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Today I’m providing you with some extra entertainment, in the form of my favourite fiction books! As someone who reads more than 100 books a year (not a joke), I have read my fair share of books over the last couple of years. I started tracking my reading habits in 2012, and every year since I have managed to cross that threshold. While I love a good self-development book, my definite favourites are novels and YA books, and they are well represented in those lists.
If you love to curl up with a good book, create the ultimate reading nook to read your new books in the most comfort ever, with these 5 tips to make a super cozy reading corner!
Looking for some more reading inspiration? Take a look at my favorite…
Did you know?
One of the best ways to read is with the Kindle unlimited app. For the price of only one book a month, you get access to millions! You can get a free trial to kindle unlimited right here, and if you’re a bookworm like me, there is no better way to save money. I know me and my house wouldn’t be able to support my reading habits if I’d had to get every book in physical copy, so this is the perfect solution!
If you’re more of an audiobook kind of person, you can also start your free trial of audible here, They’ll even send you a reminder before your 30-day trial ends, so you can cancel it on time if you want to.
So without any further procrastination, let’s get into it!
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The circle
This book blew my mind. It was so eerie to read it and made me think a lot about our society and how we approach technology. Even more when I saw the netflix series ‘the circle’.
This book was written in 2013 which makes it even more amazing.
The book is about Mae, who starts working at The Circle. An internet company that has linked every aspect of human existence to one single online account. Mae is really excited about her opportunity, but this decreases when she finds out that the job is a lot more demanding than she expected. Soon, she has no time for her own life anymore.
The company has been working on a new system for full transparency in the world, by placing cameras everywhere. Including on people. When the demo goes horribly wrong, Mae starts to reevaluate her job and the company.
Like I said, the fact that this book was written in 2013 absolutely blows my mind. The book is so similar to our current online environment that it really made me think about what we’re doing and how I should handle my online presence. Even though it was fiction, it was a wake-up call for me and I have recommended this book to everyone I know. It has made it to the top 10 of my favourite fiction books real fast.
Related post: 5 genius books all women should read
A court of thorns and roses
This series has a special place in my heart. I don’t know what it is but I remember exactly when I got the first book. I sat in my college lectures wishing they’d be done earlier so I could go home and continue reading, stay up late to read, and literally finished it, then started it again.
It’s a trilogy about a country that’s divided between humans and the fae. Feyre, a human girl, shoots one of the fae while she’s out hunting to feed her family. In retaliation, one of the fae lords comes and gets her as a ‘life for a life’ trade. But instead of taking her life, he forces her to live in his mansion where something very strange is going on…
I really recommend reading it, as it is one of my absolute favourite books ever. Even better, they’re on sale now!
A walk to remember
The first book I ever read in English because I didn’t want things to get lost in translation. The first book I ever started highlighting because I was just so in love with it, I had to mark some passages.
The story of Landon and Jamie is so beautiful and will suck you in. The book will make you smile and cry, and the ending is not what I expected. If you don’t have the patience to read a book, the movie is also really good. But as always, the book is better 😉
Related post: 5 tips for your perfect, cozy reading nook
Daisy Jones & The Six
This is a very recent read for me, but one that is sure to be remembered. The book is written like an interview and is about one of the biggest (fictional) bands of the 80s. It was all so real and I got so into it that I tried to find their songs on youtube. Obviously, I couldn’t find them. There is the drama you expect from a band, as well as happiness, and a nice little plot twist at the end. A great book that I read in 2 days.
The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Another book with a great twist at the end. Is anyone else sensing a theme here?
Evelyn Hugo was a great movie star who chose Monique, practically a nobody, to write her autobiography. She tells her everything that happened in her life, including all about her marriages. An inside scoop in the lives of the rich and famous with heartbreak, drama, success and a little bit of love. A must-read if you’re into old Hollywood glamour, or if you just like novels.
