Transformative Reads: Books That Change Everything

The Glass Castle

370 pages

This book resonated deeply with me during a tough time at home, making me feel less isolated and reminding me that I wasn't alone in my struggles. It's a powerful story that can help others understand their own experiences.

Jane Eyre (Großdruck)

628 pages

This book has profoundly impacted me at different stages of my life, teaching me that a woman's conscience and integrity are paramount, and that valuing oneself is essential for happiness. Each reread reveals new insights, making it a timeless read that resonates deeply with personal growth.

‏هيرى پوٹر اور رازوں کا کمره :‏

314 pages

Harry Potter is a must-read for its magical world and relatable characters that capture the imagination and take you on an unforgettable adventure.

Matilda

232 pages

This book is a powerful story of resilience and hope, showing how a young girl overcomes adversity and finds strength in herself.

Station Eleven

357 pages

The timing of reading 'Station Eleven' was uncanny, as it coincided with significant changes in the world, making the experience even more impactful.

1Q84. Buch 3

472 pages

Murakami's 1Q84 reignited my passion for reading and helped me appreciate the beauty in the mundane. It's a transformative experience that can inspire anyone to fall in love with books again.

Flowers for Algernon

324 pages

This book offers a profound perspective on life and relationships, prompting readers to reflect on how they treat others.

The Bell Jar

262 pages

This book, while dealing with sad themes, offers a deep sense of comfort and understanding, especially for those struggling with depression.

The Power

409 pages

It's an amazing sci-fi novel set in the not too distant future where women gain power.

David Copperfield

776 pages

Following the life of David Copperfield through sufferings and adversity, this book helps reader find many light-hearted moments in the company of a host of English fiction's stars including Mr Micawber, Traddles, Uriah Heep, Creakle, Betsy Trotwood, and the Peggoty family.

Deathless

230 pages

A handsome young man arrives in St Petersburg at the house of Marya Morevna. He is Koschei, the Tsar of Life, and he is Marya's fate. For years she follows him in love and in war, and bears the scars. But eventually Marya returns to her birthplace - only to discover a starveling city, haunted by death. Deathless is a fierce story of life and death, love and power, old memories, deep myth and dark magic, set against the history of Russia in the twentieth century. It is, quite simply, unforgettable.

Heartbreaker

272 pages

The love between a daughter and her mother—and the dark secrets they keep from each other—are at the heart of this wildly imaginative novel that combines elements of The Handmaid’s Tale, Stranger Things, and Twin Peaks. “I love Heartbreaker’s outlandishness, its sizzling energy—the bright, fierce music in every sentence.”—Leni Zumas, author of Red Clocks It’s 1985. Pony Darlene Fontaine has lived all her fifteen years in “the territory,” a settlement founded decades ago by a charismatic cult leader. In this strange town run on a sinister economic resource, the women crimp their hair and wear shoulder pads, and the teenagers listen to Nazareth and Whitesnake on their Walkmans. Pony’s family lives in the bungalow at the farthest edge of town, where the territory borders the rest of the wider world—a place none of the townspeople have ever been. Except for Billie Jean Fontaine, Pony’s mother. When Billie Jean arrived in the territory seventeen years prior—falling from the open door of a stolen car—the residents took her in and made her one of their own. She was the first outsider they had ever laid eyes on. Pony adores and idolizes her mother, but like everyone else in the territory she is mystified by her. Billie Jean refuses to describe the world she came from. One night, Billie Jean grabs her truck keys, bolts barefoot into the cold October darkness—and vanishes. Beautiful, beloved, and secretive, Billie Jean was the first person to be welcomed into the territory. Now, with a frantic search under way for her missing mother, Pony fears: Will she be the first person to leave it too? Told from the three unforgettable perspectives of a daughter, a killer dog, and a teenage boy named Supernatural, this novel is startling in its humor and wrenching in its wisdom about the powers, limits, and dangers of love. Heartbreaker is an electrifying page-turner about a woman reinventing herself in order to survive—and a daughter who must race against the clock to untangle the mysteries left in her mother’s wake. Praise for Heartbreaker “A fierce exploration of memory and zeitgeist . . . Heartbreaker is a darkly comedic weirdo of a book that pulls the string of nostalgia from one side while unraveling it from the other.”—The Paris Review “This is a book like no other. It’s eerie, it's cult-y, it's so very exciting, and I never wanted it to end.”—Buzzfeed, Best Books of Fall 2018 “Claudia Dey renders 1985 in perfectly crimped, shoulder-padded detail. . . . Come for the Shyamalanian premise. Stay for the hard-rock soundtrack.”—Chicago Tribune

East of Eden

612 pages

This book has a profound impact, making it a must-read for anyone looking for a deep and thought-provoking story.

The Tsar of Love and Techno

From the New York Times bestselling author of A Constellation of Vital Phenomena—dazzling, poignant, and lyrical interwoven stories about family, sacrifice, the legacy of war, and the redemptive power of art. This stunning, exquisitely written collection introduces a cast of remarkable characters whose lives intersect in ways both life-affirming and heartbreaking. A 1930s Soviet censor painstakingly corrects offending photographs, deep underneath Leningrad, bewitched by the image of a disgraced prima ballerina. A chorus of women recount their stories and those of their grandmothers, former gulag prisoners who settled their Siberian mining town. Two pairs of brothers share a fierce, protective love. Young men across the former USSR face violence at home and in the military. And great sacrifices are made in the name of an oil landscape unremarkable except for the almost incomprehensibly peaceful past it depicts. In stunning prose, with rich character portraits and a sense of history reverberating into the present, The Tsar of Love and Techno is a captivating work from one of our greatest new talents.

