A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only once ~ George RR Martin
A book is a gateway to open our minds allowing us to live an entire lifetime and travel the world without even leaving the comfort of our chairs. When we read a book, we step into someone else’s shoes, see the world through someone else’s eyes, and visit places we might never otherwise go, whether a tiny village in an unheard forest or the hustle and bustle of Manchester city. If you’re looking to turn through some pages and change your life for the better, here are 5 inspiring reads to revamp you this summer:
To Kill A Mockingbird ~ Harper Lee
“You never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them”.
This story is based on the racism that prevailed in Maycomb, Alabama in 1930’s. The tale has been narrated from the perspective of a little girl scout of ages between 6-9. Alternately humorous and brutally honest, the novel looks critically at social issues of class, race, sexual politics and the sometimes ironic injustice of the American legal system. The ways this 6-9-year-old perceives the people, family and environment around her is quite fascinating. It is a classical masterpiece poignantly presented to touch the hearts of most of its readers. This one is going to keep you hooked the entire summer.
The Kite Runner ~ Khaled Hosseini
“For you, a thousand times over”
Published in 2003, this book is about the story of Amir, the son of a wealthy merchant of Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, and his closest friend Hassan, son of his father’s servant. The story is set against a backdrop of vociferous events, from the fall of Afghanistan’s monarchy through the Soviet military intervention, the diaspora of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the rise of the Taliban regimen. Hosseini brings his homeland to life for us in a way that post 9/11 media coverage never could, showing us a world of ordinary people who live, die, eat, pray, dream, and love. Make this summer about life, death, friendship, redemption, and the transformative power of forgiveness with this book!
Forty Rules Of Love ~ Elif Shafak
“You can study God through everything and everyone in the universe because God is not confined in a mosque, synagogue or church. But if you are still in need of knowing where exactly His abode is, there is only one place to look for Him: in the heart of a true lover.”
This book is about Ella Rubenstein, a forty-year-old unhappily married woman. She takes a job as a reader for a literary agent – and suddenly her life is transformed. Her first assignment is to read a novel about the ancient Sufi mystic, Rumi, who was transformed by the pirouette dervish into a passionate poet and advocate of love. Slowly she realizes that his thirteenth-century life is starting to mirror her own, and this paves a way to embrace the sufi’s timeless message for herself. This gripping story engenders you to leaf through the pages throughout summer.
The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind ~ Joseph Murphy
“Never finish a negative statement; reverse it immediately, and wonders will happen in your life.”
The Power of your subconscious mind, a book from another era, blends religion, and self-help to create a feel-good, low-effort way to make your life better. Murphy proposes that religious affiliation is not what makes prayer effective. Rather, it is based on our ability and willingness to accept what we pray. It reveals certain facts about a part of our mind that exists but we don’t realise its power totally, it manifests itself in influencing ways but still, we don’t understand – our subconscious. A feel of positive change in our perspectives makes this book a must read for the summer!
Jonathan Livingston Seagull ~ Richard Bach.
“Heaven is not a place, and it is not a time. Heaven is being perfect. -And that isn’t flying a thousand miles an hour, or a million, or flying at the speed of light. Because any number is a limit, and perfection doesn’t have limits. Perfect speed, my son, is being there.”
Jonathan Livingston Seagull, a fable by Richard Bach can set you to reach out for your dreams with a belief of putting aside everything that limits you. This is a story about people who listen to their hearts and make their own regulations, about the people who get contentment out of doing something well even if it’s just for themselves. Jonathan Livingston Seagull is not an ordinary bird. He is of the fact that it is every gull’s right to fly and reach the freedom of challenge and discovery in life. The moral of this allegorical tale is that being ‘ordinary’ is bad!
Now, that I have got you covered with these best sellers, it’s the perfect time to catch up these missed books and discover a part of yourself in them. These printed letters in the by-product of a tree will teach you about love, heartbreak, friendship, war and all other life learning lessons that you can cherish forever.
Planning to backpack through India this summer? here’s some helpful information: 7 Backpacking Tips When Travelling in India
