Top 10 must read books (Top 10 Books)

Member Name: natzatp

Product:	Top 10 Books
Date:	28/10/09 (37 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A good read

Disadvantages: Hard to put down

I wouldn't say I'm a bookworm but once I find a book that interests me I can't put it down. So here are ten books I found extremely hard to put down (in no particular order).

1. P.S I Love You by Cecelia Ahern - I'm not really into love stories but had heard good things about this book so decided to give it a try anyway. After reading the first few pages I was hooked and couldn't put the thing down. It follows the story of a woman who is about to lose her childhood sweetheart to a brain tumour. After his death the only thing that holds her together is a series of notes he has left her with instructions on them helping her to get on with her life. P.S. The book is better than the film.

2. Skellig by David Almond - As usual with books I again found the book to be a lot better than the film, I couldn't wait to watch the film on TV after reading this years earlier for an English class at school but much to my disappointment it missed out certain aspects of the book that gave it the structure and interesting storyline. The story is about a boy who does a good deed for an angel and is in return rewarded for his kindness. The angel is not the pretty, cheerful kind of angel you'd normally expect to hear about but is in fact a vermin ridden creature that is found in the corner of a dialect garage.

3. The Secret by Ruth Thomas -This is another book I read during English at school, I enjoyed it so much that I recently bought it to re-read again. The book follows the story of a girl and a boy who are left at home by their mother. With the expectation that their mother will be home soon they try to carry on like their mother is still at home. But how long will it be before someone realises the truth? And what will the consequences of two children being at home without an adult be?

4. One Child by Torey Hayden - One Child is a touching non-fiction book based on a child that Torey Hayden had previously worked with while working as an educational psychologist. The story is based on a six year old child that struggles to cope with a dark secret, Torey Hayden is able to eventually gain her trust and discover the problem she is hiding. Torey Hayden is a huge inspiration to me and excellent writer.

5. Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss - This book is probably more of a kid's book as it is quite short but as it is a classic I'm not ashamed to admit that it is one of my favourites. It is about a family that are shipwrecked and begin to build a new life on a deserted island.

6. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck - Yet another book I was made to read at school that I actually really enjoyed. At first it didn't seem the type of book I would enjoy but it was extremely well written and managed to keep my attention all the way though. Unlike most films based on books, I actually enjoyed the film too I thought the actors portrayed the characters really well. The story is based on two childhood friends that go travelling in search of work. Unfortunately for gentle giant Lenny not realising his own strength he gets himself into trouble during his time working on a farm. But will best friend George be able to help him out of the situation this time?

7. A Child Called It by David Pelzer- A true story of child abuse told by the victim himself. Beaten, starved and referred to as 'It' David was lucky to survive to tell the truth about his haunting past. It is such an inspiration that this man could stay strong enough to tell everyone his story and let the truth be heard.

8. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett - Another classic I really enjoyed reading and must read again sometime. It follows the story of a girl unwanted by her rich parents and orphaned. Due to an illness the girl is made to live with her only other known relative her father's brother-in law. Unfortunately the man she goes to live with is uninterested in her as he is still mourning his wife who had died 10 years previously. Constantly travelling abroad, the girl's uncle leaves her in the care of the housekeeper. The girl soon discovers two exciting secrets. The first one being discovering a cousin, a boy that is made to stay in bed on the belief that he is ill and a secret garden which will eventually change several lives.

9. Matilda by Roald Dahl - Matilda is a 5 year old girl with an extraordinary gift. She is extremely intelligent for her age although her money greedy seedy parents do not seem to realise this. Not understood by her parents, she uses books as an escape and regularly visits the library. Eventually Matilda is enrolled into school but unfortunately for her the hateful headmaster also doesn't recognise or appreciate her talents. The only person that has faith in Matilda is her teacher Miss Honey but how can she help Matilda if she is given no support off the headmaster nor her parents?

10. Just Another Kid by Torey Hayden - Yet another true story by my favourite author Torey Hayden. Torey is given a class of six children who are each in need of Torey's help in some way. If it's not bad enough dealing with six children all with different problems, Torey also encounters Ladbrooke, the alcoholic parent of a child in Torey's class. How would Torey deal with Ladbrooke as well as her class? Ladbrooke seems to want to be 'Just another kid'.

Summary: Check them out you won't be disappointed