War and Peace

1460 pages

I started it as a 'cross it off my bucket list' read, but wound up being OBSESSED.

The Goldfinch

820 pages

A young New Yorker grieving his mother's death is pulled into a gritty underworld of art and wealth in this “extraordinary” and beloved novel that "connects with the heart as well as the mind" (Stephen King, New York Times Book Review), named a New York Times Best Book of the 21st Century. Theo Decker, a 13-year-old New Yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. Abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. Bewildered by his strange new home on Park Avenue, disturbed by schoolmates who don't know how to talk to him, and tormented above all by a longing for his mother, he clings to the one thing that reminds him of her: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into a wealthy and insular art community. As an adult, Theo moves silkily between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty labyrinth of an antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love — and at the center of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle. The Goldfinch is a mesmerizing, stay-up-all-night and tell-all-your-friends triumph, an old-fashioned story of loss and obsession, survival and self-invention. From the streets of New York to the dark corners of the art underworld, this "soaring masterpiece" examines the devastating impact of grief and the ruthless machinations of fate (Ron Charles, Washington Post).

The Blind Assassin

578 pages

Reading this book transformed my perspective and made me see things differently.

For Whom the Bell Tolls

620 pages

Reading this Hemingway novel was a transformative experience for me, and I'm so glad I finally picked it up.

The Night Watch

Even though the second in the series hit me the hardest, starting with this one is essential for the full experience.

Never Let Me Go

305 pages

This book changed my manner of thinking and left a lasting impact on how I view the world.

The Pillars of the Earth

994 pages

This book profoundly changed my way of thinking and how I frame the world.

Call Me By Your Name

This book evokes deep emotions and can be a powerful catalyst for self-discovery, especially for those grappling with their identity.

The Road

297 pages

Reading 'The Road' made me feel a sense of youth and vitality that I hadn't experienced before.

The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need

316 pages

This book is perfect for those who find finance daunting. It's quick to read, straightforward, and offers essential advice without overwhelming you. It helped me and my wife achieve financial independence!

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies

532 pages

It may sound strange, but this book helped me overcome my racism and provides deep insights into the modern world.

The Handmaid's Tale

333 pages

An instant classic and eerily prescient cultural phenomenon, from “the patron saint of feminist dystopian fiction” (New York Times). Now an award-winning Hulu series starring Elizabeth Moss. In this multi-award-winning, bestselling novel, Margaret Atwood has created a stunning Orwellian vision of the near future. This is the story of Offred, one of the unfortunate “Handmaids” under the new social order who have only one purpose: to breed. In Gilead, where women are prohibited from holding jobs, reading, and forming friendships, Offred’ s persistent memories of life in the “time before” and her will to survive are acts of rebellion. Provocative, startling, prophetic, and with Margaret Atwood’s devastating irony, wit, and acute perceptive powers in full force, The Handmaid’s Tale is at once a mordant satire and a dire warning.

The Starless Sea

358 pages

THE TIKTOK SENSATION Discover the enchanting, magical bestseller from the author of The Night Circus, now in a stunning new edition. We are all stardust and stories... When Zachary Rawlins stumbles across a mysterious book containing details from his own life among its pages, it leads him on a quest unlike any other. Following the clues inside, he is guided to a masquerade ball, a dangerous secret club, and finally to an ancient library hidden far beneath the surface of the earth. What Zachary finds in this curious place is more than just a buried home for books and their guardians - it is a place of lost cities and seas, lovers who pass notes across time, and of stories whispered by the dead. But when the library is threatened, Zachary must race through its twisting tunnels and sweetly soaked shores, searching for the end of his story. PRAISE FOR THE STARLESS SEA: 'Enchanting read... an ode to stories and storytelling itself, and the joy of reading' Independent 'Spellbinding' Daily Mirror 'A magical mix of quests and fables...beautifully written' Heat

The Song of Achilles

370 pages

This book is a timeless masterpiece that beautifully captures the essence of love and heroism.

A Little Life

833 pages

This book is deeply poignant and unforgettable, exploring themes of endings and the complexities of life.

Twilight

346 pages

Despite its flaws, the Twilight series holds a special place in my heart, and revisiting it with Midnight Sun reminded me of my love for the characters.

