Top 10 Books to Read this Year

The Color Purple (1982) by Alice Walker
This book is the story of a young black woman in the early twentieth century who learns through her friendships and sisterhoods the power she has despite the men in her life who have tried to make her feel less than extraordinary.

This book's themes of facing adversity and naysayers head on is inspiring for all people, especially those who have been hurt by someone we love. The main character, Celie, grows from a quiet young girl to a verbose and proud woman who wants what all things want, to love and be loved.
 

The Handmaid's Tale (1985) by Margaret Atwood

In the not-so-distant future, the United States has been violently overthrown by a religious group that dub it now the Republic of Gilead, a country dedicated to dealing with ecological and social issues through a strict adherence to the bible. Men and women are separated, only interacting for state-mandated activities. Otherwise, men take part in war and matters of the state while women who are fertile are used for their ability to make children that are raised by wealth families elsewhere.

Those who rebel or are caught having committed crimes like performing abortions (even if it was legal before Gilead) are hung. The longer things go on, the less people are left who remember how things were before Gilead, and the less likely it is that anyone will try to put things back again.

This chilling book seems more relevant than it has in a very long time. The book is a cautionary tale of how easy it is for the vocal minority of society to strip us of our rights and what such an outcome could look like.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) by Robert L. Stevenson
This book is one of the most famous mystery books of all time, and frankly the less you know going in, the better.

The good Dr. Jekyll is usually affible and socialable, but after a wicked man, Mr. Hyde comes to London, Jekyll's friends become concerned as they see that Hyde is blackmailing Jekyll and made him a shut-in. What's worse, after Hyde commits several violent crimes, Jekyll seemingly aids him in his escape. Why and to what end is Jekyll willing to go to hide Hyde?

This story has influenced many stories in both plot and themes. Once you've read it, you'll see what I mean.

Pride and Prejudice (1813) by Jane Austin
It was once a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman not in possession of a good fortunate must be in want of a husband, and the Bennet family with their five daughters were no exception. Thankfully, their mother was born to matchmake and it just so happens two single, young, wealthy men are coming to town. Seems like a match made in heaven for the eldest daughters, right? Maybe not, as this story is filled with characters too prideful to admit their feelings and too prejudiced to look past the surface.

Jane Austin is my favourite author of the 19th century by a long shot. She doesn't add details not require of the story, has a writing style more akin to hearing an story from a friend than a stranger, and most importantly fills these characters with passion and attitude that makes them as relatable today as they were in the 1810s. Don't be too pride to read this romance story nor too prejudiced to give such an old novel a try.

A Clockwork Orange (1962) by Anthony Burgess

Set in the soon future, this dystopian England is in constant chaos thanks to rival teenage gangs who beat civilians, rob them, rape them, and even kill them if they aren't careful. The leader of one gang, a "malchick" named Alex, gets into trouble with the law after his friends betray him and volunteers to undergo an experimental treatment that will get him out of jail in a fortnight and promises to stop criminals from wanting to do crime again. In the end, he gets more than he bargained for.

This book plays with language using a made-up slang called Nadsat that enhances the feeling of detachment from the horrors described as well as makes the pros timeless.

The Bluest Eye (1970) by Toni Morrison

This book tackles the ever-present but never discussed the effect of othering minorities, particularly children. Focused on a little dark-skinned girl who idolizes the beloved white Shirley Temple and feels ugly due to her dark skin and brown eyes, it is easy to sympathize with her plight for blue eyes, a symbol of all the things she wishes she was.

The Giver (1993) by Lois Lowry

Jonas lives in a utopia that is without pain or struggles. Everyone in the town has their assigned role whether it is to look after babies from birth like his father or an official of Justice like his mother. But one out of every generation is assigned the role of Receiver of Memory, which he soon finds out means one-on-one sessions with the Giver of Memory, now an old, sad man wherein he learns all the facts of the world that his utopia chose to forget; the parts that make life have meaning but also pain.

This book has a twist that the movie adaptation spoils within seconds so, more than any other book on this list, PLEASE read the book before watching the film. You won't be disappointed.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979) by Douglas Adams
A human man wakes to find his home is due to be demolished that very day, and while that is depressing enough, it turns out that not only is it his house that in getting destroyed, but his planet as well. Luckily, his best friend is an extraterrestial who can get him out of dodge before he goes with Earth. Now he must find out how to survive in this new environment of aliens, planets, and alien planets with the handy-dandy Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

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This book is one of the few sci-fi books that was enjoyable. The main character is just as clueless about this new world as we are, so everything fantastical and nonsensical is experienced by him as we might. It's the ultimate fish-out-of-water story.

Romeo and Juliet (1597) by William Shakespeare
Two teens from warring families meet by chance at a party. They instantly feel a connection and must decide if their love, or whatever they are experiencing, is more powerful than their family names. The book is written in Iambic Pentameter, a rhythmic pacing that gives the dialogue a sharpness that modern work is sorely missing.

This play is about as classic as it gets. If you haven't experienced it, I cannot recommend it enough. It is a play from the 16th century, so it is possible reading like a book might be challenging, so I recommend either picking up a No-Fear Shakespeare version that modernizes the English or just watching one of the hundred stage productions of it. I promise, experiencing Shakespeare as intended makes the difficult dialogue come to life.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1962) by Ken Kesey
Chief Bromden has been a patient in a psych ward for most of his life to the point that most people believe he is both unable to hear or talk. He has seen how the ward works, all as the wicked Head Nurse, Nurse Ratched desires, obedient and controlled. But when a new patient, McMurphy, sent from the prison system on account of suspected psychopathy and violent tendencies, the whole ward is turned upside down.

The war between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched sees friendship, revolution, and a frightful depiction of the field of medical psychology of the 1960s.This book is a must-read for anyone who is interested in studying worst-case scenarios of medical malpractice and abuses of power.