Books to Evoke Deep Nostalgia
Dive into these poignant reads that capture the essence of fleeting moments and bittersweet goodbyes. Each story will resonate with your emotions, leaving you reflective and connected to the past. Perfect for those seeking a profound experience in a concise format.
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage
269 pages
This book beautifully explores the theme of growing apart from friends, making it a poignant read for anyone reflecting on their own relationships.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
240 pages
This book always evokes deep feelings and resonates with me every time I read it.
Never Let Me Go
305 pages
NOBEL PRIZE WINNER • The moving, suspenseful, beautifully atmospheric modern classic from the acclaimed author of The Remains of the Day and Klara and the Sun—“a Gothic tour de force" (The New York Times) with an extraordinary twist. • “Speculative, experimental, and humanly moving. . . . Miraculous” —The New Republic • “A page-turner and a heartbreaker, a tour de force of knotted tension and buried anguish.” —TIME As children, Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy were students at Hailsham, an exclusive boarding school secluded in the English countryside. It was a place of mercurial cliques and mysterious rules where teachers were constantly reminding their charges of how special they were. Now, years later, Kathy is a young woman. Ruth and Tommy have reentered her life. And for the first time she is beginning to look back at their shared past and understand just what it is that makes them special—and how that gift will shape the rest of their time together.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
324 pages
This book evokes a nice gentle sadness that resonates deeply, making it a profound read.
The Body
198 pages
This book captures the essence of childhood friendships and the nostalgia of youth, making it a poignant read that resonates with anyone who reflects on their early years.
Norwegian Wood
307 pages
The tragic death of their best friend has a profound influence on the passionate relationship between Toro, a serious young college student in Tokyo, and Naoko, an introspective beauty.
The Buried Giant
337 pages
The end of The Buried Giant left me with a profound feeling, making it one of my favorite books.
The Little Prince
100 pages
It's a short read that can be finished in about half an hour, but it leaves a profound impact, evoking a bittersweet feeling that lingers long after.
The Lovely Bones
186 pages
Susie Salmon is just like any other young American girl. She wants to be beautiful, adores her charm bracelet and has a crush on a boy from school. There's one big difference though – Susie is dead. Add: Now she can only observe while her family manage their grief in their different ways. Susie is desperate to help them and there might be a way of reaching them... Alice Sebold's novel The Lovely Bones is a unique coming-of-age tale that captured the hearts of readers throughout the world. Award-winning playwright Bryony Lavery has adapted it for this unforgettable play about life after loss.
A Little Life
833 pages
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A stunning “portrait of the enduring grace of friendship” (NPR) about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves. A masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century. NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • MAN BOOKER PRIZE FINALIST • WINNER OF THE KIRKUS PRIZE A Little Life follows four college classmates—broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition—as they move to New York in search of fame and fortune. While their relationships, which are tinged by addiction, success, and pride, deepen over the decades, the men are held together by their devotion to the brilliant, enigmatic Jude, a man scarred by an unspeakable childhood trauma. A hymn to brotherly bonds and a masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century, Hanya Yanagihara’s stunning novel is about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves.
The Disenchantments
243 pages
Nina LaCour's The Disenchantments is a captivating read that beautifully explores themes of friendship and self-discovery, making it a must-read for anyone navigating the complexities of young adulthood.
The Inexplicable Logic of My Life
469 pages
A “mesmerizing, poetic exploration of family, friendship, love and loss” by the author of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (The New York Times Book Review). Sal used to know his place with his adoptive gay father, their loving Mexican American family, and his best friend, Samantha. But it’s senior year, and suddenly Sal is throwing punches, questioning everything, and realizing he no longer knows himself. If Sal’s not who he thought he was, who is he? From the Printz Honor-winning author, this is “another stellar, gentle look into the emotional lives of teens on the cusp of adulthood” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). “The themes of love, social responsibility, death, and redemption are expertly intertwined with well-developed characters and a compelling story line. This complex, sensitive, and profoundly moving book is beautifully written and will stay with readers.” —School Library Journal (starred review “Sal is one of those characters you wonder about after the book is closed.” —Booklist “What the world needs now is a book like this one. . . . Read it.” —Bill Konigsberg, Stonewall Award–winning author of Openly Straight
Boy's Life
722 pages
This book captures a unique feeling that keeps you hooked, making it hard to put down despite its length.