Midnight Sun

725 pages

#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephenie Meyer makes a triumphant return to the world of Twilight with this highly anticipated companion: the iconic love story of Bella and Edward, told from the vampire's point of view. When Edward Cullen and Bella Swan met in Twilight, an iconic love story was born. But until now, fans have heard only Bella's side of the story. At last, readers can experience Edward's version in the long-awaited companion novel, Midnight Sun. This unforgettable tale as told through Edward's eyes takes on a new and decidedly dark twist. Meeting Bella is both the most unnerving and intriguing event he has experienced in all his years as a vampire. As we learn more fascinating details about Edward's past and the complexity of his inner thoughts, we understand why this is the defining struggle of his life. How can he justify following his heart if it means leading Bella into danger? In Midnight Sun, Stephenie Meyer transports us back to a world that has captivated millions of readers and brings us an epic novel about the profound pleasures and devastating consequences of immortal love. An instant #1 New York Times BestsellerAn instant #1 USA Today BestsellerAn instant #1 Wall Street Journal BestsellerAn instant #1 IndieBound BestsellerApple Audiobook August Must-Listens Pick "People do not want to just read Meyer's books; they want to climb inside them and live there." —Time "A literary phenomenon." —The New York Times

Rebecca

160 pages

This book inspired me to become a mystery author, showcasing the captivating elements of suspense and intrigue.

The Hunger Games (Hunger Games, Book One)

387 pages

This book blew my mind at 12, making me realize that books can be truly awesome!

The Goldfinch

820 pages

If you're halfway through 'The Goldfinch', you MUST finish it. Tartt has a real gift for evoking specific times and emotional states, making her stories linger in your mind long after reading.

Night

133 pages

A new translation from the French by Marion Wiesel. Night is Elie Wiesel's masterpiece, a candid, horrific, and deeply poignant autobiographical account of his survival as a teenager in the Nazi death camps. This new translation by Marion Wiesel, Elie's wife and frequent translator, presents this seminal memoir in the language and spirit truest to the author's original intent. And in a substantive new preface, Elie reflects on the enduring importance of Night and his lifelong, passionate dedication to ensuring that the world never forgets man's capacity for inhumanity to man. Night offers much more than a litany of the daily terrors, everyday perversions, and rampant sadism at Auschwitz and Buchenwald; it also eloquently addresses many of the philosophical as well as personal questions implicit in any serious consideration of what the Holocaust was, what it meant, and what its legacy is and will be.

Because I Am Furniture

This unflinching debut novel told in verse is about a girl, her family, and the devastating power of silence in an abusive house of horrors.

This Side of Paradise

470 pages

Fitzgerald's first novel in the authoritative Cambridge edition, now available as a paperback.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

324 pages

When The Unbearable Lightness of Being was first published in English, it was hailed as "a work of the boldest mastery, originality, and richness" by critic Elizabeth Hardwick and named one of the best books of 1984 by the New York Times Book Review. It went on to win the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction and quickly became an international bestseller. Twenty years later, the novel has established itself as a modern classic. To commemorate the anniversary of its first English-language publication, HarperCollins is proud to offer a special hardcover edition. A young woman in love with a man torn between his love for her and his incorrigible womanizing; one of his mistresses and her humbly faithful lover -- these are the two couples whose story is told in this masterful novel. Controlled by day, Tereza's jealousy awakens by night, transformed into ineffably sad death-dreams, while Tomas, a successful surgeon, alternates loving devotion to the dependent Tereza with the ardent pursuit of other women. Sabina, an independent, free-spirited artist, lives her life as a series of betrayals -- of parents, husband, country, love itself -- whereas her lover, the intellectual Franz, loses all because of his earnest goodness and fidelity. In a world in which lives are shaped by irrevocable choices and by fortuitous events, a world in which everything occurs but once, existence seems to lose its substance, its weight. Hence we feel, says the novelist, "the unbearable lightness of being" -- not only as the consequence of our private acts but also in the public sphere, and the two inevitably intertwine. This magnificent novel encompasses the extremes of comedy and tragedy, and embraces, it seems, all aspects of human existence. It juxtaposes geographically distant places (Prague, Geneva, Paris, Thailand, the United States, a forlorn Bohemian village); brilliant and playful reflections (on "eternal return," on kitsch, on man and animals -- Tomas and Tereza have a beloved doe named Karenin); and a variety of styles (from the farcical to the elegiac) to take its place as perhaps the major achievement of one of the world's truly great writers.

Where the Red Fern Grows

306 pages

This book created a deep well of emotions for me, sparking a beautiful relationship with books and writing.

Superfudge

213 pages

Sometimes life in the Hatcher household is enough to make twelve-year-old Peter think about running away. His worst problem is still his younger brother, Fudge, who hasn't changed a bit since his crazy capers in Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. If you ask Peter, Fudge is just an older — and bigger — pain. Then Peter learns that his mom is going to have a baby and the whole family is moving to Princeton for a year. It will be bad enough starting sixth grade in a strange place and going to the same school as Fudge. But Peter can imagine something even worse. How will he ever survive if the new baby is a carbon copy of Fudge?

East of Eden

609 pages

This novel is a masterpiece that delves into the complexities of good and evil, leaving a lasting impression.

