Young Writers Society

In the interests of balance, we should also list our five favourite books of all time. After all, too much negativity can get you down.

These are mine.
1: Mr God, This is Anna - Fynn. I love Fynn's very simple style of narration. he is no great literary master, but he explains things with such simplicity that it allows the characters, in particular Anna, to shine. It is actually a true story, which gives it bonus points.

2: The Book Thief - Markus Zusak. It's not to everyone's taste, but the way that he uses incredibly original language is fantastic. The way he juxtaposes good and evil, beauty and horror is mind-changingly good.

3: Lord Of The Flies - William Golding. I love how Golding takes a genre that was popular at the time, boy's own adventure, and lets it run to its most realistic conclusion. Yes, it is dark. Yes, the characters are morally ambiguous at best. These points merely serve to heighten the power and atmosphere of the story. This book is fantastic on whichever level you choose to read it, from a fantastic yarn to an insightful look at human society.

4: Thunder and Lightnings - Jan Mark. It is not the best written book of all time. Nor is the plot so gripping as to hold everyone enthralled for the whole book. What I love is the characterisation. The interplay of different personalities just works so well.

5: The Fire Eater - David Almond. This book was almost supplanted by another to make my top five (River Boy by Tim Bowler, if you must know), but I think it makes the final cut because of the fantastic way with words that Mr Almond has. He is almost like a cross between Markus Zusak and Fynn. His story is so small and self-contained. It is set against the backdrop of great events, but the characters are the little people of the world, and the fantastic interplay of their everyday struggles and metaphysical journeys mesh together to create a tapestry of lyrical, poetic prose and scintillating story.

Now it's your turn.

Crank + Glass by Ellen Hopkins:
This novel is so chillingly disturbing, but it's so true at the same time. She allows you to ease into the characters' lives without a hitch and you grow to pity and love them all.
Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews:
This novel, and the rest of the series along side of it, are beautifully crafted. They illustrate the lives of these children flawlessly, and you grow to be so disturbed and moved by their story that you just can't put it down.
Before I Die:
This novel was completely heart-wrenching almost all the way through. The fact that all this girl wants to do is finish this list off, and then accept her death, just makes you realize how fortunate we all are.
Thirst by Christopher Pike:
Of the many supernatural novels I have read, this one would have to be the best. It is told from a point of view that most vampiric novels wouldn't typically been seen from. It is the iinvincible vampiress that is telling the story of her survival, not the lovesick teenager who's boyfriend wants to kill her. It's unique and it leaves the reader hanging on a thread the whole way through.

In no particular order:

1. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo: Ok, it looks like a 1400-page brick, but it really is one of the most stunning and beautiful books I've ever read. Hugo just pulls you into 19th century Paris and surrounds you with real and unforgettable characters. Although horribly depressing at most times (seeing that it is called "The Miserable), if you read between the lines closely enough, you can see the silver lining and the hope that there may be truly good people in this world still.

2.The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: ZeroKelvin already said this, but I want to go ahead and second it. Not only is the story incredible and heart-wrenching, but Zusak's writing style makes me want to weep because I know I could never be in the same league as he is. He is easily one of the most talented contemporary writers I've ever seen.

3. The Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers: I'll admit I was a little skeptical of Christian fiction before reading these books, but Rivers blew me away and completely redefined the genre. The books are both historical and entertaining, tied together with powerful storytelling and Christian themes. Though the characters lived thousands of years ago, you can still relate to their stories and what they go through to your struggles in modern times.

4. Shantaram by David Gregory Roberts: A stunning mix of adventure, exotic intrigue, romance, and heart-breaking slice of life narrative, I still have trouble believing this was a true story of an Australian convict's 8-year venture into the heart of Bombay, India. Roberts so vividly portrays India, you can practically see Bombay as you read. The city and the characters become as familiar to you as your own house and family.

5. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling: I began reading these books back in the 6th grade, and have grown up with them ever since. Rowling's writing isn't necessarily the greatest, but her characterization and worldbuilding completely make up for it. The series grows on you and becomes something you want to pass on to your children and future generations in the years to come.

