Sometimes books can be life-changing. But most of the time we just read books that are just really good. A good book does not have to be life-changing, it only has to make us want to read it again and again. Here are some of my favourite books (the non-life-changing variety).
Misery- Stephen King
This is one of those books that doesn’t present a great deal of gore or violence throughout the story. Instead, it is the anticipation of the violence and thrill of wondering what will happen to the characters as the story progresses. The story follows Paul, a successful writer who has killed off the character in his best-selling novel series; and Annie, the woman who saves his life after a car accident and his number one nutcase of a fan.
Dracula- Bram Stoker
Based in Victorian England, it tells the tale of a love that spans the centuries. Count Dracula is a reclusive lord from Transylvania who buys Carfax Abbey in London with the help of Jonathan Harker. But once Mr Harker is in Dracula’s clutches it’s a race against time to save his love, Mia, who Dracula believes is his love from years before. The book was ahead of its time by explaining how the transformation to a vampire was a blood virus and not magic.
The Stepford Wives- Ira Levin
The story of the perfect wives in the town of Stepford is more than just a tale of oppression. It’s a warning for women about their husband’s pent-up anger. When it was written in the 1970’s, it was seen as a slightly outlandish way that men would attack their feminist wives, by turning them into the ideal woman…who was actually a robot.
The Exorcist- William Peter Blatty
The Exorcist was one of the scariest movies when it was released with people passing out in fear in the cinemas. But the book is scarier by far. Throughout the book, there is the chance to give more detail to what is happening, and how the author describes the emotions of fear and helplessness will keep you awake for days.
Deja Dead- Kathy Reichs
This is the first novel with the character Temperance Brennan, and the TV series Bones is based on the books. Temperances character is very different in the book from the TV series, although still slightly aloof and disconnected from the rest of the world, she seems more like a normal person doing her job than someone who has problems connecting with others. A must-read for those who like the science in their stories to be correct, and a good tale of murder most foul.