The Library at Mount Char

402 pages

“Wholly original . . . the work of the newest major talent in fantasy.”—The Wall Street Journal “Freakishly compelling . . . through heart-thumping acts of violence and laugh-out-loud moments, this book practically dares you to keep reading.”—Atlanta Magazine A missing God. A library with the secrets to the universe. A woman too busy to notice her heart slipping away. Carolyn's not so different from the other people around her. She likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone. Clothes are a bit tricky, but everyone says nice things about her outfit with the Christmas sweater over the gold bicycle shorts. After all, she was a normal American herself once. That was a long time ago, of course. Before her parents died. Before she and the others were taken in by the man they called Father. In the years since then, Carolyn hasn't had a chance to get out much. Instead, she and her adopted siblings have been raised according to Father's ancient customs. They've studied the books in his Library and learned some of the secrets of his power. And sometimes, they've wondered if their cruel tutor might secretly be God. Now, Father is missing—perhaps even dead—and the Library that holds his secrets stands unguarded. And with it, control over all of creation. As Carolyn gathers the tools she needs for the battle to come, fierce competitors for this prize align against her, all of them with powers that far exceed her own. But Carolyn has accounted for this. And Carolyn has a plan. The only trouble is that in the war to make a new God, she's forgotten to protect the things that make her human. Populated by an unforgettable cast of characters and propelled by a plot that will shock you again and again, The Library at Mount Char is at once horrifying and hilarious, mind-blowingly alien and heartbreakingly human, sweepingly visionary and nail-bitingly thrilling—and signals the arrival of a major new voice in fantasy. Praise for The Library at Mount Char An engrossing fantasy world full of supernatural beings and gruesome consequences."—Boston Globe "Vivid . . . the dialogue sings . . . you'll spend equal time shuddering and chortling."—Dallas Morning News"

A Prayer for Owen Meany

658 pages

“I am doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice—not because of his voice, or because he was the smallest person I ever knew, or even because he was the instrument of my mother’s death, but because he was the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany.” In the summer of 1953, two eleven-year-old boys—best friends—are playing in a Little League baseball game in Gravesend, New Hampshire. One of the boys hits a foul ball that kills the other boy’s mother. The boy who hits the ball doesn’t believe in accidents; Owen Meany believes he is God’s instrument. What happens to Owen, after that 1953 foul ball, is extraordinary and terrifying.

Of Mice and Men

145 pages

This book was a turning point for me, as it introduced a dark ending that contrasted sharply with the saccharine plots of the children's books I had read before. It was a shocking experience that opened my eyes to deeper themes in literature.

The Stand

1202 pages

This book is a must-read because it offers an unforgettable experience that leaves you wanting to share it with others.

Kushiel's Dart

930 pages

The lush epic fantasy that inspired a generation with a single precept: Love As Thou Wilt The first book in the Kushiel's Legacy series is a novel of grandeur, luxuriance, sacrifice, betrayal, and deeply laid conspiracies. A world of cunning poets, deadly courtiers, deposed rulers and a besieged Queen, a warrior-priest, the Prince of Travelers, barbarian warlords, heroic traitors, and a truly Machiavellian villainess...all seen through the unflinching eyes of an unforgettable heroine. A nation born of angels, vast and intricate and surrounded by danger... a woman born to servitude, unknowingly given access to the secrets of the realm... Born with a scarlet mote in her left eye, Phédre nó Delaunay is sold into indentured servitude as a child. When her bond is purchased by an enigmatic nobleman, she is trained in history, theology, politics, foreign languages, the arts of pleasure. And above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze. Exquisite courtesan, talented spy...and unlikely heroine. But when Phédre stumbles upon a plot that threatens her homeland, Terre d'Ange, she has no choice. Betrayed into captivity in the barbarous northland of Skaldia and accompanied only by a disdainful young warrior-priest, Phédre makes a harrowing escape and an even more harrowing journey to return to her people and deliver a warning of the impending invasion. And that proves only the first step in a quest that will take her to the edge of despair and beyond. Phédre nó Delaunay is the woman who holds the keys to her realm's deadly secrets, and whose courage will decide the very future of her world. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

The Name of the Wind

674 pages

Discover #1 New York Times-bestselling Patrick Rothfuss’ epic fantasy series, The Kingkiller Chronicle. “I just love the world of Patrick Rothfuss.” —Lin-Manuel Miranda OVER 1 MILLION COPIES SOLD! DAY ONE: THE NAME OF THE WIND My name is Kvothe. I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep. You may have heard of me. So begins a tale unequaled in fantasy literature—the story of a hero told in his own voice. It is a tale of sorrow, a tale of survival, a tale of one man’s search for meaning in his universe, and how that search, and the indomitable will that drove it, gave birth to a legend.

One Hundred Years of Solitude

431 pages

ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS BOOKS AND WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR LITERATURE _______________________________ 'Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice' Gabriel García Márquez's great masterpiece is the story of seven generations of the Buendía family and of Macondo, the town they built. Though little more than a settlement surrounded by mountains, Macondo has its wars and disasters, even its wonders and its miracles. A microcosm of Columbian life, its secrets lie hidden, encoded in a book, and only Aureliano Buendía can fathom its mysteries and reveal its shrouded destiny. Blending political reality with magic realism, fantasy and comic invention, One Hundred Years of Solitude is one of the most daringly original works of the twentieth century. _______________________________ 'Should be required reading for the entire human race' The New York Times 'The book that sort of saved my life' Emma Thompson 'No lover of fiction can fail to respond to the grace of Márquez's writing' Sunday Telegraph

