My Top 5 Favourite Books ❤

Hi, sorry for not posting in ages, I've had no idea what to post on this blog but then decided to write about my five favourite books. Growing up, I've always loved reading. I loved the idea of creating your own characters and choosing what happens to them. One of my aspirations is to, hopefully, become a writer. But, until then, I shall continue writing and posting on this blog.

Anyway, here are my five favourite books, in no particular order.

5. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan 
*may contain spoilers*

Like many others, I love John Green's writing and enjoyed reading his other books including Looking For Alaska and The Fault In Our Stars so I was very much looking forward to reading this. When I was looking through a list of John Green's books, this one stood out to me as it had the name 'Will Grayson' repeated twice. This is what drew me to the book as it made me wonder why someone's name would appear twice in the title of a book. I soon learnt it was because the story is about two teenage boys who have the same name but are very different in real life. They live in two different parts of Illinois in Chicago and have never met. Some people might find a problem with a book being told in two different perspectives but I think both John Green and David Levithan have succeeded in telling a really compelling story from two different perspectives. From chapter one, when we are introduced to the first Will Grayson, we are desperate for the two Wills to meet. What will their reactions be? Will they get along? Will they hate each other? This was what I kept thinking throughout the book. The reason this is one of my favourite books is because of the two characters: both Will Graysons are relatable in some ways or another. Some people may relate to the first Will Grayson as he has a unrequited crush on a girl which is one of the issues teenagers struggle with in high school. Others may relate to the second Will Grayson as he is gay but he isn't your stereotypical gay character. When we are reading his chapters, we soon learn he has been diagnosed with depression and is on anti-depressants. This is written by Levithan and I loved the way he dealth with these issues. He clearly has some understanding of what the second Will Grayson is going through and tells his story in a truly compelling way. If you're a fan of Green and Levithan's previous novels, I'd definitely recommend this. It's full of both humour and drama.

4. All That Glitters by Vicky Pattison

Watching Geordie Shore, a reality TV series set in Newcastle, you probably wouldn't have guessed that Vicky Pattison would have been able to write a novel. However, Vicky has done just that. All That Glitters is Vicky's first novel and is about the pressures of being on reality TV. Vicky is best known for appearing in the reality TV series so, of course she'd be the best person to write this book. The main character is Issy and she is a hairdresser in Manchester. When her father almost dies from a heart attack, she soon makes the decision to appear in a hairdressing competition. However, the competition is going to be televised and will be shown to thousands of people and soon Issy starts to feel the pressure. I enjoyed reading this book as Issy is a likable character and, from the beginning, we want her to succeed in her dream of leaving her hairdressing salon in Salford. Her dream does come true when she appears in the hairdressing competition but the highs don't come without its lows. Issy is in a competition with several other people and, not only is she competing with them, she has to live with them as well. Issy soon learns that being famous isn't always glitz and glamour. I loved this book as it's full of humour and relatable characters. If you love romance and reality TV, then this is the book for you.

3. The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

This is probably the most underrated book on this list. I discovered this book in my high school library and after reading a few pages, I was hooked. This is definitely the most heartbreaking story I've ever read. The story is told from Lennie Walker's perspective as she talks about dealing with the sudden loss of her older sister, Bailey. However, instead of grieving for her sister, Lennie struggles to cope with the sudden feeling of love for, not one boy, but two, one of them being her sister's boyfriend, Toby. Lennie feels guilty for this as she feels like she is meant to be grieving for her sister. The other boy is Joe, who is in Lennie's music class and they bond over their love of music. Lennie is torn about her feelings for Toby and Joe and struggles over who to be with. What I loved about this book was that it included some of Lennie's poems that she wrote in her notebooks and in random places, one of them being on a takeaway cup. This poems describe Lennie's feelings in a truly beautiful way. The book deals with a lot of issues, including love and the loss of a loved one, in a truly captivating way. It also features many themes including music and nature. Whenever Lennie is feeling depressed, she escapes outside where she uses her clarinet to express her feelings. We, obviously, never hear what Lennie is playing but we can easily imagine it's something sad and beautiful. This book is similar to John Green's book, Looking For Alaska, as it deals with similar issues and has similar themes, so if you liked his book and don't mind shedding a tear or two, then I'd definitely recommend this book.

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

The Harry Potter series reaches its inevitable end in The Deathly Hallows. Before reading this, I had just watched the film adaptation and thought it was truly brilliant and was very excited about reading the books. By the time I had reached the final book, I didn't want it to end. I had enjoyed reading every single one of them and didn't want the magic to end. Despite knowing the conclusion to the series, as I'd just seen the film, I was still surprised by many things that weren't in the film. This book contains more depth than the film and J.K. Rowling's writing is truly flawless. I can understand why her books have become so successful ever since the release of the first book in the series, The Philosopher's Stone in 1997. We have followed Harry Potter's journey from a 11-year-old boy into a young adult as he prepares for the ultimate battle agains Lord Voldemort, the dark wizard who killed his parents when he was just a baby. Never before has a story about wizards and witches ever been so enchanting. It's hard believing that these characters aren't real as, whenever I read it, I feel like I'm in the wizarding world and with Harry and his two friends, Hermione and Ron, trying to defeat the dark lord at last. At times, my heart was filled with love and happiness and also heartbreak and sadness. I don't think any other fantasy book will ever come close to being as good as the Harry Potter series. By the time I'd reach the last chapter, I was in tears. To bring emotion to a reader is probably one of the most difficult things, but J.K. Rowling succeeds and makes us feel sad that the magic has come to an end. There's always a little bit of me that hopes, deep down, Rowling will, one day, write another story featuring Harry Potter, the boy who lived.

1. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

When I was reading The Hunger Games, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it as it features a lot of violence and action. However, the reason why I enjoyed it was because of the protagonist, Katniss Everdeen. The story is told from her point of view so we always know her feelings and opinions throughout. The 'Hunger Games' are an annual event where two tributes, between the age of 12 and 18, from each of the twelve districts must fight to the death in a televised battle in order to win money for their district. This is something I thought was atrocious and was one of the reasons why I wanted to read it. Another reason was because the main protagonist is a female and I'd not read a book series or watched a film that featured a female as the lead. In the beginning of the Hunger Games, Katniss explains why the people living in the districts are so poor and why the Hunger Games happen through her thoughts. We feel sympathy for Katniss from the beginning especially when she volunteers for her younger sister, Prim, and takes her place in the Hunger Games. This is why we root for her and want her to succeed. She is both brave and cunning and does everything she can to survive. However, it's because of the events at the end of the Hunger Games that lead to Catching Fire, the second novel in the trilogy. Katniss and, fellow tribute and ally, Peeta tried to rebel against the Games and, now, must pay for what they've done. Because, for the first time in the Games history, there have been two Victors, many Districts have started uprising. Despite all these disastrious events, Katniss and Peeta both think they're free to carry their lives on as normal but, unfortunately, this couldn't be further from the truth. The President of the Capitol announces that there is to be a special version of the Hunger Games where previous Victors are to be sent back into the arena. This is bad news for Katniss as she is the only female Victor from District 12 and has no choice but to face the dreaded arena once more. The reason why this is my favourite book out of the three is because it's full of character development and action and it's because of the events in this book that lead to the revolution in Mockingjay. 

Those were my favourite books. 

I will be doing my top 5 favourite non-fiction books soon.

Thank you so much for reading my blogposts, it really means a lot.

❤