By M. Victoria Calabrese
The 21st of June is highly anticipated by many of us – the day we hope we will be released from lockdown. But the date when we’re all free again is a long way away. Here is a list of 5 books you can read that will make time fly!
- House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
As the debut novel of American author Mark Z. Danielewski, House of Leaves made quite a splash in the reading community. With its unconventional formatting which is designed to disorient the reader, it piques the interest of nearly anyone who picks up this nearly instant cult classic.
This twisted horror is about a house that is impossibly bigger on the inside will engross you in seconds, much like the titular house captures whoever enters.
The story much like a house is a labyrinth. A Pulitzer prize-winning photo journalist discovered that his new family home is one inch bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. When a mysterious doorway appears, which leads into a labyrinth, he decides to film his explorations.
This film becomes the lifelong obsession of a blind man, after his jumbled notes then get passed on to a troubled tattoo artist named Jonny who begins to decipher them and becomes obsessed.
2. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
The fantasy genre would not be the same without Le Guin’s wonderful contribution to the genre with her Earthsea series.
Magical, beautiful, and insightful, this book follows a young wizard on his journey to learn to control his power and remedy a mistake he made in his youth, by setting free a terrible shadow into the world.
Le Guin is an often overlooked master of the fantasy genre, and her books are wonderful for anyone who wishes to re-experience the magic they felt when they read the Harry Potter books for the first time.
3. Enigma Variations by Andre Aciman
From the author of Call Me by Your Name fame, this book is a sensitive and intimate exploration of love at its most consuming.
The book is separated into five stories, which follow protagonist Paul at different stages in his life, and the loves that punctuated those stages.
Aciman proves with this book that he understands the human psyche and he can put desire into words, sometimes by being lyrical and at other times by becoming unabashedly candid. This book is a beautiful read – definitely something for anyone who enjoys a bit of romance.
4. No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
This spine-chilling thriller is much like its main antagonist: merciless.
On the Mexican-American border an unfortunate man stumbles across a drug deal gone wrong, and makes the mistake of taking a bag of money he found there. This sets off a violent chain of events that no one, not even the old and disillusioned chef, can contain.
McCarthy is known for his bleak and violent works, yet in this novel he shows his masterful deconstruction of the modern Western as well as his knack for grabbing the reader’s attention and not letting it go until the end.
5. The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith
This book was adapted into the award-winning motion picture Carol, yet not enough attention has been given to this sleek 1950s romance novel.
After Therese has a chance encounter with a suburban housewife called Carol, who is in the throes of a divorce, she sees her life thrown upside down. Their love unfolds while they are being pursued by a private investigator.
This book is tense and beautiful. It is only recently that the mainstream has started to recognise the masterpiece it is. A classic that can be enjoyed by anyone, it is best enjoyed with a cup of coffee on a rainy day.
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