Are you a biblio-phobe? Are you just so sick of people telling you to culminate the habit of reading? Do you start reading a book but end up sleeping? Could you never get past those 50 pages? Well, if the answers to all those questions is a ‘yes’, then you have come to the right place. Ting!
Reading is to the brain what exercise is to your body but unfortunately, it comes of as a nightmare to a lot of people (so does exercise if you think of it). Why read when you can listen to audio books and watch almost everything in form of documentaries and movies. The biggest dilemma in the life of a non-reader is to begin reading and in order to get through reading a book, it is important that we read something that not just grasps one’s attention but also sustains it.
Reasons that you should, or wait- must switch from ‘watching’ to ‘reading’ is because the latter increases your brain power and makes it sharper, smarter and wiser. It is for a reason that we grew up listening to quotes such as ‘Books are our best friends‘, ‘Reading is breathing for the mind‘ etc etc but the quote that I swear by is the one by R.R Martin: ‘A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies’. You cannot defy the creator of Game of Thrones, or can you?
So, today I put together a list of top 5 fiction books that are very much likely to transition a non-reader into a quality-reader. At this point, it’s time that you accept that going through trolls and memes on social networking sites is nowhere close to actual ‘reading’. Our fellow homo sapiens, I for one, loved these books so much for the fact that they are beautifully woven through words into stories that can be understood by all and also send across a deep message. So here you go –
1. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho – “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” Yep, this is where it came from. A story of a young shephard boy, Santiago, who literally follows his recurring dream of treasure hunt in the pyramid of Egypt. This book is all about believing in your dreams and pursuing them till you see them through. One of the most translated books ever, this book has transformed the lives of numerous reader, if you are to go by the vox populi. An inspiring, light and a not so long 200 page book – a great choice for a promising start.
2. Books by Sidney Sheldon – Chances are that if you start reading a Sidney Sheldon, you will become a compulsive reader. His books are so riveting that no wonder he is one of the top 10 bestselling fiction writers of all time. This is almost a fact that his books are captivating and addictive – there is suspense, then there is sex, then there is drama and a plot that just takes your breath away. The most delicate moment might be followed by the most cold-hearted murder. Few of his best works are: ‘Nothing Lasts Forever‘, ‘The Sands of Time’, ‘Master of the Game’, ‘The Other Side of Midnight’ etc etc. Pick any! I couldn’t pick one for sure and ended up reading them all.
3. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini – Published in 2007, this is a story of two Afghan women, Mariam and Laila, who are generations apart but end up becoming wives of the same man. This book is more of a straight from the horse’s mouth interpretation of what civil life was like during the reign of Taliban and the before and after political instability. Those who seek literature will love this book for its narration, those who seek knowledge will be intrigued by the fight for political power and will learn a lot about what it is like to live in a country like Afghanistan, and those who seek recreation will be awed by the book’s plot.
4. Animal Farm by George Orwell- OK. Let me begin by saying that George Orwell’s work is so influential that the word Orwellian in itself has become one of the widely used adjectives in the political world. ‘Orwellian’ indicates any condition or situation in the society that is against the idea of a free and democratic society such as a totalitarian government in itself.
The book’s main character is a pig, inspired from Joseph Stalin who also a known tyrant, ruled the Soviet Union for almost 30 years. Published in 1945, this book was written at a time when UK was in alliance with the Soviet Union around the Second World War and the author couldn’t get over the fact that people (not just in Russia but also in his own country) thought that this Stalin guy was doing something good for the society while in reality he was just hungry for power and was nothing less than an autocrat. In author’s own words this novella is an artistic representation of “how easily totalitarian propaganda can control the opinion of enlightened people in democratic countries”. Easily one of the best books of 20th century, this is one book that you cannot miss.
5. The Immortals of Meluha by Amish Tripathi – This is one of those books which will compel you to stick around till the end. Easy on the head, yet interesting this book inter wines mythology, history and philosophy and plays like a movie in your head while you read through it. Set in 1900BC, this book will take you through the Indus valley civilization and in some way help you put the lost pieces of history together. Rich in its content and imagination, this book is definitely a good read which will also brush up your facts of basic Hindu mythology.
Happy reading! 🙂 Looking forward to know which one you picked.
Useless Thoughts 