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Books To Read this Holiday Break (For Fun!)

I have compiled a list of the top 10 books I read in 2015 (but the books are not necessarily written in 2015... actually none of them are). Yes, I read a lot. Hopefully my fellow bookworms will take joy in this list, and read one of these gems this Christmas season.


10. Into the Wild (1996) by: Jon Krakauer
Favourite quote: "It is easy, when you are young, you believe that what you desire is no less than what you deserve, to assume that if you want something badly enough, it is your God-given right to have it."
Reason to read this book: it will make you feel more adventurous (but also sad)
This book is a very touching, non-fictional account of Chris McCandless, a man who, upon graduating college, journeys on his own to the middle of the Alaskan wilderness, and never returns. His tale does not make sense to the average, sedentary person, and why any human would take such a risk baffles me. It's a great read, and will take you to the wild side!


9. Dracula (1897) by: Bram Stoker
Favourite quote: "How good and thoughtful he is; the world seems full of good men- even if there are monsters in it."
Reason to read this book: you will truly learn how inaccurate Twilight is
A beloved, and eccentric classic that I was forced to read for class but actually enjoyed. The novel is comprised entirely of letters, making the accounts seem real. Eerie. Follow Dr. Van Helsing and his team of vampire slayers on a twisted journey to Transylvania. Just don't read this book before you go to sleep. Or stock up on garlic.


8. The Picture of Dorian Grey (1891) by: Oscar Wilde
Favourite quote: "Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing."
Reason to read this book: you just should. It's a classic.
Another classic that I was forced to read but thoroughly enjoyed. I devoured this book in one day. It follows the odd tale of Dorian Grey, a shallow lad, who pays for being superficial. It's a very philosophical novel, and will have you thinking if eternal youth is really worth it. A good holiday read, if you want to test your brain a bit.


7. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (2012) by: Rachel Joyce
Favourite quote: "Harold could no longer pass a stranger without acknowledging the truth that everyone was the same, and also unique, and that this was the dilemma of being human."
Reason to read this book: it will restore your mood after the exam blues
This book is a feel-good, uplifting tale, about a retired man's impromptu journey to visit his terminally ill friend. Along the way, he learns how to be more accepting of others, how to have faith, and how to forgive and love again. If you want the warm fuzzies in your stomach, this is the book for you.


6. Solar Storms (1997) by: Linda Hogan
Favourite quote: "Tears have a purpose. They are what we carry of the ocean, and perhaps we must become the sea, give ourselves to it, if we are to be transformed."
Reason to read this book: you will learn a lot about the evils of colonialism
Truly, this book is a visual masterpiece. The tale is about a young native woman who is on the journey of discovering her past and learning more about her people. It has everything: love, romance, nature, war (the war on colonialism). Originally, I read this book for an Aboriginal Studies class, but I loved it so much I read it in a few big gulps and would read it again.


5. The Kite Runner (2003) by: Khaled Hosseini
Favourite quote: "I'm so afraid. Because I'm so profoundly happy. Happiness like this is frightening. They only let you be this happy if they're preparing to take something from you."
Reason to read this book: it has so many twists and turns it will keep you flipping pages
First off, the movie version of this book sucks. However, the book itself is incredible. It is a heartbreakingly beautiful story about two young boys growing up during the war in Afghanistan. It is a tragic tale, but is worth reading. You will definitely sympathize with the main characters.



4. Engleby (2007) by: Sebastian Faulks
Favourite quote: "At such moments of extreme panic and anguish you do manage that trick with time: you are at last free from that illusion that time is linear."
Reason to read this book: you want to tap in to your dark inner psyche
This is a very twisted, dark novel. Engleby is smart, but bitter and pessimistic, and will be saying things throughout the novel that make you feel uncomfortable and in awe at the same time. He embodies, what I think is a "lost soul," someone who feels like they have nothing to live for. The story unravels in an eerie, gruesome way, and you never know if you can trust Engleby as the first-person narrator.


3. The Book Thief (2005) by: Markus Zusak
Favourite quote: "Even death has a heart."
Reason to read this book: it will make you cry
This tragic story follows Liesel, a young girl living in Nazi Germany. Just to warn you, there is nothing happy that happens in this novel. The narrator is Death himself. However, the writing is incredible, and you really become attached to the characters. I finished this book within days, and you should too, because it will change your perspective on life.


2. Gone Girl (2012) by: Gillian Flynn
Favourite quote: "Most beautiful, good things were done by women who scorn."
Reason to read this book: you won't want to put it down
There are so many unexpected twists in this novel, and once again we have the thrill of an unreliable narrator. This story kept me in suspense the whole way through. Nick and Amy are the pinnacle of a dysfunctional couple, but it really can't get more dysfunctional than this. If you want an entertaining, psychologically twisted tale to rack your brain, I recommend this book for you.


1. Middlesex (2002) by: Jeffrey Eugenides
Favourite quote: "Everyone struggles against despair, but it always wins in the end. It has to. It's the thing that lets us say goodbye."
Reason to read this book: you will question whether gender is actually a thing
This book is #1 on my list for 2015. It's a bit of a long read, but worth it, as it spans a few generations of a "family curse." The story is centred around a young kid living as a hermaphrodite, but it's so much more complicated than that. The novel showcases the quashing of the American dream, the ambiguity of gender, the complexity of love, and the reality of death. If you have time to read this Christmas break, pick this book up at a local library or book store near you.

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