Ingo by Helen Dunmore. I vividly remember this from my childhood as being one of the reasons I am such a water baby. It is set in a beautiful and dangerous world under the sea where two children realise they have the power to learn the ways of sea creatures on a search for their father lost at sea. This is written in such a clever way and I would recommend this to both children and adults who are seeking an interesting book with bizarre dreams upon reading.
Gone girl by Gillian Flynn. There has been a massive hype surrounding this book and the recent film and my god it is deserving of it- if you like treasure hunts, crime and twisted love then give this a go- I finished it in one sitting!
The Search for Wondla and The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony Diterlizzi. Both captivating reads, in terms of age recommendations TSC is definitely one for those up to the age of 13, a magical goblin filled world with beautiful illustrations inspired by nature. The Search for Wondla trilogy is one which I struggle to put down, I am yet to purchase the third book but all I can say is to ignore the fact that this is labelled 'for children' as there are moments when the story gets dark and weepy- believe me. Diterlizzi has an ability to explore senses so fully through his words that you genuinely feel involved throughout, if you are interested in what those in the future will discover from our world then please read them!
Why we broke up by Daniel Handler. The main two characters in this book, Min and Ed are breaking up, we are introduced to their relationship through a letter written by Min which describes items in a box which she is returning to him. Inside the box is bottle caps, movie tickets, matches and a number of other things collected over the course of their giddy and heartbreaking relationship. This book accurately portrays heartbreak in a way that teaches not to be bitter, but grateful for the things we learn over time spent with someone.
The following are books which would be perfect as a gift as they are both easy reads and wonderful ones at that:
The Memory Keepers daughter by Kim Edwards. A heart wrenching story about a man who gives away the twin sister of his son at birth so that his wife won't find out that she has down-syndrome. If you like books which are realistic yet written in a beautiful way then I'm sure you will love this one.
The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald. A quick and enchanting read about life in the 'roaring twenties' with a devastating ending. If you like glittering worlds and a novel that will stay with you for all your life, pick this up.
A few other mentions: His Dark Materials, Inkheart, The Goldfinch - more to come soon no doubt!
