In most bookstores and libraries, books are categorised by the age they target. Sections are made for children’s books, young adult novels, and grown-up, adult literature. Yet, many of the books tend to hold much more substance. These are the books found in used bookstores, worn out from the number of times they’ve been re-read, often even bookmarked or annotated at places of importance to the previous reader. These are the books that people come back to again and again, finding something new each time.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The Perks of Being a Wallflower follows the story of fifteen-year-old Charlie through a series of letters, as he navigates life in high school. The novel takes the reader with Charlie as he attempts to make sense of his life, his trauma, and the people around him, all while dealing with the changes that come with that stage of life.
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Giver is a dystopian novel set in a society that seems utopian at first glance, but as the characters learn more about their world, the truths begin to haunt them. Like any good dystopian novel, The Giver raises questions about the world we live in, through its exaggerated representations of where society could be headed if those questions remain unanswered. Dealing with themes of happiness, suffering, and the balance required between the two, The Giver is a call for much-needed empathy in our world.
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Animal Farm is an allegorical novel about mistreated animals on a farm. As they take over the farm from the human owner, the journey begins of trying to build a just and ideal society. Thus begins the satire by Orwell, as the animals encounter various conflicts surrounding politics, justice, and freedom. At the time of its release, it was considered a satirical piece on Stalinist Russia. Since then, however, any and every attack on freedom across the globe has made Animal Farm remain relevant.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
This novel follows the titular character, A man named Ove, as he deals with new neighbours moving in. Ove could best be described as “grumpy,” although people often call him “bitter.” When a chatty young couple with two daughters move in next door to Ove, it marks the beginning of an unexpected yet heartwarming friendship.
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
This novel is told from the perspective of a young girl as she takes in the world around her. Watching her father, a lawyer, defend a black man unjustly accused of committing a crime, she begins to see the injustice and prejudice in the world she lives in. As rightly said, To Kill A Mockingbird is a remarkable coming-of-age story, as it reveals the racial conflicts and inhumanity gripping the South of America at the time, all through the eyes of an innocent child, learning the horrors of her time.
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcí Márquez
A class-act in magical realism, One Hundred Years of Solitude tells the multi-generational story of the Buendía family, the patriarch of which founded the fictional town of Macondo. Across 7 generations of the Buendía family, the novel follows their repetitive shift from solitude to contact with others. The town repeatedly comes in contact with the outside world, only to fall into conflict and retreat to solitude. The novel’s world embodies the phrase, “history repeats itself,” as the Buendía family finds itself in similar conflicts and misfortunes across time.
Stay True by Hua Hsu
Stay True is a memoir by Hua Hsu about his time as a teenager and young adult in California. The memoir focuses on his unlikely friendship with Ken, another Asian-American boy, who seemed to be everything Hsu refused to be. However, the feeling of being out of place as Asian-American boys brought them together into a friendship built on shared experiences. Abruptly losing Ken in a senseless carjacking, Hsu turned to writing, resulting in this memoir. Stay True is a memoir about growing up, finding where you belong, and — most of all — holding on to what matters.
Words Ayushie Shahane
23.05.2025