One Day: Published in 2009, One Day continues to be a popular read amongst both the Summer and Christmas, with its emotional core transcending seasons. Focusing on the lives of Dexter and Emma, the novel tells the story of the two characters that meet every 15th of July for 20 years following the night they spend together upon their university graduation. Through Nicholl’s exquisitely articulated prose, One Day has an enticing quality that draws you to question our mortality and the inevitability of change and heartbreak that ensues as a result. Tackling with the entanglement of love, like and hate, Dexter and Emma are flawed but fascinating characters that must be indulged in this Christmas.
The Great Gatsby: With the release of Baz Lurhmanns’s feature length movie in 2013, the Gatsby hype exploded –but it could never compare to the original 1925 work by F.Scott Fitzgerald. It’s extraordinarily written, earning its place as one of the most well-known American classics of all time. Told through the eyes of Nick Carraway, first and foremost it tells the tale of Jay Gatsby’s endeavor to win back his first sweetheart, but the book as a whole follows the decaying American dream in a society hypnotized by material gluttony and an excess of wealth. Amongst the decadent parties, dizzying jazz music and dark secrets resonates timeless themes that are still relevant today and a tumultuous tale that haunt you for years to come.
The Night Circus: A kind of crazy fairy tale all set to the plot of two crazy magicians trying to out do each other and to the backdrop of Le Cirque Des Reves, The Circus of Dreams. Two Proteges pitted against each other who ultimately fall in love. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is a must read because it is simply too riveting and intriguing not to. As the events unfold you feel you are a part of something bigger and woven into the circus itself playing in a game of chess where you cannot see the board. This is a book that plays with the supernatural and familiar but takes it to a new dimension. Perfect to get you through the holiday season.
The Picture of Dorian Gray: If you haven’t read it yet you should. Oscar Wilde’s tale is Deeply seductive and poetic this classic is a perfect novel to begin exploring the British literary canon. Dorian Gray is painted by artist, Basil, during his youth and begins to lament that he will always be less beautiful and older than version of himself in the painting. Overnight this changes and Dorian suddenly stops ageing. His sins do not show on his face but on his painting. Scared someone will discover his secret he hides it away in order to remain forever young. Set against the back drop of romantic and chaotic pleasure seekers with tragedies and death galore thrown in this novel is a definite must read. Perfect if you want to off set the christmas season and indulge in something a little darker.
Yes Please: Amy Poehler’s highly anticipated first book, Yes Please, she offers up a big juicy stew of personal stories, funny bits on sex and love and friendship and parenthood and real life advice (some useful, some not so much), like when to be funny and when to be serious. Powered by Amy’s charming and hilarious, biting yet wise voice, Yes Please is a book full of words to live by or not. Deeply hilarious and charming this advice/semi-autobiography is fun for everyone and appeals to the masses. Perfect for laugh out loud moments sure to brighten your day.
