I have always been a massive book lover. Lately though, as a result of endless amounts of coursework, revision and mock exams, my love of books has been suffering: I simply haven't had the time to manage a school life and a personal life.
Over the past few weeks however, I have been making time to read - and it's made me so much happier. I love being able to escape for half an hour or so, into a world where I don't have the worries of failing my maths exam.
So today I've decided to share my current Top 5 MUST READ Books... I've narrowed down the 5 books I'm loving at the moment. I've tried to include something for everyone - even someone who doesn't like books!
1) Divergent - Veronica Roth
Yesterday I finished reading Divergent: it was one of the best books I've read in a long time. Basically, it's about a girl named Beatrice, who lives in a city that is divided into 5 factions: Dauntless, Candor, Erudite, Amity and her own faction, Abnegation. At the Choosing Ceremony she must decide which faction she belongs in. During the book, Tris has a series of severe initiation tests to complete, while trying to find out what being Divergent means.
The book is full of surprises and I think it's great for anyone who is a fan of The Hunger Games as they share some similarities. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have since purchased Insurgent and Allegiant and I can't wait to read them.
2) Geek Girl - Holly Smale
When I first unwrapped this book as a birthday present from one of my friends, I have to admit I was a bit unsure. Although the description on the back of the book was intriguing, I was convinced that the book itself would be okay but a chore to read...I could not have been more wrong! The plot of the story is about a geeky girl, Harriet, who is 'discovered' as a model, much to her friend Nat's envy. Harriet overcomes a number of hurdles in the book that makes it an easy, hilarious read.
I finished the book in a few days and I laughed from start to finish - I'd recommend this book to anyone who finds reading boring; it will change your mind completely.
3) Mates, Date & Mad Mistakes - Cathy Hopkins
Cathy Hopkins have always been a favourite author of mine - and this particular book in the 'Mates, Dates...' series is one I've re-read countless times. It explores teenage life in a realistic way, featuring many mates, dates and mad mistakes along the way with loveable characters you can relate to. I'm not saying much else in case it gives the plot away... But if you want to know more you'll have to read it!
I'd recommend this to people aged 12+, who also find reading a chore. This book is perfect for when you're on holiday, it's an easy, fun book to read while lying on the beach. At first I thought this was a book for younger readers but it's not at all. In my opinion it shows how to be a teenage girl in a realistic yet hilarious manner.
4) Harry Potter Series - J.K. Rowling
Anyone who says they prefer the Harry Potter films to the books are lying. Although I love the films and could probably recite them word for word, in my opinion they are nowhere near as good as the books.
I'm sure almost everyone knows the plot of Harry Potter - the boy who lived - but if not I'd honestly struggle to sum up Rowling's excellence in a short paragraph: google it instead!
5) The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
If you are a human on planet Earth (even if you're not, this probably applies to you too) then you are probably tired of hearing about how fantastically amazing TFIOS is. Don't worry - I feel the same. The first time I read it, I have to admit I wasn't that impressed. However, the film is coming out in a couple of weeks so I decided to jog my memory and re-read the book to remind myself what actually happens before seeing the film.
This time when I read it however, I saw it in a completely different way - I understood the book so much better and I clung to every word. Hazel and Augustus' story is so inspiring and I don't think anyone could have written a more brilliant portrayal than John Green.
So that's my current top 5 must read books - if you haven't read them yet them I highly recommend you do. I hope you enjoyed this post - I think I'm going to be doing more favourites posts soon too. Despite not blogging all month, I'm getting back into it now but obviously I have more important priorities. Plus, I'd rather have a few, good quality posts as opposed to a boring, weekly post. It's coming up to the summer holidays though so there'll be tonnes of posts then no doubt!
Remember to follow me on bloglovin' and thankyou for reading, a new blogpost will be up soon!
Rachel x
