10 books you should read in your lifetime (Part 2)

1. To Kill a Mocking-Bird by Harper Lee

UmmulWaheedha
6 min readMay 20, 2021

I think everyone would have probably heard about this book because this is an all-time favorite of many people and this book is a historical and coming off age classic novel. I wanted to add this book even though it’s really famous because I want everyone to read this book. This book talks about racism, prejudices, etc. I would suggest the readers check for content warnings before reading this book. I would also recommend The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.

2.The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

This book is a memoir, as the title suggests this book is based on the diary of Anne Frank, a Jewish girl along with her family who fled and went into hiding during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, in the year 1942 (world war 2). In this book, War, the Holocaust, the cruelties, hunger, life, and death are shown in the eyes of a 13-year-old girl. This book is such an eye-opener and helps you to understand how much the world has changed and how much it hasn’t!

3. The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins

This one is a must-read for all the Dystopian/Utopian genre lovers. In this world, there are 12 districts, and each year two tributes (people) are chosen and thrown into the Arena, and only one of them will and should survive. I know this sounds cruel, but at the same time, it’s fascinating. It makes you think what if our world was like this. Terrifying, right? Suzanne Collins has outdone herself with her Worldbuilding, characters, etc. This is such a fun read, I can say for sure this will keep your readers entertained😉.

4.The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

This one is for all the Aesthetes or people who love poetry. This book contains 26 prose poetry fables that discuss topics like passion, spirituality, love, life, joy, sorrow, crime, law, punishment, freedom, reason, and much more. This is considered Kahlil Gibran’s masterpiece and this book is a must-read from my side. I would also like to suggest other books like Milk and Honey, The Sun and her Flowers by Rupi Kaur and The Princess saves Herself in this One, and other poetry collections by Amanda Lovelace.

5. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Buckle up everyone because this one is going to be an EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER! Yes, I used caps for emotional rollercoaster because I really want to emphasize to the readers that this book is one of the amazing, brilliant and beautiful books I have ever read but it is also sad, devastating, and heartbreaking. This book follows the life story of four friends Jude, Willem, JB, and Malcolm. This book doesn’t have a specific plot or story. But characters, I will always have a special place for the characters in my heart. I can’t count the number of times I cried while I was reading this book. I would highly recommend all of the readers to check the content warnings. And I would say that this book is not everyone’s cup of tea but if you think you have similar taste to mine, then you can go ahead and read this one! This is probably one of the best and the worst book I have ever read!

6. An Ember in the Ashes Series by Sabaa Tahir

This one is for all the fantasy lovers out there! This fantasy world is based on ancient Rome and in this brutal world those who defy the Martial empire are faced with death! One day Laia’s (the main protagonist) brother is arrested for treason and determined to save her brother, she will go to any length even if she’s going to lose herself. The world in this book is so captivating and the characters are well built! This book kept me on my toes all the time while I was reading it. I would also suggest the Harry Potter series, The Mistborn Trilogy, Percy Jackson series, The Infernal devices series, A court of thorns and roses series for fantasy lovers!

7.The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino

This is one of the best Thriller or Mystery/ Cult novels I have ever read. This is not the usual who done it? the story, in this book you will start by knowing more than what the detectives in the novel know. But I think this is one of the most brilliantly written novels I have ever read. The plot twists in this book are Mind-blowing! The characters, plot, Tokyo setting makes this novel a wonderful read! This book is a must-read for everyone!

8. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

This book is a classic fiction novel. I have heard so many good things about this book, but I was hesitant to pick it up because I thought it would be underwhelming. But this was such a beautiful at the same time a heart-breaking story. The writing style is artistic and creative, and the characters are raw and realistic. This book is about an Indian family in Kerala and the story is told over a period of three generations. This is a must-read!

9.All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

All The Light We Cannot See is a beautiful book about a blind girl and a German boy, set in France during the World War 2 time period. The writing style in this book is unique and beautiful. It doesn’t have a specific plot like other war or historical fiction novels, but it has a central plot about how both of the protagonists' life collide. This book is a must-read, PERIOD.

10. Becoming by Michelle Obama

Becoming is a memoir/autobiography of Michelle Obama who is the First African American Lady of the United States of America. In this book, she shares her experiences being the first lady of America. This book is one of the amazing autobiographies I have ever read. This book explains how she helped in creating the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, and the struggles she faced in her lifetime. This book has inspired millions of people around the world and I hope you will find it as amusing as I did.

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UmmulWaheedha

Hey Y’ all ! This is Ummul , a psychology student from Chennai, India.