Top Five Books That Influenced My Life

1. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

Personally, this is my favourite book of all time and one which I will no doubt read over and over. It is a satirical book that deals with the very serious aspects of life and war, moving from moments of comedy to those of tragedy with ease.

2. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

This is a book that everyone should read as I can't imagine anyone disliking this book. In fact if you haven't read this book yet, read it.

I remember buying this book, not exactly sure what to expect, I hadn't seen the film (also highly recommended), and merely bought the book on recommendation from a friend. I must have read the book in a few days, finishing it at 5am in the morning after not wanting to stop reading the final section of the book. The book is brilliantly written, with many memorable moments and great characters.

3. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Another book that, if you haven't read it, you should do so now. I only read this book a year ago, after hearing many great things about it for years, and now I really wish I'd read it a lot sooner. This book, narrated by a young girl, deals with racism in Alabama in the 1930's, and the consequences of being involved.

4. His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman

The books in this trilogy are "Northern Lights" (or "The Golden Compass"), "The Subtle Knife" and "The Amber Spyglass". I actually received "The Subtle Knife" as a gift, and so, read the second book in the trilogy first. The book is classed as a childrens' book, but I would certainly recommend it to anyone. I hadn't read many books for a while when I started this, but after read a couple chapters I was hooked. I then went on to read "Northern Lights" and "The Amber Spyglass".

5. George's Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl

My favourite Roald Dahl book. I read this when I was very young, and read it over and over for many years. Dahl's imagination I found fascinating and always entertained me as a child.