Can I do more than 5? XD

1. The Taggerung- by Brian Jaques. This book was my favorite among the whole Redwall series.

2. The Jungle book- by Rudyard Kipling(I loved all his books <3 ), And I mean the REAL Jungle book, not the cute disney movie.

3. The lord of the Rings- by Tolkein. I never got to read the whole series but the books I did read I absolutely loved.

4. Voyage of the Dawn treader- by C.S Lewis. The best of all the Narnia books(I slightly hated the movie though).

5. Little women- by Louisa may Alcot. I loved Joe, she was my favorite character and kinda brought the whole story together for me...

Some of these titles are books I read a long time ago and remember loving to pieces as a kid. There are many many more books, some that I might have loved more than the titles I put down but these were the ones that came to mind first...

Ok here is my top 5

5. The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan - Sequence of Percy Jackson series New characters and with Roman and Greek touch

4. Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine - The first series I loved because of its twisted ending

3. Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer - The first romantic/ vampire story I ever read. It was good

2. Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan - YES ! The Greek Mythology touch of these series makes it so special. I love the characters, the light atmosphere... everything about this series!

and my TOP PICK !
TAN TANANAN !!!

BOOM!

1. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling - Ok! I love it! I really do! This series is my inspiration why I wanted to write. Her characterization is perfect. The plot is interconnected very well. She may not be the best writer but the plot and characters brought it all!

Good Lord, just five?! This is hard indeed.

5. Percy Jackson and The Olympians series by Rick Riordan - I love this series. I don't care what anyone says, I think that he took Greek mythology and turned it into a wonderful world for young people to enjoy without reading boring text books. In a way, he kind of brought Greek folklore back to life. Plus, Logan Lerman is my husband, so. ~

4. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling - This is my childhood. This is my escape, my life, my world. If I could choose one world to live in, it would be this series without a doubt. Rowling has taught me so much, and she takes a lot of credit for my inspiration to write and one day become a publishing author. Harry Potter is my obsession.

3. The Thieves of Heaven by Richard Doetsch - Oh my Lord. This book is amazing. It is about a set of keys to the gates of heaven, and a man who steals them. But he has no idea who, or what, he is stealing them for. It is amazing and while I am not a very religious person, I feel in love with this.

2. Before I Stay by Lauren Oliver - This book will make you bawl your eyes out. Simply beautiful and heart wrenching. It's about a girl who will relive her death for 7 days an figure out why she's dying and who she must save. Sumply exquisite.

Aaaaaand.. My top favorite.

1. If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman - This book and its sequel.. Oh my God. Beautiful. It made my cry like a baby. It's about a girl and her family who gets into a car wreak. She goes theough an out-of-body experience as she hovers on the edge of life and death, pondering what she has lost and whether she should stay or not. It is beautiful and I highly encourage everyone to read it. Please. It is life moving.

Honorable mentions: A Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket, Thirst series by Christopher Pike, The Clique and Alphas series by Lisi Harrison, Cirque Du Freak and Demonata series by Darren Shan, Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, Hush Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick, Green Mile by Stephen King, Dragon Slippers series by Jessica Day George, Elixir series by Hilary Duff.

Off the top of my head, these are my five favourite books (which I can remember now)
In no particular order:

1. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood: I read this one recently, and it depicts a dystopian future in which women are completely subverted. In my opinion, it is a much better portrayed and more realistic dystopia and critique than George Orwell's 1984. The descriptions were beautiful and heart-rending, and the non-linear narrative riveted me. The ending was realistic too. I had nightmares about this one for days.

2. The Book Thief by Mark Zusak- I loved the simplicity and power of the narrative..I literally lived vicariously through the main character. And in the end, I cried. It was that good.

3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee- Every time I read this book, I perceive new depths. This is not just a story of the racial discrimination and intolerance in Alabama, this is literally a saga of generations. This one is a classic for a good reason.

4. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck- This is another historical fiction novel, which chronicles the life of a farmer named Wang Lung, who lived in a Chinese village before the second world war. The beautiful writing and characterizations make this book a joy to read, over and over again.

5. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon- I loved the quirky and vivid characterizations in this book. And the descriptions are so imaginative, evocative and even metaphorical. Even though I'm not exactly an avid reader of comics, I couldn't help getting sucked into the adventures of the titular characters. This book was realistic, gritty and beautiful.

I have read a lot of books. some i loved but now cant really remember the authors.

1. Before i say goodbye

2. A garden of lies

3. The runaway jury by John Grisham- my very first Grisham book and have been a fun since. the plot is detailed, fell directly inlove with the protagonist.

4. The Animorph series by K. A. Applegate- got me spell bound and stuck to it right through school.

5. Disclosure by Michael Critchton

There are a lot of books I would love to mention and it took me quite a while to think about it so here goes:

1. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling- I don't know why, after reading even some really good books I have never been able to replace them with Harry Potter probably because of what it has taught me. There are so many things Rowling explains through every book and... Its a book where I felt in love with Draco. xD It even made me cry in some parts but its definitely worth a read. Just give it a shot.

2. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins- I love this book. Its so good that I read it around 3-4 times in a week. But you know, I couldn't keep reading it because I had to move on to the next sequel. Suzanne is a great writer and I would love to read more works from her soon.

3. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green- This book made me cry so much. After the twist in the story(Which I don't want to mention in case you're going to read it), everything else I read after that... I just couldn't believe it. That's why it was one of the really good books I've ever read.

4. A Walk To Remember by Nicholas Sparks- Oh god, I really don't even know how to describe how lovely and sad this book was. Its just amazing. I was scared to fall in love after that because it reminded me of this book. But I've overcome it but it left a small scar in me and it changed me. Quite a lot.

5. 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher- I cannot tell you how much I love this book. The writing is kind of fine but I what I felt in love was with the plot of the story. It made me so sad, cry like... *deep breath* Its creepy in the middle but it was incredible. I love another book of Isla J. Bick which would take the same spot with this book- Ashes. But somehow, I find this a book a little more interesting. Just 1% or something. Loved it.

In no particular order:

1. The Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers: Not to copy GummyWorm, but I adore most everything by this author. This, however, was her best. It drew the very essence of me in. I felt like I could breathe through the characters. Hadassah stays with me, four years after having read the series.

2. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller: I can't tell you how many times I have read this. I had the pleasure of meeting the author - my mother is a marketing publicist and got to spend the day with him - and he is as real as his writing. Which really hits home with me because I like real people and real things, and this is raw. The narrative thoughts on life and love and all that comes with it altered my whole perspective on God, and I've grown up in church my whole life. Good stuff.

3. Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman: Poetry books count too, right? Anyways, I can't say I've actually finished it, but I'm about halfway through and I fall in love with Whitman more and more with every line. I'm being serious - you can't flip through more than 2 pages of my copy without seeing ink underlines.

4. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini: I am so inspired by Hosseini because of how talented he is as a writer, yet he is also a physician and a humanitarian: my three major life goals. Definitely not being sexist, but I find I can relate with historical fiction the most when the story is told in the perspective of a woman. I flew through this book in less than 2 days. Literally, it was glued to my fingers.

5. & 6. (I know I'm going overboard, but these two are similar in genre and content so yeah) The War of Art by Steven Pressfield and Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg: two incredible books on taking initiative with writing. Beautiful. Inspiring. Motivating. Read them, all of you.

First off, I don't rank my books, I don't rate them. I want to finish every book on this planet that's worth reading. So I won't be naming my "Five best books" but "Five books that I like"

1) Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky :
I read this book back in high school and it was one of those firsts that made me fall in love with literature. The description of the conscience crisis and the delirium of a guilty person is beautifully captured by the author.

2) Walden, or Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau :
There's no fiction in it, no decorations. It is the diary of a man's escape from society to find out what life basically is all about. Gave me a whole new perspective about life.

3) 1984 by George Orwell :
Living in one of the most militarized zones on the planet (Kashmir) I could relate to so many things this book describes about tyranny and oppression, and above all that, rebellion. I also adore Orwell's Animal Farm it isn't exactly a kids book, as it might sound. The characters are all animals but it's an indirect and epic stab at totalitarianism.

