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My Favourite Books

Emma
I discover something new every time I reread this book! There is a whole subplot of Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill and it's fun to find the little hints that Austen dropped along the way before the romance was revealed. I also really like how Emma may not seem like the most likeable heroine at first glance and I almost stopped reading the book because of this. But I'm glad I continued because she improves and learns from the many blunders she makes along the way. Besides this the unpleasant characters like Mr and Mrs Elton are so realistically described I can almost imagine meeting one in real life! Plus Miss Bates' speeches, while always a page long, are actually quite amusing 😂.
Pride and Prejudice
A story where Mr Darcy had to overcome his pride and Lizzy her prejudice in order for them to appreciate and love each other. Even though I felt so much second-hand embarassment the first time I read Mr Darcy's first proposal, I still enjoyed the book as a whole and have reread it many times! Plus the other characters are awesome -- Mr Collins, Mrs Bennett and Ms Bingley are amusing and ridiculous.
The Hunger Games Trilogy
One of my favourite dystopian novels that begins when Katniss Everdeen volunteers to be the tribute in the Hunger Games. Besides its gripping plot, I love how the points it raises on power, politics and entertainment are both accurate and relevant today.
Anne of Green Gables
Despite it being written for children, I think this is a book for all ages. I’m inspired by how positive Anne is despite her challenging childhood. She reminds me to stay curious, never lose my sense of wonder, appreciate nature and to continue dreaming.
A Room of One’s Own
An essay of how women need money and a room of their own in order to write. I reread it every year because I only partially understood it the first time and it’s satisfying to understand more year by year.
Little Women
My comfort bedtime story. When I feel lost it’s nice to read this book and see how 4 different girls grow up and find their way in the world.
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat
A really interesting book by a neurologist who describes the case history of some of his patients. Already the title, which references to one of his patients, is both intriguing and sad. I was inspired by the stories of their determination despite being ravaged by the deformed hand of illness. One example is the dispossessed woman. Her body has lost its awareness of itself, and each body part becomes foreign to herself…
Read more here.
The Story of My Life
An inspiring autobiography of Helen Keller’s life. I am so impressed and inspired by how she is able to write such a vivid and eloquent book despite being blind and deaf. She has overcome her many difficulties to lead a rich and fulfilling life — graduating from university, having many friends, and being the author of multiple books.
Jane Eyre
A gothic novel that follows Jane from childhood to adulthood, giving us access to her innermost thoughts and feelings. I really admire her spirit and strength in sticking to her moral values no matter what. Besides the suspenseful plot, I love the vivid, descriptive sentences.
Wild Sargasso Sea
A prequel to Jane Eyre that challenges the depiction of Bertha Mason in the book by telling her story. I love how spare, precise and evocative the prose is, with its beautiful descriptions of nature and the Creole culture.

Books that left a deep impression

My Brilliant Friend Series


An amazing series following Elena and her friend Lila throughout their life in Italy, narrated by Elena. I loved how we can read the innermost thoughts of Elena and experience the complex friendship she had with Lila, which was sometimes close yet sometimes distant. Vivid descriptions painted a Naples that was steeped in culture and history. I was fascinated by the political climate, yet horrified by the perpetuating violence that clung to the city. On its own each book is wonderful, but together they become exceptional, detailing the lives of two women from girlhood to old age with a devastating effect. Through the series I discovered two things. One, we should remain hopeful as a low period of a life may be less significant than one thinks, being a small dot against the line that is our life. Two, that some moments may be frighteningly important and could define the future course of our life, but we could be completely unaware of its importance till many years later.

Favourite quote: "The city seemed to harbor in its guts a fury that couldn’t get out and therefore eroded it from the inside.”

Anna Karenina


--Work in progress--

The house of mirth


--Work in progress--

Les Miserables


--Work in progress--
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