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Girls with sharp sticks
A book about the perceived perfection of girls. Stepford wives gone bad. The book is about a teenage girl who goes to an all-girls school, where the girls are groomed to perfection. They don’t bother with subjects like math or science but learn how to cultivate the perfect garden, decorate the perfect house or entertain the guests. Until one of them realizes what is actually going on in the school.
This book is set up as a trilogy but at this point, only the first two have been published. The sequel has now been published as well, and it is as good as the first one!
Shatter me
Wow. Just wow. I want to say this book is a YA classic, but there’s no real evidence for that. This series started as a trilogy, but 4 years after the release of the third book, the author wrote another 2 parts. The 6th book, imagine me, is expected really soon!
An amazing series that takes place in a highly regulated, but deteriorating world. This world has several people who are gifted, though the governments try their absolute best to get rid of them. That’s why they locked up Juliette, the girl who can kill with just a touch. But she finds a way to make herself useful in this hard world.
It has been years since I read these books for the first time, and I still love them so much that I re-read them last year. Juliette is such a powerful character, and there is some serious character development in these books. A great source for some feminist inspiration, with a strong, female lead.
Related post: 5 tips for your perfect, cozy reading nook
The Hunger Games
Another book with a strong female lead is one I think most of us know. But if you don’t it’s time!
The Hunger Games turned into a complete franchise after the movies came out, but I’m still a big fan of the books. If you’re not familiar with it, the book is set in a dystopian America which is divided into sectors. To keep those sectors in line, every year the capitol organizes the hunger games: a fight to the death in which one boy and one girl from each sector have to participate. Katniss volunteers to go as her sister’s name is called out, but no one expected this version of the Hunger Games to end like this.
Again, the books are a trilogy so there is plenty to read. The Hunger Games end within the first book though, so it’s not like it takes 3 books for them to finish one game. That would be tedious.
Divergent
More books with a strong female lead, and more books written as a trilogy. This dystopian world is divided in 5 ‘factions’, each with different responsibilities to keep society working. Erudite is responsible for the knowledge and science, Amity for the agriculture, Candor for the justice system, Abnegation are the selfless, and Dauntless are the fearless responsible for soldiers and police. On their 16th birthday, the teens get to choose their faction. They can stay with the one they grew up in, or leave their family and switch factions. Beatrice grew up in abnegation, but switches to Dauntless. She’s in for a wild ride, especially when they find out that the leaders don’t seem to have their best interests at heart.
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Miss Peregrine’s home for Peculiar children
This is another special book. It is far from dystopian, straight to fictional. Although it combines our current society with a very fictional aspect: time loops and special powers. The main character is Jacob, a very normal boy living a very normal life. Until he is on a trip to Wales, where he discovers an abandoned orphanage. The children who lived there seemed to be special, or are they still? Jacob’s life changes when he accidentally discovers a time loop and ends up in a different year, when the children in the orphanage are still alive. That is when he realizes that they are special. Or rather, peculiar.
There are a lot of secrets to be unravelled in this series, although I definitely prefer the first book. It really took me into their world and didn’t let me out until I finished the last page. Then sucked me back in with the movie. There are also old pictures added to the book, with peculiar kids. Definitely a detail you can’t miss.
Harry Potter
Need I say more? I am jealous if you’ve never been exposed to Harry Potter, as you can explore this magical world from the beginning with an open mind. The most magical books and movies I think have ever been made, and I watch them pretty much every year in December. I don’t think you’re ever too old to read Harry Potter, as the books are truly timeless.
They have even made these beautifully illustrated versions over the last few years, which are not only fun to read, they’re also enchanting to look at. If you want to go all in, I recommend this complete box set.
Fair warning though, the first couple of chapters of each book might be a bit hard to get through but trust me, they’re worth it.
Related post: 5 tips for your perfect, cozy reading nook
So here are my absolute favourite fiction books I have read over the years. There are so many more books I want to recommend, but these are the ones that I still remember a clear storyline, which can sometimes be difficult when you read so many books. Therefore, I decided these must go first as I love them the most.
If you’re going a little stir crazy, here is my article on staying calm and managing your anxiety.
I hope you love these books as much as I do. Enjoy!
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