The Poisonwood Bible

563 pages

The Poisonwood Bible is a story told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it—from garden seeds to Scripture—is calamitously transformed on African soil. What follows is a suspenseful epic of one family's tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in postcolonial Africa. The novel is set against one of the most dramatic political chronicles of the twentieth century: the Congo's fight for independence from Belgium, the murder of its first elected prime minister, the CIA coup to install his replacement, and the insidious progress of a world economic order that robs the fledgling African nation of its autonomy. Against this backdrop, Orleanna Price reconstructs the story of her evangelist husband's part in the Western assault on Africa, a tale indelibly darkened by her own losses and unanswerable questions about her own culpability. Also narrating the story, by turns, are her four daughters—the self-centered, teenaged Rachel; shrewd adolescent twins Leah and Adah; and Ruth May, a prescient five-year-old. These sharply observant girls, who arrive in the Congo with racial preconceptions forged in 1950s Georgia, will be marked in surprisingly different ways by their father's intractable mission, and by Africa itself. Ultimately each must strike her own separate path to salvation. Their passionately intertwined stories become a compelling exploration of moral risk and personal responsibility. Dancing between the dark comedy of human failings and the breathtaking possibilities of human hope, The Poisonwood Bible possesses all that has distinguished Barbara Kingsolver's previous work, and extends this beloved writer's vision to an entirely new level. Taking its place alongside the classic works of postcolonial literature, this ambitious novel establishes Kingsolver as one of the most thoughtful and daring of modern writers.

Inkheart

436 pages

This book is a powerful emotional journey that can leave you feeling torn apart, making it a memorable read.

Atlas Shrugged

1243 pages

I initially read this book to critique Ayn Rand, but I ended up appreciating it. It emphasizes the importance of not living for others while also not expecting others to live for you, which relieved my guilt about pursuing my own desires and helped me appreciate others' choices.

Ishmael

274 pages

This book profoundly changed my perspective on modern culture and the sustainability of society, making me rethink our current way of living.

Man S Search For Meaning

124 pages

This book offers profound insights into finding purpose, especially impactful during tough times.

The Brothers Karamazov

700 pages

This book opened my eyes to the power of literature and transformed my perspective on reading.

The God of Small Things

360 pages

International No 1 Bestseller. Winner Of The 1997 Booker Prize &Nbsp;

Tunneling to the Center of the Earth

225 pages

The imaginative and refreshingly original debut short story collection by the bestselling author of Nothing to See Here

A Little Life

737 pages

'I'm not exaggerating when I say this novel challenged everything I thought I knew about love and friendship. It's one of those books that stays with you forever.' – Dua Lipa The million-copy bestseller, Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life, by the author of To Paradise, is an immensely powerful and heartbreaking novel of brotherly love and the limits of human endurance. Winner of Fiction of the Year at the British Book Awards Shortlisted for the Booker Prize Shortlisted for the Women's Prize Finalist for the US National Book Award for Fiction When four graduates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York to make their way, they're broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition. There is kind, handsome Willem, an aspiring actor. JB, a quick-witted, sometimes cruel Brooklyn-born painter seeking entry to the art world. Malcolm, a frustrated architect at a prominent firm. And withdrawn, brilliant, enigmatic Jude, who serves as their centre of gravity. Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, tinged by addiction, success, and pride. Yet their greatest challenge, each comes to realize, is Jude himself. By midlife a terrifyingly talented litigator yet an increasingly broken man, his mind and body scarred by an unspeakable childhood, and haunted by what he fears is a degree of trauma that he'll not only be unable to overcome – but that will define his life forever. 'Yanagihara takes you so deeply into the lives and minds of these characters that you struggle to leave them behind.' – The Times Part of the Picador Collection, a series celebrating fifty years of Picador books and showcasing the best of modern literature.

The Catcher in the Rye

207 pages

'If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.' The first of J. D. Salinger's four books to be published, The Catcher in the Rye is one of the most widely read and beloved of all contemporary American novels. 'The handbook of the adolescent heart' The New Yorker

Blindness

318 pages

A stunningly powerful novel of man's will to survive against all odds, by the winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize for Literature. "This is a shattering work by a literary master."--The Boston Globe A New York Times Notable Book of the Year A Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year A city is hit by an epidemic of "white blindness" which spares no one. Authorities confine the blind to an empty mental hospital, but there the criminal element holds everyone captive, stealing food rations and raping women. There is one eyewitness to this nightmare who guides seven strangers--among them a boy with no mother, a girl with dark glasses, a dog of tears--through the barren streets, and the procession becomes as uncanny as the surroundings are harrowing. A magnificent parable of loss and disorientation and a vivid evocation of the horrors of the twentieth century, Blindness has swept the reading public with its powerful portrayal of man's worst appetites and weaknesses--and man's ultimately exhilarating spirit.

The Little Prince

139 pages

This book is special as it was the first one I ever read, and it has definitely changed my life in ways I can't precisely remember.

1984

341 pages

London, 1984: Winston Smith, Geschichtsfälscher im Staatsdienst, verliebt sich in die schöne und geheimnisvolle Julia. Gemeinsam beginnen sie, die totalitäre Welt infrage zu stellen, als Teil derer sie bisher funktioniert haben. Doch bereits ihre Gedanken sind Verbrechen, und der Große Bruder richtet seinen stets wachsamen Blick auf jeden potenziellen Dissidenten. George Orwells Vision eines totalitären Staats, in dem Cyberüberwachung, Geschichtsrevisionismus und Gedankenpolizei den Alltag gläserner Bürger bestimmen, hat wie keine andere Dystopie bis heute nur an Brisanz gewonnen.

