Another year gone by.
Another year of book hauls, binge reading and fangirling. To give you an exact
number, I read a grand total of 49 books in the past year. Some good, some
great and a few terrible. But mostly good. In fact, it’s safe to say that 2015
was one of the best reading years of my life till date. So, here’s listing down
the best 10 books I read last year (not in the order of preference):
1. Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl: My 2015 started with a bang.
Yes, this was my first read of the year. No, I didn’t read it because of its
movie adaptation that released last fall. I was reading a thriller after quite
a long time, and it didn’t disappoint me even one bit. Cold, twisted and
insane, Gillian Flynn’s writing and her characters had me at the edge of my
seat till the last page.
2. Ned Vizinni’s It’s Kind
of a Funny Story: This books deals with a topic that isn’t talked about
much, but definitely deserves more attention: depression. Craig’s journey from
depression to epiphany is so funnily relatable, that you almost forget the dark
subject it’s based on. Perhaps Vizinni’s own experiences contributed to the
novel’s realistic depiction.
3. Tahereh Mafi’s Unravel Me: This is the second book in
the Shatter Me trilogy that I
finished reading last year. I was apprehensive about this YA dystopian series,
but it blew my frikkin’ mind away! Written in the stream of consciousness
technique, Tahereh Mafi has penned down a fresh story in the most poetic way
possible. The writing is so brilliant and the plot is so fast-paced that you
just won’t be able to put the books down.
4. Andrea Portes’ Anatomy of a Misfit: Do you remember
high school? Gangs, categories, mean girls, nerds: the competition to belong. Anika
Dragomir’s clumsy yet determined story coupled with Portes’ witty narration
will definitely take you down the memory lane and have you laughing through
your tears. Quirky, sarcastic and genuine, this was my introvert heart’s dream
come true.
5. Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief: If I was kept on
gunpoint and asked to choose the best book I read in 2015, I would most
definitely choose this. Written in magnificently poetic prose, containing an
array of diverse and memorable characters, and set in Germany with the backdrop
of the Second World War, Liesel Meminger’s heartbreakingly beautiful story is
one that I’ll carry around in my soul forever. Also, it’s narrated by Death.
Just saying. Take a bow, Markus Zusak.
6. Marissa Meyer’s Winter: This was my most anticipated
book of 2015. When I started the Lunar Chronicles series last year, I had no
idea that it would soon make it to my list of favourites. I screamed for a good
ten minutes once I had the final book in my hands, and hugged it for so long
once I was done reading it. I couldn’t believe the roller coaster of modified fairy
tales had come to an end. Saying goodbye to these characters was tougher than
I’d expected.
7. Benjamin Alire Saenz Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of
the Universe: Growing up is difficult. Growing apart is even more
difficult. This book reminds us why we can never choose our family, and also
that at times, the universe chooses just the right people for us. Analysing
this tale would be insulting it. I needed to know Ari and Dante. I needed to
know their story. And I thank the universe that I did. All the stars in the
world for this book.
8. Patrick Ness’ A Monster Calls: It was 5 am when I started
reading this and by 7 am, I was reduced to a pool of tears. I closed the book
knowing that I would be recommending it to everyone. A story so honest and
painful, the writing so simple yet so poignant, you cannot help but dwell on
the beauty of it all.
9. Becky Albertalli’s Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda: I
tried not to get my hopes high before picking up this book, irrespective of the
rave reviews surrounding it, but the hype was totally worth it! It’s hard to
believe that this is the author’s debut novel, considering how perfectly she
has portrayed the chosen theme. It’s a novel about alienation and recognition
and how sometimes not fitting in, is the only way to fit in. The relatable and
important story, the breezy and hilarious writing, and the eclectic band of
characters; this book completely captured my gooey heart.
10. Nicola Yoon’s Everything, Everything: I’m at that
awkward reader stage where teenage love stories just don’t sound cute anymore,
but this book luckily didn’t have that typical mush. Again, a pretty impressive
debut. Maddy and Olly make you slightly reminiscent of Hazel and Gus, and their
bond has a surprisingly mature element that makes you want to read it all in
one sitting.