The Travelling Cat Chronicles
233 pages
THE PERFECT CURL-UP READ FOR CAT LOVERS *** Includes a sneak preview from the author's new bestseller, The Goodbye Cat *** 'Bewitching... as self-possessed and comforting as - well, a cat' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'A book about kindness and love, and how the smallest things can provide happiness' STYLIST ___ It's not the journey that counts, but who's at your side. Nana is on a road trip, but he is not sure where he is going. All that matters is that he can sit beside his beloved owner Satoru in the front seat of his silver van. Satoru is keen to visit three old friends from his youth, though Nana doesn't know why and Satoru won't say. Set against the backdrop of Japan's changing seasons and narrated with a rare gentleness and humour, Nana's story explores the wonder and thrill of life's unexpected detours. It is about the value of friendship and solitude, and knowing when to give and when to take. At the heart of this book is a powerful message about the importance of kindness. It shows, above all, how acts of love, both great and small, can transform our lives. ___ Readers love THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES: 'Delightful, insightful, full of warmth with plenty of humour' 5 stars ***** 'Uplifting and heart wrenching in equal measure' 5 stars ***** 'It had me in floods of tears but filled me with hope too' 5 stars *****
Looking for Alaska
274 pages
The award-winning, genre-defining debut from John Green, the #1 bestselling author of The Anthropocene Reviewed and The Fault in Our Stars Winner of the Michael L. Printz Award • A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist • A New York Times Bestseller • A USA Today Bestseller • NPR’s Top Ten Best-Ever Teen Novels • TIME magazine’s 100 Best Young Adult Novels of All Time • A PBS Great American Read Selection • Millions of copies sold! First drink. First prank. First friend. First love. Last words. Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words—and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet François Rabelais called the “Great Perhaps.” Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young, who will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps. Looking for Alaska brilliantly chronicles the indelible impact one life can have on another. A modern classic, this stunning debut marked #1 bestselling author John Green’s arrival as a groundbreaking new voice in contemporary fiction. Newly updated edition includes a brand-new Readers' Guide featuring a Q&A with author John Green
Running with Scissors
346 pages
This book leaves you with a unique vibe at the end, making it a memorable read.
Frankenstein
212 pages
Originally written as a response to a challenge from Lord Byron? Frankenstein still haunts our minds with images of the dead brought back to hideous life. Mary Shelley's nineteenth-century masterpiece begins with a fateful rescue in the Arctic and slowly evolves into a gripping story of horror'a contest of wills between Victor Frankenstein and the monster he creates. Wandering through Europe? the confused creature searches for a father figure in the tortured scientist who stitched him together with body parts stolen from the grave. Themes of revenge? the philosophical limits of science? and forbidden knowledge are deeply explored in the greatest Gothic novel ever written. This Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Edition includes a glossary and reader's notes to help the modern reader contend with Shelley's complex vocabulary and references.
Horse Trading in the Age of Cars
245 pages
If you're into video games, Kentucky Route Zero is a must-try. It's very text and story-based, exploring deep themes that resonate with many.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane (Illustrated Edition)
336 pages
It began for our narrator forty years ago when the family lodger stole their car and committed suicide in it, stirring up ancient powers best left undisturbed. Dark creatures from beyond the world are on the loose, and it will take everything our narrator has just to stay alive: there is primal horror here, and menace unleashed-- within his family and from the forces that have gathered to destroy it. His only defense is three women on a farm at the end of the lane. The youngest of them claims that her duckpond is an ocean. The oldest can remember the Big Bang.
Summer Sisters
434 pages
This book beautifully explores the complexities of friendships, capturing the joy and sorrow that come with them.
The Art of Racing in the Rain LP
372 pages
Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver. Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast. Using the techniques needed on the race track, one can successfully navigate all of life's ordeals. On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through: the sacrifices Denny has made to succeed professionally; the unexpected loss of Eve, Denny's wife; the three-year battle over their daughter, Zoë, whose maternal grandparents pulled every string to gain custody. In the end, despite what he sees as his own limitations, Enzo comes through heroically to preserve the Swift family, holding in his heart the dream that Denny will become a racing champion with Zoë at his side. Having learned what it takes to be a compassionate and successful person, the wise canine can barely wait until his next lifetime, when he is sure he will return as a man. A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a beautifully crafted and captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life . . . as only a dog could tell it.
A Monster Calls
The book offers a deep emotional journey that resonates with anyone dealing with loss and grief.
Tell the Wolves I'm Home
386 pages
This book leaves you with a sense of longing, making you wish for more even after finishing it.
The Regeneration Trilogy
732 pages
The Booker Prize-winning modern classic of contemporary war fiction from the Women's Prize-shortlisted author of The Silence of the Girls Recommended by Richard Osman 'One of the few real masterpieces of late twentieth-century British fiction' Jonathan Coe 'Original, delicate and unforgettable' Independent 'A new vision of what the First World War did to human beings, male and female, soldiers and civilians. Constantly surprising and formally superb' A. S. Byatt, Daily Telegraph 1917, Scotland. At Craiglockhart War Hospital in Scotland, army psychiatrist William Rivers treats shell-shocked soldiers before sending them back to the front. In his care are poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, and Billy Prior, who is only able to communicate by means of pencil and paper. . . Regeneration, The Eye in the Door and The Ghost Road follow the stories of these men until the last months of the war. Widely acclaimed and admired, Pat Barker's Regeneration trilogy paints with moving detail the far-reaching consequences of a conflict which decimated a generation. The Regeneration trilogy: Regeneration The Eye in the Door The Ghost Road