My Favourite Books

As someone who loves to read, I've come across some amazing reads especially since my last post in 2016. I thought I'd give you an update on my top ten favourite books.

So here they are:

1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

The reason this is my top favourite book is because for me it was one of those books that the moment, I got it and started reading, I couldn't put it down. I absolutely loved it and found it honestly the perfect contemporary romance book. It was relatable in a sense of having a crush on a guy you can't have but also being set in the beautiful city in Paris. It was just well written and after every chapter I just wanted to keep going. It was definitely a feel good read and honestly, I just love it so much that it is definitely my favourite book. 

2. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

I couldn't not mention this series in a list of my favourite books because it honestly is. I read (or rather listen to the audiobooks) this series every year. I'm currently on Half Blood Prince but it's just one of those series I always go back too. Harry Potter is just one of those things that makes me happy, and I can't even put into words why it does. It's almost like being reunited with a friend when you go through the journey of Harry, Ron, and Hermione that you almost feel like you're a part of the group. It's just one of those series that you can't not love. I will say I do not agree with J.K. Rowling's views, but I believe during the writing of Harry Potter she was at a different place. However, I love the series and not the author. 

3. Again, But Better by Christine Riccio

This was a surprise favourite but honestly, I loved it. It's always a sceptical thing when a YouTuber writes a book. Especially in 2014 when it seemed every YouTuber under the sun was writing a book. However, this book is actually by a BookTuber who actually loves reading. Plus she showed her writing journey on YouTube which made it even more worth it to read because you saw her whole journey from the first draft to the final product. I was pleasantly surprised when I first read this book and especially even more so when I got to halfway through the book (no spoilers but there is a plot twist). It reminded me so much of Anna and the French kiss except it was set in London and I think that's why I really enjoyed it. Plus I really related to the characters as well because I had gone to university (or college) so it reminded me of those spontaneous times of living in uni accommodation that you can't really explain to anyone unless you live it. I would definitely highly recommend this book as it is a feel good read. 

4. My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella

This is the first book in this list by Sophie Kinsella. However, each book she has written I have loved. This one is definitely one of my favourites (hence why it is on the list), but it reminded me of today's society where everything is on Instagram, and everything seems perfect like everyone is living their perfect life on Instagram, but the reality is it's not a perfect life. This book was a hilarious read because it follows Katie who seems like she has the perfect life but soon everything goes wrong, and she finds herself living back home helping her family with a glamping business. It's just a fun read especially when her ex-boss has booked a holiday at that very glamping business. I really did enjoy reading this book and reminding myself that not everyone has a perfect life. Definitely a fun read for the summer and would highly recommend. 

5. Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella

The second Sophie Kinsella book (or rather books) on my list but I could not not mention this series. I absolutely love the journey of Becky Bloomwood and her shopaholic ways. This is definitely a feel good series to read and I'm hoping to be getting around to reading it again. I will admit, while I read and enjoyed the whole series. I think my favourites are right up until Shopaholic & Baby. After that, it may have gone downhill slightly but I did enjoy the journey and I really enjoyed the latest book which was Christmas Shopaholic. That was a fun read and reminded me why I loved this series. I'm not surprised why this is one of Sophie Kinsella's successful book series because it is a feel good fun series that you can't help but love. 

6. I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk

Honestly, I fell in love with this book the moment I read it. I couldn't put it down when I first got it. We've all been through a breakup and sometimes it's where we've been cheated on, so I related to Angela who after being cheated on decided to spontaneously just live the country and fly to New York on her own. I wish I could be that carefree to just go away on my own and I hope to one day do it. I really enjoyed reading this book and the story and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series as it does remind me of the shopaholic series, so I was luckily gifted the whole series for Xmas so I'm excited to finally get around to reading them. 

7. Can You Keep A Secret by Sophie Kinsella

Surprise surprise, another Sophie Kinsella book. This was the first Sophie Kinsella book I read, and it was one of the reasons why I continued to read her books. I was captured by the book from the blurb as who doesn't have secrets but imagining spilling all your secrets to a complete only to realise that complete stranger is the owner of the company you work for. It was hilarious going through Emma's story and it was a fun read. I've read this a couple of times and I've enjoyed it every single time. This is a book I would highly recommend if you're interested in reading any of Sophie Kinsella books for the first time because it really is a fun read. Of course all the Sophie Kinsella books I've mentioned on this list I would recommend to any of you as I love each of them hence why they are on my favourite books list, but this was the first Sophie Kinsella book I read, and I absolutely loved it. 

8. The Last Song by Nicolas Sparks

This was a surprise favourite and I think it became a favourite because I listened to the audiobook which I'd highly recommend. I've seen the movie of this book first, so I knew what to expect but like with most book to movie adaptations there is always a bit more in the book and I really enjoyed it. It is told through different character perspectives and in the audiobook, it has a female and male speaker to voice the female and male characters which really helped when listening. Plus it had some music playing which was even more noticeable with the Marcus chapters as it added a bit of drama to the story, and you could feel the tension in some of the chapters. I would highly recommend the audiobook of this because it made this book even more enjoyable. I've actually never read any of Nicolas Sparks' books which is a surprise as he is a well-known author, but I was happy this to be my first and am tempted to read some of his other books. Either way I really enjoyed this book as it had some touching themes of family, heartbreak and first love. It was just the perfect novel. 

9. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

This is a childhood favourite book. I fell in love with the story of The Secret Garden when I had a cassette of a BBC adaption of The Secret Garden and I used to sit in my bedroom, just listening to it on my boombox. I was fascinated by it mainly because my mum used to work in a nursing home that was a huge manor house with beautiful gardens and when I was a child, I'd go there before school after my mum was finishing a night shift and I use to explore the gardens imagining I was Mary exploring the Secret Garden. I came across this book in 2010 in a charity shop and it's honestly so beautiful. It's one of my favourite book covers and makes me so chuffed that I found it because it was only £1.50 at the time which is a bargain for such a beautiful classic book. Either way I absolutely love this story and it always holds a special place in my heart, so I had to add to my favourites list. 

10. The Amazing Book Is Not On Fire by Daniel Howell & Phil Lester

As I got to the end of this list, I thought I'd better add a non-fiction book to the list. This is definitely my favourite of all my non-fiction book because I absolutely love Dan and Phil. They got me through my teenage years and honestly are my favourite YouTubers. Plus I love this book and I have their audiobook which they recorded themselves so it's nice to hear their input while you read the book. It's just a fun read and I can tell they put a lot of thought into the book. I just absolutely love this book and that is why it's on my favourite books list. 

So there we have it, those are my top ten favourite books. Of course there are many more books I could add to this list, but I didn't want this list to go on forever. If you want me to make a part two of this post, then let me know in the comments below and I will do that for you. 

Thank you for reading my blog, I hope you enjoyed this post and I'll be back tomorrow with another post for you. 

See you then. 

Megan x 

My Top Ten Favourite Books (2016)

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