In most American schools, the summer break is already under way. One of the things that students always do during this time is catch up with all the reading that had been left pending during an ongoing term. In this blog, I will talk of the five books that all book worms must read during this summer break.
1. Khaled Hosseini’s And The Mountains Echoed: In this novel, Hosseini deals with what he is an expert at, that is, the depiction of human relationships. He talks of familial love and inter-familial bonding, and how decisions taken at a certain point of time can affect several future generations. The novel deals with the feelings of trust, honor, betrayal and sacrifice, all of which play important roles in making or breaking relationships.
2. Elizabeth Strout’s The Burgess Boys: This is the story of two siblings, Bob and Jim, who escape from their home in Maine, and try to free themselves from the shackles of family bonding by moving to New York. However, they fail to relocate themselves emotionally, and the ensuing struggle is depicted in their relationships and crisis of self identity.
3. Carlos Ruiz Zafrón’s The Shadow Of The Wind: This novel is set in the Spanish city of Barcelona in the year 1945. The protagonist, Daniel is engrossed in one of the most mysterious books entitled The Shadow Of The Wind by Julián Carax. But when he tries to find copies of the other works of this author, he realizes hat they have been systematically destroyed, and that he is in possession of the last copy himself. As the novel unfolds, the protagonist realizes the intricate web of madness, murder and obsessive love in which he has gotten embroiled.
4. Michael Cox’s The Meaning Of Night: This is the story of the young boy Glyver who believes that he has been destined to achieve greatness. An accidental incident convinces him further, and he forgets all limits in his thirst to achieve his prize. He adopts treacherous means to achieve his ends. It is an enthralling novel that has stunning revelations right till the very end.
5. Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean At The End Of The Lane: The novel attains epic proportions in its endeavor to portray the never-ending struggle between good and evil. It is an extremely powerful work, the impact of which continues to resonate even after the final page has been read. Book enthusiasts should definitely not miss this one.
