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55 Best Books To Read That Will Change Your Life For The Better
You won't be able to put them down
We all have a book that changed our life in some way. A book we couldn't put down from start to finish and once we had finished it we had to talk about, read it again or simply think about the story it told. A story that years later we still think about.
Whether you love a fiction novel, a touching memoir or a laugh-out-loud biography, there are some books everyone just *has* to read. It might be the book you read in GCSE literature, the book you borrowed from your best friend or just a book you picked up by chance, fact or fiction - some books just stay with us.
We've put together a list of books that need be on your reading list. From fiction novels you won't be able to put down to memoirs from women who have changed the world we live in.
We hope you enjoy them as much as we did - these are the best books to read.
Vintage Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Vintage Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
One of the most notable and two-time Polonsky Prize-winning historians and thinkers challenges all our beliefs about being human. Who are we? How did we get here? Where are we going? He explores these questions and more, and helps us to understand what makes us sapiens. This provocative read changes people's outlook on the world. It's rooted in history and provides clarity on the future.
Virago Rebecca (VMC): Daphne Du Maurier (Virago Modern Classics)
Virago Rebecca (VMC): Daphne Du Maurier (Virago Modern Classics)
A beloved classic, Rebecca tells the story of a shy heroine who falls in love with a charismatic man hiding sinister secrets. She agrees to marry him, though his proposal takes her by surprise, but she's later filled with dread upon arriving at his isolated mansion. She realises she doesn't know him well, and every room in his house contains traces of his ex wife, who she lives in the shadow of.
Amazon Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
Amazon Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
Businessman Robert Kiyosaki teaches invaluable lessons about money in this thought-provoking book, including how financial freedom starts with having the right mindset. It explodes the myth that you need to have a high income to be rich and shows the difference between working for money and having it work for you. He educates readers on what they don't learn at school and sets the foundation for future financial success. It was first published in 1997, and his teachings are as powerful as they were then if not more, in the modern world of work. The updated edition includes a section on why milestones are important.
Vermilion The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich
Vermilion The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich
The 4-Hour Work Week allows us to challenge old-age traditions, including the concept of waiting for retirement to enjoy a much-need break. Instead, it teaches us why it's so fundamental not to wait for life to happen and how to grow your income smartly. Whether you want to wave goodbye to the rat race, travel the world or double your annual earnings with zero management, this book will be a stepping stone in that direction. It provides tangible tips and applicable case studies for reinventing yourself and your finances.
Amazon The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
This Victorian psychological horror shines light on the complexities of split personality through the character of Dr. Jekyll, a scientist by day, who transforms into a dark, evil, damning young man. The revelation of Dr. Jekyll's true being is alarming, and as we learn more about the Jekyll-and-Hyde personality we understand more of what it means to have a dual personality.
Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman
Amazon £6.55
Sephy lives a life of privilege but she's lonely and can see the injustices in the world around her. Sephy is a Cross. Callum is considered to be less than nothing but dreams of nothing but a better life. Callum is a Nought.Sephy and Callum have been friends since they were children and despite knowing Noughts and Crosses are destined to be enemies they choose one another but this decision has serious repercussions.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
Amazon £5.59
A story of love found in darkness, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is inspired by the astonishing true story of Lale Sokolov. Sokolov arrived in Auschwitz in 1942 and was given the job of tattooing the the prisoners. There he met Gita and made it his mission to not only survive but to make sure she did too.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Amazon £5.00
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is the first book in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. The series follows Potter as he leaves his muggle (non-wizarding) family to join the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. And before you ask, no it's not just for children.
Reasons To Stay Alive by Matt Haig
Amazon £6.99
This is the true story of how author Matt Haig not only came through crisis but managed to live better, love better and feel more alive. Haig makes you think of how you can enjoy your time on earth more and makes you question what it truly means to be alive.
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
Amazon £17.50
The highly-anticipated book is finally here! In this first volume of his presidential memoirs, Obama opens up about his journey to becoming the 44th president of the United States and the first African American to hold the position. A powerful, brutally honest and inspiring book for all.
In Order To Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey To Freedom by Yeonmi Park
Amazon £8.19
Yeonmi Park was running for her life when she escaped from North Korea but she didn't even know what it meant to be free.This is Park's escape through China's underworld of smugglers and human traffickers; to South Korea and at last to freedom. And finally her emergence as a leading human rights activist - all before her 21st birthday.
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
Amazon £7.84
On the verge of completing his training as a neurosurgeon, at 36 years old, Kalanithi was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, the next he was a patient struggling to live.Kalanithi died while working on this book, yet his words live on as a guide to us all. When Breath Becomes Air is a life-affirming reflection on facing our mortality and on the relationship between doctor and patient.
A Dutiful Boy by Mohsin Zaidi
Amazon £12.99
Mohsin's story takes harrowing turns yet it is full of life, laughter and most importantly, it is an inspiring story about breaking through life's barriers.
Educated by Tara Westover
Amazon £7.51
Westover's story is one of self-invention, self-belief and new beginnings. Her coming-of-age story highlights the importance of education and what it offers.
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Amazon £5.99
A school favourite that stands the test of time. Harper Lee tells the story through the eyes of six-year-old Scout Finch, the daughter of Atticus, a lawyer defending a black man charged with the rape of a white girl in the Deep South. It deservedly won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961.
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
Amazon £15.71
Joint winner of the 2019 Man Booker Prize, Girl, Woman, Other tells the stories of a group of black British women over the past 100 years living in Britain, from Newcastle to Cornwall.
Romeo And Juliet by William Shakespeare
Amazon £9.99
A love story that has stood the test of time, Romeo and Juliet's tragic ending is as iconic as it is heartbreaking.Along with Hamlet, it is one of William Shakespeare's most popular plays in his lifetime and most performed plays since his death.
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Amazon £5.99
When the animals of Manor Farm overthrow their master Mr Jones and take over the farm themselves, they think their life of freedom has begun. They couldn't be more wrong.Gradually, a cunning, ruthless elite among them start to take control.George Orwell's Animal Farm is rife with life lessons and meaning.
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
Amazon £11.16
One of the most talked about debut novels of all time. Zadie Smith's debut novel tells the story of wartime friends Archie Jones and Samad Iqbal. White Teeth covers friendship, love, war, three cultures and three families over three generations.
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Amazon £6.99
Not for the faint hearted, In Cold Blood is a non-fiction novel detailing the 1959 murders of four members of the Herbert Clutter family in the small farming community in Kansas.
Amy Brewster is ELLE UK's Social Media Manager, handling everything from fashion week Insta-polls through to celebrity Q&As.
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