Ten books that no one should miss

There is this ‘challenge’ going on in social media to list out the ten books that has influenced one the most. One of my friend ‘challenged’ me for it. And it did feel like a real challenge. I found it extremely difficult to list 10 of the most inspiring books. A few were obvious favourites but just ten seemed difficult to narrow down. Nonetheless, I made my list after much thought and revision. Hope the books that I threw out of the list won’t hold a grudge against me. 

My love affair with books dates back to childhood. I have my parents who are both avid readers as well as my school to thank for it. My parents always encouraged me to read and not just the course books. I didn’t have to go far to look for books as our home itself has probably more books than many of the libraries (in Nepal). Early on, I remember reading fairy tales but one book that I vividly remember and which brought me into the world of novels was “The adventures of Tom Sawyer”. That was in grade five; I borrowed the book from the school library and loved it so much that I made a photocopy of it which I still treasure. I was a voracious reader- I would bring 3 to 4 books from the library each week and read them all. By the time I was out of high school, I had read almost all of the Mark Twain, Enid Blyton, and Charles Dickens. 

My reading habit has declined in the recent time (thanks to internet) but of course nothing else is comparable to the love of books.  Coming up with TEN books among the all I have read was an extremely difficult job. There was a time when I used to maintain a diary where I would write about the books I have read with a brief review and a few quotes (but that was a long time ago). I did went through that diary to complete this list. These ten books may not be the 10 best ones that I have read but they are the ones which are close to my heart, which have captivated and influenced me- many even shaping my way of thinking. So, here's my list: 

1) The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (of course) by Mark Twain

This may not be the best thing that I have read, but it was the first best thing that I read. This interesting book lead me to reading many more by Mark Twain like “The adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, “The Prince and the Pauper” and many more. They are simple, fascinating and full of wit. Till date, I have not found any other writer with better sense of humour and wit than Mark Twain; he remains my favourite forever - just like Tom and Huck!

  

2) The Motorcycle Diaries by Che Guevara

This is the story of Che Guevara before he became Che. One of the books that I can go over and over again. It ignited the love of travelling in me- it is about adventures, about taking risks, about being uncertain and just doing what you really want to do. (PS: If you want to read the Nepali version, I translated it into Nepali- probably you still can find the book in market.)

3) Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

At some point of time this book was my Bible. It does take a bit of a patience to finish up the whole book (it’s a long story and some parts get dragged). It is a story of a man from the West who lives in the slums of India and it’s based on a true story. The best thing about “Shantaram” is it’s quotes – any situation you get into this book has a best ever quote about it. 

 

4) Things fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

This is one of the most amazing books of all times. It is different from all the western books that we usually read - this is the one that got me into reading serious stuffs. Achebe tells the story of Africa from the African perspective. This book made such an impact on me and lead me to read many other African and non-western literature.

5) The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Definitely the best ‘page-turner’ book ever (apart from Dan Brown’s other books). This book got me hooked and made me ache to go to the places described in the book. Loved it for its captivating story, the setting and the vast knowledge. It is a kind of a book that makes you want to learn so much more.

6) Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

This book is not really that popular - not at least as much as it deserves to be. It shows exactly how great books are - how literature can make an impact in our lives and empower us even in the most adverse of the conditions.

7) A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

You cannot remain the same person after reading this book. It gives you such an amazing insight into the life in Afghanistan (and countries alike). It made me thankful about the freedom that we have - something that we take for granted. Definitely one of the best reads ever!

8) Radha by Krishna Dharabasi

I haven’t read much of Nepali literature. I loved all the novels by Parijat but couldn’t become a big fan of popular ones like “Soch” or “Palpasa Café”. But “Radha” is a world class literature. It is so knowledgeable, entrancing and “well-researched” (a quality that most Nepali writing lacks). The ideas it presents are fresh and revolutionary – this should be translated and shared with the rest of the world.

 

9) Leaving Microsoft to Change the World by John Wood

This book touched me to the core- brought tears to my eyes a few of times- may not create a same effect for everyone but I found it truly inspirational probably because it is a true story which takes place in Nepal. John Wood leaves his job at Microsoft (yes, THE Microsoft) to start-up libraries in Nepal- just how cool is that!

10) Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder

No other book can teach you more about the world than this one. It starts from the ancient Greek period and ends at a contemporary time. Everything that you should know about the world’s philosophical history is there and presented in an interesting way. I can read it over and over again (certain parts at a time- definitely a recommendation).

I think I would not have been the same if I had missed out on any one of these ten books. This is my list - go make yours !