Choosing my favourite books is tough! It’s so dependent on my mood, when I read it, and how it sticks in my memories. I’ve struggled with choosing my top 5 books again and again. So really, this post could more accurately be titled “My Favourite Books as of Today”.
So, without further ado, here are my top 5 favourite books of all time (probably!)
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
“Like swallows, like salmon, we were the helpless captives of our migratory patterns. We pretended that what we had lost was the house, not our mother, not our father. We pretended that what we had lost had been taken from us by the person who still lived inside.”
This book pulls inspiration from fairytales to give us the story of two siblings who depend and nurture each other, after the adults in their lives neglect them. I love books that span a character or characters’ entire life, or a large portion of it, and The Dutch House provides that epic-feel expertly.
We also have a realistically unreliable narrator, in Danny, who misremembers and questions his own memories. This provides competing and alternative versions of family events.
“Do you think it’s ever possible to see the past as it actually was …….we overlay the present on to the past. We look back through the lens of what we know now, so we’re not seeing it as the people we were, we’re seeing it as the people we are, and that means the past has been radically altered.”
I loved this book so much. I found the writing to be absolutely stunning and it gave me the feeling of wanting to read it over again and again. It is my first Ann Patchett novel and now I plan on reading everything she’s ever written.
For fans of: family sagas, unreliable narrators, fairytales
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo
“For the sisters & the sistas & the sistahs & the sistren & the women & the womxn & the wimmin & the womyn & our brethren & our bredrin & our brothers & our bruvs & our men & our mandem & the LGBTQI+ members of the human family”
Girl, Woman, Other follows the lives of twelve characters- most of them women, Black, and British.
The book reads almost like a collection of short stories, twelve vignettes that are tied together as we hear stories about family, friendship and love throughout the decades. It’s messy, complex, interwoven and utterly compelling.
This book tackles big themes of race, class, gender, sexuality and age, unpacking feminist challenges in a thoughtful but direct manner.
“If there’s one thing she’s learned in the past forty-eight hours, anyone can be a relative”
I read this book for Queer Blackathon- a 48 hour readathon which starts on Juneteenth (June 19th). It is hosted Bowties and Books, Francina Simone, Myonna Reads and Lauryn from The Novel Lush.
It was the perfect book to read for this readathon as I become completely engrossed in the writing. It’s one of those books that impacted me so greatly that I actually find it difficult to write about! It still exists as a swirling mix of character stories in my head, even months on which is a pretty remarkable feat.
I already can’t wait to reread Girl, Woman, Other- wading into the intricate and complex lives of its brilliant cast of characters.
For fans of: character-driven stories, found family, short stories, experimental prose
Chocolat by Joanne Harris
“Happiness. Simple as a glass of chocolate or tortuous as the heart. Bitter. Sweet. Alive.”
Chocolat first came into my life when I was 13 years old. My friend was obsessed with the film due to her longstanding love for Johnny Depp. Meanwhile, I picked up the book, which my parents owned, and fell completely in love with the French village setting. From that moment onwards I was forever dreaming of mouth watering chocolates, fantasising about moving away to a small village and out of the city, and also constantly in awe of Vianne’s loving and generous nature. As a lonely child, this book provided me with so much warmth and love so naturally it has a permanent place in my heart.
“I sell dreams, small comforts, sweet harmless temptations to bring down a multitude of saints crashing among the hazels and nougatines”
We meet Vianne Rocher and her daughter Anouk, who move to the French village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes. They arrive right before Lent begins and open a chocolaterie, La Céleste Praline. This causes unrest in the village, which only intensifies after the village priest discovers that Vianne does not follow the church.
“The air is hot and rich with the scent of chocolate. Quite unlike the white powdery chocolate I knew as a boy, this has a throaty richness like the perfumed beans from the coffee stall on the market, a redolence of amaretto and tiramisù, a smoky, burned flavor that enters my mouth somehow and makes it water.”
For fans of: light magical realism, romance, village settings, kindness towards strangers
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
“I couldn’t tell the difference between what was real and what I wanted to be real.”
When the Cirque des Rêves appears overnight it brings magic, mystery and rivalry. Alongside the circus, two young magicians face a duel for which only one can be left standing. Falling in love definitely complicates matters further.
I feel that The Night Circus is one of those books for which it’s best to go in knowing as little as possible. I didn’t read the blurb (and I don’t believe it really does this book justice), I didn’t watch reviews, I just heard about the fact that this book is more of an experience than a story and had to jump right in.
Interestingly enough, Maggie Stiefvater recommended this book to people who enjoy Ann Patchett’s writing and as The Dutch House (top of this list) is my absolute favourite book ever, that would definitely make sense.
“Secrets have power. And that power diminishes when they are shared, so they are best kept and kept well. Sharing secrets, real secrets, important ones, with even one other person, will change them.”
For fans of: magical realism, mystery, slow-paced books
My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
“It takes a whole lot longer to dispose of a body than to dispose of a soul, especially if you don’t want to leave any evidence of foul play.”
If you’re looking for a book with a killer intro (pun intended), then look no further. We join Korede as she receives a phone call from her sister, Ayoola. Korede knows what to do- this is the third of Ayoola’s boyfriends to have died, with Ayoola claiming self-defence– and Korede knowsthat she will be the one to clean it up.
“Ayoola and I don’t really have friends in the traditional sense of the word. I think you have to accept someone into your confidence, and vice versa, to be able to call them a friend.”
I bought the audiobook of My Sister, The Serial Killer on a whim. I thought it sounded interesting, had spare Audible credits and started listening straight away. This book completely caught me off guard. It’s sharp, funny and agonising and truly provides the definition of the idea that Blood is Thicker than Water.
For fans of: thrillers, mystery, strong families, sisterhood
Honourable Mentions
There are so many books that I really love but here are a few honourable mentions
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
- Lanark by Alasdair Gray
- Under the Udala Trees by Okparanta Chinelo
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