The Saga of the Witcher

2058 pages

This series is my Harry Potter, offering a perfect blend of entertainment, literature, and a touch of philosophy.

The Iron Warrior

346 pages

Warrior Cats captivated me and played a significant role in my love for fiction.

The Island of the Day Before

532 pages

This book has shaped my life philosophy. It's challenging and can be boring at times, but the final 70 pages make it all worth it.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (Book 1)

289 pages

Reading the Percy Jackson series transformed my view on fiction, making me appreciate its depth and excitement.

In the Dream House

304 pages

Machado's work is a haunting exploration of memory and identity, leaving a lasting impact.

The Jungle

379 pages

A powerful expose on the harsh realities of the meatpacking industry that remains relevant today.

Insomniac City

305 pages

This book beautifully captures the essence of love and loss, making it a compelling read.

Jane Eyre

546 pages

This novel has remained a favorite of mine after many reads since middle school.

The Giver

224 pages

This book transformed my idea of literature, exposing me to the utopia/dystopia genre for the first time. It opened my eyes to how literature can expand on reality and create alternate universes that feel possible, fostering a long-lasting love for dystopian stories.

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (Scholastic Gold)

232 pages

This book was the first I read on my own in 3rd grade, and it hooked me on seafaring novels for life.

The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog

382 pages

A compelling read that sheds light on the effects of trauma and the importance of empathy.

On the Move

384 pages

Sacks' memoir is a fascinating journey through his life, filled with insights that resonate deeply.

I Know This Much Is True

884 pages

An emotional journey that explores complex family dynamics and personal struggles.

The Dark Tower I

288 pages

This book is a go-to for tough times, allowing readers to walk through their own wastelands and emerge feeling better.

The Dark Tower VI

448 pages

The first two books in the series resonate deeply, making them worth revisiting over and over.

The Power of Now

258 pages

Donation Jan/03 Forward by Russell E. DiCarlo replaced Sept.05.

Lilith's Brood

893 pages

The complete series about an alien species that could save humanity after nuclear apocalypse—or destroy it—from “one of science fiction’s finest writers” (The New York Times). The newest stage in human evolution begins in outer space. Survivors of a cataclysmic nuclear war awake to find themselves being studied by the Oankali, tentacle-covered galactic travelers whose benevolent appearance hides their surprising plan for the future of mankind. The Oankali arrive not just to save humanity, but to bond with it—crossbreeding to form a hybrid species that can survive in the place of its human forebears, who were so intent on self-destruction. Some people resist, forming pocket communities of purebred rebellion, but many realize they have no choice. The human species inevitably expands into something stranger, stronger, and undeniably alien. From Hugo and Nebula award–winning author Octavia Butler, Lilith’s Brood is both a thrilling, epic adventure of man’s struggle to survive after Earth’s destruction, and a provocative meditation on what it means to be human. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Octavia E. Butler including rare images from the author’s estate.

Survivor

304 pages

Tender Branson, the last surviving member of the Creedish death cult, has commandeered a Boeing 747, emptied of passengers, in order to tell his story to the plane's black box before it crashes. Brought up by the repressive cult and, like all Creedish younger sons, hired out as a domestic servant, Tender finds himself suddenly famous when his fellow cult members all commit suicide. As media messiah he ascends to the very top of the freak-show heap before finally and apocalyptically spiralling out of control.

The Immortalists

This book explores how four siblings confront a prophecy about their death dates, serving as a poignant reminder to live each day to the fullest.

Speaker for the Dead

305 pages

This book resonates deeply with those who have faced their own mistakes and seek redemption. The character Ender, who embodies empathy and moral integrity, serves as an ultimate role model, making it a profound read for anyone looking to understand the complexities of guilt and the importance of making the right choices.

Born a Crime

277 pages

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • More than one million copies sold! A “brilliant” (Lupita Nyong’o, Time), “poignant” (Entertainment Weekly), “soul-nourishing” (USA Today) memoir about coming of age during the twilight of apartheid “Noah’s childhood stories are told with all the hilarity and intellect that characterizes his comedy, while illuminating a dark and brutal period in South Africa’s history that must never be forgotten.”—Esquire Winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor and an NAACP Image Award • Named one of the best books of the year by The New York Time, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, Esquire, Newsday, and Booklist Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents’ indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle. Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man’s relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother—his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life. The stories collected here are by turns hilarious, dramatic, and deeply affecting. Whether subsisting on caterpillars for dinner during hard times, being thrown from a moving car during an attempted kidnapping, or just trying to survive the life-and-death pitfalls of dating in high school, Trevor illuminates his curious world with an incisive wit and unflinching honesty. His stories weave together to form a moving and searingly funny portrait of a boy making his way through a damaged world in a dangerous time, armed only with a keen sense of humor and a mother’s unconventional, unconditional love.

Stranger Beside Me

476 pages

This multiply-reprinted account of crime writer Ann Rule's detective work on serial killer Ted Bundy's case also honestly portrays her long-term, and often confusing, role as friend and confidante to an incomprehensibly magnetic serial killer. Includes a new, but not particularly enriching, update by the author. Annotation copyrighted by Book News Inc., Portland, OR

His Dark Materials

1140 pages

This series is a thought-provoking exploration of faith and belief that challenges traditional views, making it a compelling read for those questioning their own beliefs.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

516 pages

Reading 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' at a young age opened my eyes to the harsh realities faced by girls in war-torn countries, making me appreciate my own life and sparking a deep interest in historical events.

