My Top 5 Favorite Books
As you may or may not know, I have recently announced that I am writing my first book. Therefore I thought it was only fitting to put together a list of books that inspire me – in my writing as well as in my life.
There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom
by Louis Sachar (US)
German Title: Bradley – letzte Reihe, letzter Platz
This book is written for a younger audience but has captured and stayed with me throughout my life. It is a beautiful story of bullies and their victims, misunderstood kids and a boy opening up about his own experiences when having the opportunity to talk to a psychologist. Not only is this book kinda the reason I started studying psychology, but it has also been this book that opened my eyes to people having different, diverse experiences. I highly recommend not judging this book by its (awful) cover and giving this charming and important tale a chance.
The Vast Field of Ordinary
by Nick Burd (US)
German title: Die Wonnen der Gewöhnlichkeit
Another beautiful story hidden behind awkward cover art and a bulky title. The Vast Field of Ordinary is a beautiful yet haunting coming-of-age tale of a boy right before high school. He identifies as gay but the only one he’s daring to speak about this is his ceiling fan. And, of course, the two guys showing interest in him. The world has changed a lot and is more open than it was back when this book was released – making The Vast Field of Ordinary an important story to remember a past not that long ago.
The Solitude of Prime Numbers
by Paolo Giordano (IT)
German title: Die Einsamkeit der Primzahlen
This Italian novel has broken many records and topped best-seller lists all around the world when it was first published. The reason for that is probably that The Solitude of Prime Numbers is impossible to put down once you’ve started. Filled with tons of small enriching details, this book follows the improbable yet sweet non-romance of two people who barely know each other. Everyone I have given this book to has fallen in love with it and even though it’s hard to summarize the actual story without spoilers, I’m giving a high recommendation to any realists who still believe in love. Thanks also to my ex-partner who recommended this book to me.
Love, Virtually
by Daniel Glattauer (AT)
German title: Gut gegen Nordwind
Even though the poetic German title of this book wasn’t translated well into English, the e-mail novel Love, Virtually by Austrian writer Daniel Glattauer shouldn’t be mistaken for a shallow romance story. Yes, the story is about love and Yes, you ask yourself whether or not the main characters will end up together. However, this book offers so much more than just that. The character insights are uncanny and you never get tired of reading the fast-paced conversations. If I’d have a wish for something in life, it’s to have a significant other as profound and insightful as the characters of this book.
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
by Jonathan Safran Foer (US)
German title: Extrem laut und und unglaublich nah
My best friend recommended this book to me and I was not disappointed! Same as some other titles on this list it blossoms with detailed descriptions of very mundane things. In this case, however, the story is told from the perspective of a child who lost his father during the 9/11 attacks. He makes himself on the way to finding clues about his father’s last hours and doing so casually breaks all rules of modern literature. It’s a riveting tale that talks about many important subjects without pointing any fingers. Do yourself a favor and grab a copy of it!
Of course, there are many other books that feel close to my heart and I do wanna mention some of them:
- Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
- On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
- Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
- Allegro Pastell by Leif Randt
- Nothing by Janne Teller
- The Understudy by David Nichols
- Everything I Know about Love by Dolly Alderton
- Looking for Alaska by John Green
- Komplett Gänsehaut by Sophie Passmann and last but not least
- The Bad Girl’s Guide to the Open Road by Cameron Tuttle.
What’s your favorite book? Have you read any of mine?
BenLeander
More beautiful stories but in a different format:
