Reading has always been my go-to thing to do. It's fun, it lets you take your mind off of things and allows you to divulge in a complete different world or experience. The words that lend to your imagination lead to a series of conflicts, happiness, melancholy and so much more. There's a multitude for a reader to pick from, which makes each experience extremely diverse and unique to the reader. My perception would be different from yours, even of the same book. There could be something that resonates more with you than it might resonate with me.

Besides being relaxing there are a lot of benefits to reading. Not only does it provide the benefits of entertainment, it also helps enrich your vocabulary. It helps in cultivating your imagination and living through others escapades. The added benefit of mental stimulation is a great cause, along with being a better conversation starter. It helps you connect to others in ways you wouldn't have thought of. Reading can also help you stay off your phone, which can only make your parents more happy, right?

Choosing where to start can always be a daunting process. Which genre, which author, which series? Whether it should be non-fiction or fiction? Though you can always ask your friends for a good recommendation, you can also just go to the section of your favourite genre and pick a random one out. It is said that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but sometimes that has lead me to some great reads, which have become some of my favourites. So, this is the list of my book recommendations to help you get started.

1. Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

Written in 1981 by the British Indian author, the book has won several accolades. The book deals with the transition of India. The surge of independence makes for a perfect setting for Rushdie's magical realism. Being an example of postcolonial and postmodern literature, the fragmented style of this book ideally line up with the fragmented country in the era of partition.

2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

A Romantic novel written in 1813, it's a classic that is consistently described as being one of the "most-loved" books. It follows the journey of the protagonist Elizabeth Bennet and her power of jumping to conclusions too quickly. Its a comedy laced with manners, money, the idea of marriage and the role of women. The first line of the novel, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife", is enticing enough to know what the novel beholds.

3. Fosterganj by Ruskin Bond

Published in 2013, by one of the most iconic storytellers I had the pleasure of meeting, in Mussoorie itself, Ruskin Bond. The Tales of Fosterganj revolve around a writer from Delhi who stumbles upon a serene village and decides to stay there for a while. The quirky stories of the villagers and their eccentric personalities lend to the coziness and warmth of the village.

4. And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

The third novel of the author, it was published in 2013. The central focus of the novel are the two siblings, ten-year-old Abdullah and three-year-old Pari, and their relationship. The writing style is a deviation as the author solely focused on one character in his previous works. The story revolves around pain, love and the bond of the siblings in a heart-wrenching novel. The story of the siblings and the role reversals will make you question whether memory is a blessing or a curse. Hosseini's take on beauty, poverty, loneliness and love will leave you in a flurry of emotions.

I hope this list is enough to satiate your reading needs and maybe some of these might become your favourite.

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Profile of Zainab Aziz
Zainab Aziz  •  4y  •  Reply
Those are some of the best books indeed!