Heart of darkness

102 pages

It's an amazing philosophical book that offers deep insights, and the best part is that it's only a 70-page read!

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

144 pages

This book is a beautiful tale about following your dreams and the pursuit of perfection, which resonates deeply with anyone who has ever felt different or out of place.

Der kleine Prinz / Le Petit Prince. eBook. zweisprachig: Französisch-Deutsch

174 pages

Antoine de Saint-Exupérys Meisterwerk »Der kleine Prinz« gehört zu den wichtigsten Büchern des 20. Jahrhunderts. Es handelt von der Suche nach echter Freundschaft und Liebe, nach Wahrheit und Selbsterkenntnis. Das macht es zu einer Geschichte, die sowohl Kinder als auch Erwachsene tief im Herzen berührt. Der kleine Prinz nimmt uns auf seiner Reise von Planet zu Planet an die Hand und zeigt uns, dass das Kind in uns lebendig ist, dass wir alles besitzen für ein schöpferisches und erfülltes Leben. Weltweit wurde das Buch in über 210 Sprachen und Dialekte übersetzt. Inhalt des Märchens: In der Sahara, einer Wüste in Afrika, begegnet einem notgelandeten Piloten ein kleines Kerlchen, das von einem fernen Stern zu kommen scheint. Der kleine Prinz enthüllt ihm nach und nach, ohne auch nur entfernt auf irgendeine Frage zu antworten, von der Geschichte seiner Herkunft. Einst war er seiner Rose auf seinem winzigen Planeten entflohen und reiste von Planet zu Planet, wo er die sonderbare Welt der großen Leute kennenlernte. Auf der Suche nach Freunden fand er niemanden, bis er auf der Erde dem Fuchs begegnete. Der Fuchs weihte ihn in die größten Geheimnisse des Lebens ein, und der kleine Prinz erkannte, was für ein Glück er aufgegeben hatte. Nun versucht er alles, um wieder zu seiner großen Liebe zurückzukehren. Die Schlange kann ihm dabei helfen.

11/22/63

867 pages

One of the Ten Best Books of The New York Times Book Review Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize ON NOVEMBER 22, 1963, THREE SHOTS RANG OUT IN DALLAS, PRESIDENT KENNEDY DIED, AND THE WORLD CHANGED. WHAT IF YOU COULD CHANGE IT BACK? In this brilliantly conceived tour de force, Stephen King—who has absorbed the social, political, and popular culture of his generation more imaginatively and thoroughly than any other writer—takes readers on an incredible journey into the past and the possibility of altering it. It begins with Jake Epping, a thirty-five-year-old English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching GED classes. He asks his students to write about an event that changed their lives, and one essay blows him away—a gruesome, harrowing story about the night more than fifty years ago when Harry Dunning’s father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a sledgehammer. Reading the essay is a watershed moment for Jake, his life—like Harry’s, like America’s in 1963—turning on a dime. Not much later his friend Al, who owns the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to the past, a particular day in 1958. And Al enlists Jake to take over the mission that has become his obsession—to prevent the Kennedy assassination. So begins Jake’s new life as George Amberson, in a different world of Ike and JFK and Elvis, of big American cars and sock hops and cigarette smoke everywhere. From the dank little city of Derry, Maine (where there’s Dunning business to conduct), to the warmhearted small town of Jodie, Texas, where Jake falls dangerously in love, every turn is leading eventually, of course, to a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and to Dallas, where the past becomes heart-stoppingly suspenseful, and where history might not be history anymore. Time-travel has never been so believable. Or so terrifying.

Anne of Green Gables

464 pages

A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021) Anne Shirley is unforgettable, and this beautifully packaged edition of L.M. Montgomery’s classic novel is as memorable as its heroine. When Anne Shirley arrives at Green Gables, she surprises everyone: first of all, she’s a girl, even though Marilla Cuthbert and her brother Matthew specifically asked for an orphan boy to help around the farm. And second of all, she’s not just any girl: she has bright red hair, a wild imagination, and can talk a mile a minute. But she also has a sweet disposition and quick wit, and Anne (with an “e” of course—it’s so much more distinguished!) soon finds her place in Avonlea, making a friend in her neighbor Diana Barry and attending the local school, where she spurns the advances of the popular and handsome Gilbert Blythe when he commits the ultimate sin of making fun of her hair. Anne has a temper as fiery as her hair and a knack for finding trouble, and she also has a big heart and a positive attitude that affects everyone she meets. This classic and beloved story makes a wonderful gift and keepsake.

The Story of Stuff

496 pages

This book marked a pivotal transition in my life, pushing me from a carefree college student to someone determined to make a difference in the world. It resonated deeply with me at a crucial time.

A Short History of Nearly Everything

562 pages

This book helped me shift from feeling lost in my quest for knowledge to finding peace in understanding our connection to the universe. It came into my life just when I needed it most.

Getting Things Done

354 pages

This book transformed my life; it helped me tackle my depression and manage my responsibilities one step at a time, leading to a much better life.

