TEN GOOD BOOKS TO READ – THE BEGINNER’S PACK!

When I first started reading books, it was very difficult for me. Especially with a mind that goes haywire every now and then, it was hard to concentrate! Alas! My sister was able to inculcate this beautiful habit into me, as she read so many books herself.

If you are starting out or trying to help your kid to start out, my simple and easy book list will help you to get started with ease. This is exactly the kind of starter kit that is not provided to us when we begin reading books! Although I’m not saying that you will like all of these books. People should start with something that interests them. This is not even an exhaustive list so you can always recommend me some good books after reading this!

Some of the books mentioned below are also a bit above the beginner’s level but they really impacted me so I would love to recommend it to you guys. But we will have a look at them at a later stage. Let’s say you want your kid to start reading books. While there are many other options like Enid Blyton books, Hardy Boys Series, Nancy Drew series for kids (Gosh! I loved these series at some point of time!), the books below are worth a read.

1. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling: You can always expect praise for Harry Potter from me! This was the first ever book series that I read with full dedication. If you want your child to start reading some good quality book, this is the one he/she should start with especially if the child is aged 10-12 years old. That is an ideal time to start with Harry Potter, because the protagonist Harry is also of that age in the first book. For adults, I would still recommend it because it takes you to just another world, do not just watch the films, feel the real world of Harry. Your imaginations will elucidate you to the wilder side.
2. Heroes of Olympus Series by Rick Riordan: I personally enjoyed Greek Mythology a lot when I was a kid. Do you remember watching a Disney cartoon on Hercules? I used to watch it a lot. That’s what attracted me to the Percy Jackson Series. If you haven’t read it even then you can start with this. It is a cross between Greek and Roman mythology. Mind you, if you were a fan of the legendary games like Age of Empire and Empire Earth, you would precisely enjoy many bits of these series. The story is set in the modern day, which makes it very relatable and easy to imagine.
3. Eragon Series by Christopher Paolini: Although this series is not very known, it has a remarkable story with a lot of new things to add to your world of anecdotes. It is pretty much of an underdog in the world of books. The amassing fictional world of dragons, dwarves and elves takes the reader to an absolutely different era. The author has weaved a decent story which might remind you a bit about the Lord of the Rings. The characters are similar but the story is very different with more of an optimistic viewpoint.
4. The Definitive Book of Body Language by Allan & Barbara Pease: The title of the book is quite self-explanatory. This is a book on human body language with interesting facts and identifications of very common human behavior. It can actually help us understand other people, their moods, their unsaid reactions and signals. This book will also definitely teach you to respect other people’s “space” which many of us have difficulty in understanding.
5. Intelligence by Osho: Although a very infamous and controversial orator of all times, Osho does have some good insights to give to the world. His overall thinking towards spiritual existence was very disbelieving and dubious at times but this particular book has some positive pointers to indulge into. It simply says that everyone is intelligent in their own way and you cannot judge one kind of a person with a particular kind of test for his intelligence. A person may be good at art and you cannot judge his intelligence in art by asking him a math question.
6. Shiva Trilogy by Amish: When my sister recommended this book, I was very unsure about it. I am not as such a god-loving person nor am I much interested in religious and spiritual matters. So when I picked up this book, I didn’t know what to expect. But it surpassed all the biasness and predictions that I had in my mind. This book series depicts Lord Shiva, as a regular human being with extraordinary beliefs. It smoothly travels through time and places, giving one or two worth noting inspiring quotes that actually help you understand the basics of life. My favourite one is “There is your truth and there is my truth. As for the universal truth, it does not exist”, meaning that there is no one true version of any story, there are always two sides to the same coin. This book series was truly moving, it has turned our beloved god into just another human being with noble thoughts and it makes you wonder what if all these gods were actually just humans with astonishing unifying opinions.
7. Black Coffee by Agatha Christie: If you like mystery-thriller-crime kind of stories, Agatha Christie books are the best to start with. They have all the spices to entangle your mind in some very interesting stories. Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot series are the most famous series. The setting of this story is around a big, rich family and how one murder leaves everyone in shock. I would not talk further about this book, because its mystery should be revealed when you read it!
8. Why Men don’t listen and Women can’t read maps by Allan and Barbara Pease: The reason why these guys are appearing the second time in my list is that they write wonderfully! This book actually helps us to gain the perspective of why men and women are so different. It is the basic purview of different behavioral patterns, habits and overall nature of men and women both. Now I’m not saying that all of those things mentioned in this book can be generalized but the facts mentioned here are fun to read and make you laugh here and there. Kids might not understand this book completely, so better to give it to them when they are in their late teens.
9. Panoti in Blunderland by Pawan Jangrid: “Panoti” is basically an unlucky person. When I first read the title of this book, I laughed. And truly not only the title, the entire book will make you laugh, it will give you “falling on the floor” laughter! Through the ups and downs of life, this is the story about an unfortunately unlucky yet intelligent, introvert guy, who sees the world under a different lens. His thoughts and sarcasm will bring tears to your eyes, mixed with amusement and pain.
10. Animal Farm by George Orwell: This book is by far the most intelligent, well-crafted work of literature I have ever read. Although it has been suggested to me, to read Orwell’s book 1984 as well but I haven’t made up my mind to read it just yet. Animal Farm is a satirical take on our society and depicted the Russian revolution with animals. It is a small, thin book but it is the one of the most difficult books to digest. Each sentence will facilitate you to read between the lines and think twice about its meaning. It will become fun to read once you get through it and start to understand what the author is trying to depict.

Well that’s that! This was a list of my favourite books that really impacted me in some way or the other. Hope you liked this article, do let me know if you have some suggestions in the comment section below!

Until next time! Ciao 🙂