Books to Read and Read and Read and Read.......

Well like a lot of people I love to read. Like most of them I have my "old favourites" (some of which are not so old) that are tattered and torn yet have to be read over and over.

This lens could quite easily be favourite authors or favourite bookstores. I can't put a number on it because there are just so many to choose from.

Books can take you on the most incredible journeys, provide an old friend (and maybe even a few new ones) when you are all alone, they can inspire, challenge, or purely entertain.  For all these reasons and more here are some of the books that I love to read and read and read and read.......

Image courtesy of Unsplash

I think that I have described the content of this list already. Here are books that I simply enjoy for various reasons. I hope you do too! The list will continue to grow and grow as I continue to read and read!

• The Power Of One by Bryce Courtney. This has to include it's sequel, Tandia (that technically makes it two books). I found a new best friend, I fell in love and I had my heart broken throughout the pages.
• Friends Like These by Victoria Routledge. There is nothing too intense but they are people we have all known.
• The Street Lawyer by John Grisham. Another great legal drama by the master. There could be any number of John Grisham novels in this list but this one is a particular favourite.
• Centre Line by Joyce Sweeny. I first read this tale of teenage runaways when I was 13 and still pull it off the shelf with as much enthusiasm as ever.
• The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by JRR Tolkein. There is not much I can say that hasn't been said already about this masterpiece of fiction. Seen the movies?? do yourself a favour and get the books!!
• Edge of the Rain by Beverly Harper. Such a beautifully written novel about Africa. Like all her work you are transported to the great continent and don't want to leave.
• Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl. The legend that is Roald Dahl had me hooked as a child as he did to millions of others. This is one of my all-time favourites and as a teacher I desperately look for an excuse to read it to each of my classes.
• The Famous Five Series by Enid Blyton. These were the most read books of my childhood and I spent hours searching second hand stores and flea markets to get copies of them as an adult. Who wouldn't want a life full fo constant adventure with Julian, Dick, George, Anne....and ofcourse Timmy the Dog!
• London by Edward Rutherford. What an amazing book!!! A novel without any real twists and turns but tells the story of the life of a city from the most ancient of Druid times to the modern day. It really does make you wonder about the stories that the streets we walk down each day have to tell.
• The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks. This is one that I don't read as often as others but still enjoy pulling off the shelf now and again. It is a very black and often disturbing work of fiction that is so well written that once you start you have to keep reading.
• Chart Throb by Ben Elton. I found this book to be a very clever take on the reality TV singing shows that are popular the world over. As a self confessed reality TV junkie I couldn't put this one down.
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling. OK so this is kind of like having Lord of the Rings on the list, (Hmm I do, don't I?!)entirely predictable. This one is my favourite one though because it is where the series stops being a well written kids book and having greater appeal to everyone, besides that the hippogriff is such a cool animal!
• Perfect Skin by Nick Earls. This is one of my favourite authors. There is nothing like chick lit that is written by a bloke. I am particularly fond of Nick Earls as he is a Brisbane author and I am able to have a clear picture of the places that he mentions.

Here are Amazon listings for some of the novels on my list

So many of the most fascinating stories are those that happened to real people. Some of them are famous and share their experiences, others are famous because of their experiences. Many more are just telling the stories of everyday people.....they just happen to have taken the time to write them down.

• Wild Swans by Jung Chang. I have a growing love of autobiographies and this is one of the best that I have read. I always find some new element in this one. Wild Swans is the story of three generations of Chinese women. The stories of all these remarkable women show what you can overcome purely on strength of character.
• The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.I first learnt of the story of Anne Frank as a primary school child. The story of the this Jewish family in hiding told by a girl who wasn't much older than me was fascinating, and still is.
• A Child Called It by David Pelzer. Another book that is the first in a set. This is one of those must reads for everyone. To think that this child suffered so much and then to read the following books and see the man that he became. An amazing life journey

Here are some of my favourite true stories that are available on Amazon.