Becky's Favourite Books

It's Becky, yes I'm back again!! It's summer and so I have free time around working and making a start on my dissertation, so Kate nagged me to try and write some blogs.

I thought I would write about some of my favourite ever books. I'm not a Kate-level book worm but I enjoy reading when I get into it and remember/have time to do it. I read some similar books to Kate but also some VERY different books! Just to warn you, quite often I read as a comfort thing so books from my childhood are some of the best, I'm not actually a child...

1. Lady Julia Grey series // Deanna Raybourn

There's maybe 5 of these books as well as some short stories available on the kindle app. The first book is Silent in the Grave, these are funny and easy to read. I dare you to read the first line and not want to keep reading. A mix of history, romance and investigation makes these my ideal books. I recently re-read the first three and got one of my friends hooked. (I would read the others but SOMEONE (Kate) seems to have misplaced them??)

2. Jane Austen

Classic. My favourite is Pride and Prejudice (predictable), but who doesn't like to read books that you know so well that you don't have to concentrate! Ultimate comfort. Sense and Sensibility is also a good one, Emma is one of those characters I hate at the beginning but I love the story!

3. Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit // J.R.R. Tolkien

The beginning of the Hobbit makes me feel all warm and cosy inside, what more can you ask for from a book. The Lord of the Rings is also a frm favourite (the films are good but nothing beats the books). The Shire is where I belong.

4. Face Paint // Lisa Eldridge

Something very different. I've watch Lisa's YouTube channel for years and have always loved her approach to make up, she's so knowledgeable and her collection makes my palms sweat. I love history as well so this book was top of my Christmas list.

5. Young Stalin/Court of the Red Tsar // Simon Sebag Montefiore
This is where I really differ from my sister. As I have said (probably too many times) I love history and I love reading history books for relaxing as well as for uni. I read Young Stalin after I finished school and I loved it, not going to lie, I got many strange looks if I read it in public. The author of these books has interviewed relations of some of Stalin's most loyal followers, making these books incredibly interesting and informative. In the second book, The Court of the Red Tsar, there are details of the Terror and some of the grizzly details make it hard to believe this is not a horror story, not an easy read by any means!

6. One Night in Winter // Simon Sebag Montefiore

This is by the same author as the above but is a fictional novel, it does revolve around some true people, including Stalin's son but the story is made up. It is a good read and also gives an insight into how the early Soviet Union operated, broken up by an engaging story.

7. The Tin Princess // Philip Pullman

I have watched the BBC adaptations of the Ruby in the Smoke and The Shadow in the North. I've listened to the audio book of The Tiger in the Well (about 7 million times because I LOVE IT), this is the only one of this series I have read and I really enjoyed it. It's a young teen book probably so easy to read.

8. Captain Corelli's Mandolin // Louis de Bernieres

I read this in my fifth year of high school for my higher English (as did Kate 2 years before me) and I think I enjoyed it more after studying it (which is odd because usually after studying a book I never even want to look at it again). I recently went to Greece on holiday with my friends and we made a day trip to Kefalonia where this book was set and so I've started re-reading it. Again it is based around real event, namely the second world war. I love the mix of history, politics and a good story. This book does have quite a lot of politics in it, I enjoy politics in a historical context, not so much contemporary politics, that just makes me mad.

9. Artemis Fowl // Eoin Colfer

My love of these last two is shared with Kate as well as our mum and brother. We listened to the audio books of these on long car journeys for years and we can probably talk along to them. Artemis Fowl is so cleverly written. I will never get over LEP recon. Ever.

10. Harry Potter // J.K. Rowling

I was in the generation that grew up with these books. The first three are my favourites, before it gets depressing and full of teenage angst. You got to have a bit of magic.

What are some of your favourite books to read?

Becky (the sister) // SK