4) To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee :
This is a darling book that I'll never forget. It's set in Alabama but the simple ideas in the book about standing up for what's right, standing up for yourself and principles, apply anywhere in the world.

5) Curfewed Night by Basharat Peer :
A non-fiction account of 90s insurgency in Kashmir, spoken so lucidly, rich in facts and relatable. If you love historical non-fic and haven't read this yet, you should, it'll take you through worlds you haven't imagined.

Five was cruel, there are so many other amazing books to talk about. But maybe, sometime else

5) A Song of Fire and Ice Series G.R.R Martin
Complex and with great themes, also lead to an amazing TV show.

4) Skulduggery Pleasant Series - Derek Landy
Great characters, witty dialogue and I don't care that it's aimed at 10-13 year olds.

3) World War Z and Closure Limited - Max Brooks
Brutal and realistic. Hands down my favourite piece of zombie fiction in any medium.

2) The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R Tolkien
I shouldn't have to explain this entry.

1) The Thin Executioner - Darren Shan
Well constructed world with a very character driven story with plenty of twists.

5.Death on the Nile. Set in Egypt 1930, this Agatha Christie classic got me gasping as the murderer was revealed.

4.The shadow over Innsmouth. This show was aired on the radio a year ago. It was terrifying, what with its storyline of a secret society of barely human life forms. And the twist ending was astonishing.

3.A song of ice and fire. Although rather graphic, this fantasy series had me hooked. It left me debating with my sister for hours concerning the iron throne.

2.Life of Pi. Bewitching and very original, this novel is endlessly entertaining.

1.Roots. I read this book more than 5 times now. Both a saga and an autobiography, this book runs through 2 centuries. Kunta Kinte, a 17 year old from Africa, is kidnapped from his homeland and bought to the new world. Despite being renamed as Toby and having his foot chopped off, he never forgets his roots, and his name is whispered through 6 generations of slaves, blacksmiths, and eventually free men, until his descendent, Alex Haley, brings this extraordinary story down in a book.

In no order whatsoever...

1. The Harry Potter Series - J.K. Rowling
Seems to be on every other person's list, and by Merlin I am glad it is. Like many others, this series was my childhood. I'd spend hours talking about the characters with my friends, and as primary school kids we even made a little booklet called "Fifty Ways to make Voldemort Go Batshit". (A list that included painting Harry as extremely detailed toenail art on all his toes)

2. Good Omens - Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
One of the very few books that I borrowed from the library, then was immediately positively bent on owning a copy myself. A whimsical book that actually looks like the authors wrote for a Nanowrimo while high on drugs, its chock full of brick jokes and endearing characters.'

3. The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis
As a child, I believed there were other worlds out there that I could some day go to! And Narnia catered to that belief (or was it hope?). Then when I reread it when I was older, I loved the way C.S Lewis weaved all the books together into one, huge story about a beautiful, mystical land.

4. A Song of Ice and Fire - George R.R. Martin
This series has some of the most well rounded, realistic and clever characters I have ever seen. The plot is like a deliberate tangle of twine twisted to make art; I don't really understand it sometimes, but I sure appreciate it. This series is ridiculously good.

5. The Demonata Series - Darren Shan
The first really gory and violent book I read as a kid, and I loved it at once. And all of a sudden my school essays took a very, dark turn. (My teachers noticed, they spoke to my parents about it.) Cool characters, funny and fast paced!

Halfway through typing this, I realised that I really invest a lot more in a book's characters than its plot...

Anyway, I'll definitely be trying out some of the books listed here ^^

1) Bridge to Terebithia by Katherine Patterson- an elegant tale simply told.

2) Martin the Warrior by Brian Jacques- this was the first novel I ever read. I think a reviewer once called the Redwall series "the Knights of the Round Table with paws" and that about sums it up.

3) When My Name Was Keoko by Linda Sue Park- the story of a brother and sister growing up during the Japanese occupation of Korea. It's told in their own words.

4)Only the River Runs Free by Bodie and Brock Thoene- another historical fiction novel. It's an eloquent portrait of an Irish village's struggles under British rule.

5)Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling- this book will always remind me of my dad.