade one emotionally scarred author to reveal the unanswered plot holes in their favourite story.