Wild

338 pages

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A powerful, blazingly honest memoir: the story of an eleven-hundred-mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe—and built her back up again. At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—and she would do it alone. Told with suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

The BFG (Colour Edition)

232 pages

'Human beans is not really believing in giants, is they? Human beans is not thinking we exist.' On a dark, silvery moonlit night, Sophie is snatched from her bed by a giant. Luckily it is the Big Friendly Giant, the BFG, who only eats snozzcumbers and glugs frobscottle. But there are other giants in Giant Country. Fifty foot brutes who gallop far and wide every night to find human beans to eat. Can Sophie and her friend the BFG stop them?

The Razor's Edge

Larry Darrell is a young American in search of the absolute. The progress of his spiritual odyssey involves him with some of Maugham's most brilliant characters - his fiance e Isabel whose choice between love and wealth have lifelong repercussions, and Elliott Templeton, her uncle, a classic expatriate American snob. Maugham himself wanders in and out of the story, to observe his characters struggling with their fates.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

380 pages

This book is an emotional journey that deeply resonates, showcasing the resilience of women in Afghanistan.

Jesus for President

369 pages

This book challenges readers to rethink their faith and its implications, potentially leading to profound personal transformations.

Siddhartha

121 pages

This book radically alters your perspective on the world and life itself, making it a must-read for anyone seeking deeper understanding.

House Of Leaves

This book introduced me to a new type of reading experience and surprisingly helped me process some repressed childhood trauma, making it a therapeutic read.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

257 pages

The shocking ending will keep you up all night, as it offers a new perspective on how different people view the same event.

All Quiet on the Western Front

258 pages

This novel powerfully conveys the harrowing experiences of soldiers, providing a stark reminder of the realities of war.

A Monster Calls

The bestselling novel and major film about love, loss and hope from the twice Carnegie Medal-winning Patrick Ness.Conor has the same dream every night, ever since his mother first fell ill, ever since she started the treatments that don't quite seem to be working. But tonight is different. Tonight, when he wakes, there's a visitor at his window. It's ancient, elemental, a force of nature. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor. It wants the truth. Patrick Ness takes the final idea of the late, award-winning writer Siobhan Dowd and weaves an extraordinary and heartbreaking tale of mischief, healing and above all, the courage it takes to survive.

Stranger in a Strange Land

452 pages

Robert Heinlein's Hugo Award-winning all-time masterpiece, the brilliant novel that grew from a cult favorite to a bestseller to a science fiction classic. Raised by Martians on Mars, Valentine Michael Smith is a human who has never seen another member of his species. Sent to Earth, he is a stranger who must learn what it is to be a man. But his own beliefs and his powers far exceed the limits of humankind, and as he teaches them about grokking and water-sharing, he also inspires a transformation that will alter Earth’s inhabitants forever...

A Farewell to Arms

352 pages

Hemingway's portrayal of love and loss amidst the backdrop of war captures the emotional turmoil beautifully.

Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie

52 pages

THE STORY: TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE is the autobiographical story of Mitch Albom, an accomplished journalist driven solely by his career, and Morrie Schwartz, his former college professor. Sixteen years after graduation, Mitch happens to catch Morrie's appear

Python Crash Course

564 pages

This book is a great starting point for anyone looking to learn Python, as it has helped me significantly boost my income to 200k per year!

Another Roadside Attraction

393 pages

“Written with a style and humor that haven’t been seen since Mark Twain.”—Los Angeles Times What if the Second Coming didn’t quite come off as advertised? What if “the Corpse” on display in that funky roadside zoo is really who they say it is—what does that portend for the future of western civilization? And what if a young clairvoyant named Amanda reestablishes the flea circus as popular entertainment and fertility worship as the principal religious form of our high-tech age? Another Roadside Attraction answers those questions and a lot more. It tell us, for example, what the sixties were truly all about, not by reporting on the psychedelic decade but by recreating it, from the inside out. In the process, this stunningly original seriocomic thriller is fully capable of simultaneously eating a literary hot dog and eroding the borders of the mind. “Hard to put down because of the sheer brilliance and fun of the writing. The sentiments of Brautigan and the joyously compassionate omniscience of Fielding dance through the pages garbed colorfully in the language of Joyce.”—Rolling Stone

White is for Witching

237 pages

Winner of the Somerset Maugham Award One of Granta’s Best Young British Novelists From the acclaimed author of What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours, Gingerbread, and Peaces There’s something strange about the Silver family house in the closed-off town of Dover, England. Grand and cavernous with hidden passages and buried secrets, it’s been home to four generations of Silver women—Anna, Jennifer, Lily, and now Miranda, who has lived in the house with her twin brother, Eliot, ever since their father converted it to a bed-and-breakfast. The Silver women have always had a strong connection, a pull over one another that reaches across time and space, and when Lily, Miranda’s mother, passes away suddenly while on a trip abroad, Miranda begins suffering strange ailments. An eating disorder starves her. She begins hearing voices. When she brings a friend home, Dover’s hostility toward outsiders physically manifests within the four walls of the Silver house, and the lives of everyone inside are irrevocably changed. At once an unforgettable mystery and a meditation on race, nationality, and family legacies, White is for Witching is a boldly original, terrifying, and elegant novel by a prodigious talent.