reading is that activity that helps you escape from reality and immerse yourself in another universe. the books we read help us better understand the world and form ideas. and, well, some of them also give us phrases that affect us so much that we tattoo them. the books take you to different worlds that you have never visited before, be it the fantasy world of harry potter or the world of heartbreak as in the fault in our stars.
But not all of us develop the habit of reading from childhood and, as adults, we don’t know where to start. It can be a confusing deal because of the number of books available, but you also need to learn where to start so that you can easily start a love relationship with books and nurture it as time goes on.
You are reading: Best books to get into reading
here is a guide for all those just starting out:
1. the great gatsby by f. scott fitzgerald
The story is narrated by Nick Carraway, but it is mainly about a mysterious rich man, Jay Gatsby. Jay is a millionaire known for his lavish parties, but the strangest thing is that he never attends them. at least that’s what nick finds out as he meets his cousin, his sister daisy, and her husband tom.
as the story unfolds, we discover that gatsby knew daisy before. however, when he first met her, he was not doing so well financially and she was the typical rich girl. but he still fell in love with her and gaining wealth was part of her plan to become one with daisy. the extravagant parties are an attempt to become a part of his world. Gatsby is more obsessed with Daisy than in love with her and is doing everything he can to make him fall in love with her. but the question is, does he get it? Does he finally get a reciprocity for her love?
2. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
This was originally published for adults, but over the years The Catcher in the Rye has become popular with all teenage readers going through a phase of rebellion. The protagonist Holden Caulfield has been expelled from his school for failing grades. he’s in a confusing place in life and can’t even imagine telling his parents about the whole ordeal. pretty typical, right?
The book is the journey of Holden, who discovers that he is shedding his childhood to enter the world of adults. like any teenager, he finds it difficult and even plans to run away to become a recluse. however, he must read the book to see if he really takes the plunge. plus, he’ll make you relive your teenage angst.
3. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
the alchemist is an easy read with hidden meanings. the reason it’s on this list is because even with its simple storytelling, it’s a novel that you’ll be able to really understand once you’re a certain age.
The plot follows the story of Santiago, a shepherd boy, who believes that a certain recurring dream he has been having is some kind of prophecy. he visits a fortune teller to ask her about it. she tells him that she sees a treasure in the egyptian pyramids that santiago should discover. On his journey, he meets an old king who tells him personal legends. “Your personal legend is what you have always wanted to achieve. everyone, when they are young, knows what their personal legend is”, and “when you want something, the whole universe conspires to help you achieve it”. To see if this is really true, give it a read.
4. The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
everyone should read this book at some point during their reading date. The plot refers to the great Indian epic Mahabharata, but is told by none other than Draupadi. For a long time, our ancient literature has been missing a female voice, but this retelling of the tale through Draupadi’s perspective will make you see the story in a different light.
Born of fire, Draupadi marries the five Pandava brothers while harboring a secret love. She is often blamed for starting a war that killed many, but this is her story and she may see why she is not to blame. A new version of an old story is a great way to spark her interest in reading.
5. Sita: An Illustrated Retelling of the Ramayana by Devdutt Pattanaik
This book stands out for its ability to familiarize readers with an important twist in the Ramayana, a story we all know by heart. Told through Sita’s eyes, this book will take you through the Ramayana journey but it will be Sita telling her side of the story.
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From a loyal wife following her husband into the woods to a mother raising her children alone, this story will bring Sita’s character to you and make you respect her even more.
6. The Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini
amir and hassan are young people who spend the day playing together but there is something that separates them. it is the class difference since amir is a rich Pashtun boy but hassan is the son of his servant. Assef, a bully, often teases Amir for being friends with a servant, but it is Hassan who has always protected Amir from bullies.
at the local kite flying tournament, amir wins and hassan races to catch the last severed kite. he manages but assef and his gang catch him. they beat him and then rape him. amir sees all this but he is too scared to save hassan. it is something that cannot be forgiven but that years later has the opportunity to redeem itself. but does he manage to speak out against the atrocities he sees this time? A story about growing up, discovering family secrets, and making lifelong friendships, this novel is sure to move you.
7. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
The novel is most famous for its scandalous content, but that’s exactly what makes it a good read. it leaves you with mixed emotions for the characters and you realize that nothing is black or white in life.
a man is writing his memoirs under the pseudonym humbert humbert. Humbert remembers falling in love with a girl named Annabel when he was young. however, she too dies soon after due to illness. As an adult, Humbert develops a sexual inclination for girls at puberty, that is, girls between the ages of 9 and 14. Shortly after the failure of his first marriage, Humbert marries a woman who has a 12-year-old daughter. yes, his plan is to eventually keep the girl close to him. however, you will be surprised by the way events unfold. It’s a book you just can’t stop reading.
8. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
We’ve all heard of this story and we all know Alice, but the point is that children’s literature can give you a whole new perspective on a book when you read it as an adult. the story begins when alice sees a white rabbit with a vest. she decides to follow him and next thing you know she has fallen down a rabbit hole.
There are creatures you meet and experiences you collect. in short, the book, when read as an adult, seems like a metaphor for life. In the end, it’s always good to keep your imagination alive and believe that we’re all a little crazy.
9. Malgudi Days by R K Narayanan
This book would be perfect for any Indian child who wants to indulge in a bit of nostalgia. the narrative is easy to read, and yet it carries with it a very typically Indian childhood. It is a compilation of 32 stories, all set in Malgudi, an imaginary town in South India.
However, the stories are so real that you don’t feel like anything is fictional. It deals with the social problems that worried the older generation and also with the problems that the younger generation feels closer to. a simple compilation that will keep you coming back until you finish the book and even then you’ll want to read more.
10. Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh
The story begins in Mano Majra, a fictional town on the border between India and Pakistan. however, the book does cover the kind of destruction that partitioning brought about. One line in the book reads: “The Muslims said that the Hindus had planned and started the slaughter. according to the Hindus, the Muslims were to blame. the fact is that both sides died. they both shot and stabbed and threw and clubbed. both tortured. both raped.”
The reason why you should go for it is because the language is quite straightforward and given its Indian context, it makes for a read that will leave you with a mark.
11. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
The story is Arundhati Roy’s debut novel and is known for its simple yet powerful storytelling. The story is set in Kerala and switches between the childhood and adulthood of twins Rahel and Esthappen.
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The novel covers the cultural issues facing a typical Keralite society, that of communism, the caste system, and the Syrian Christian lifestyle. In the middle of it all, there is the mother of the twins who is attracted to Velutha, a servant of the family who belongs to a ‘lower caste’. For all those who believe that caste is not too big in the Indian context, this book is an eye opener.
12. The Fountainhead By Ayn Rand
A classic from 1943. In one vein, The Wellspring is a story of upholding one’s ideals versus succumbing to conventional norms. The narrative is set in the 1920s and the story revolves around a recent graduate school architect, Howard Roark, who, very early in his career, is expelled for insubordination from the Institute of Technology School of Architecture. by stanton.
The book begins by highlighting the struggles Howard faced as his architectural ideas were considered radical and novel and he was constantly pressured to design according to established architectural standards and styles. it forces the reader to introspect about one’s own life choices and ideals, as the novel’s narrative constantly challenges the very idea of independent thought. the novel follows the journey of this extravagant architect and his struggle between independence and conformity. this novel offers its readers a perfect balance of introspection, inner conflict, individualism, and self-discovery through a fairly simple narrative.
13. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The novel deals with serious issues like rape and racial inequality, but through the eyes of two boys, Jean Finch and her older brother, Jeremy, who live with their widowed father, Atticus, who happens to be a lawyer.
atticus must defend a black man accused of raping a white woman. the whole town is against it, but atticus decides to defend the man and do justice. A story of extreme bravery and the sad reality of racial inequality, this book teaches you how to look at people as human beings rather than at various communal boundaries.
14. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
we have all heard of the name anne frank. Her family was in hiding for two years during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. she was eventually taken to a concentration camp where she passed away at an extremely young age. but he kept a diary with her in which he has eloquently written about her experience.
We don’t get many personal accounts of the atrocities people faced under the Nazi regime and this one from an innocent child is even more heartbreaking. read it for motivation and inspiration.
15. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The story begins with the narrator’s plane crashing in the Sahara desert, leaving the narrator with very few resources to survive. the narrative takes a turn when a little prince approaches the shattered narrator and simply asks the narrator to draw a sheep.
The two become friends and the novel chronicles their journey through conversations and revelations about the origins of the little prince, the mysteries of his home asteroid and why he left his birthplace to come to earth. the story encapsulates readers with its sheer scale of imagination and conversational narrative.
16. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
if you want to find a love of reading, take our word for it, no one can ignite that emotion other than murakami. this is one of his most famous novels and his immaculate storytelling skills will transport you to another world.
This is two intertwined stories. the story revolves around two characters with distinctly different lives but interconnected paths. the narrative moves back and forth, following each plot in alternate chapters. The odd chapters are about 15-year-old Kafka running away from his father’s house and the other plot, covered in the even chapters, is about an old man named Nakata who ends up with a job as a cat finder.
Find your kinda story and dive right in!
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