Five books worth reading

As J. K. Rowling once said: “If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book”. There is no such thing as a “good” or “bad” book – as with music, we all have our own tastes in books. It is important to find a book that appeals to your interests and will please you while reading. Finding the right book can be challenging, so we have prepared a list of five English-language books to try. If you want to find more, start with our online library Perlego, where you can choose from hundreds of books (including all five from the list).

Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

Although this novel was written over 200 years ago, it is still popular and widely read. The romantic and proto-feminist themes of the book still resonate with modern audiences. The story follows a family of five sisters and their associates, gently satirizing the choices that they make between love, financial well-being, and social status, and their differing views on relationships and family types.

Animal Farm, George Orwell

Animal Farm was written during the last years of the Second World War, and printed in 1945 in Britain. Animal Farm is a satire of the Russian Revolution in 1917, in which the animals on a farm overthrow their cruel farmer. Although the animals start out equal at the beginning, the privileged caste becomes clearly distinguished. Orwell demonstrates that it is easy for one dictatorship to be replaced by another, under a noble pretext.

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby is Fitzgerald’s best-known novel, and has become a symbol of the Jazz Age. The book is saturated with the concept of the American Dream, which the author criticizes, and is set in the Egg Islands – fictionalized versions of two opulent neighborhoods of Long Island, New York. The main plot of the story is obsessive love, and how it ruins lives and ends in tragedy.

Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontё

Jane Eyre is another work with proto-feminist themes. The novel tells the story of a woman who rebelled against injustice, was not afraid to defend her views, and strive for independence. The book is based on a real-life story involving a wealthy landowner and a governess, which became a real scandal. Moreover, the work contains many references to Bronte’s own life, and the area in which she grew up.

Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll

The book describes the adventures of a girl named Alice, who falls through a rabbit hole into an imaginary world of anthropomorphic creatures. The book is mostly known as a story for children; however, it is also popular with adults. Alice in Wonderland is written in an absurd, surreal style, and the book has had a strong influence on the genre of fantasy.