By Evie Greville, Second year, English
The new years resolution I can most faithfully recommend is reading. Sometimes the solution to life’s craziness is to immerse yourself in another’s life, and that is the art of the novel. To forget everything there is no better solution. Not only do you learn more about a multitude of experiences, you grow intellectually, emotionally and learn to see others' lives in new lights. My room at home is a labyrinth of my books from over the years, passed from hand to hand and given freely to each of my friends. If I were asked to point to the defining feature of my life, it would be categorised by literature. I adore recommending books so below are five recommendations to fuel, reignite or spark a love for literature.
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Outsiders invites the reader into fourteen year old PonyBoy’s timeless narrative, naive as it is grown and sweet as it is weathered. This novel explores rivalries, class divides, violence, and the beauty of life. Ponyboy as part of the ‘Greasers’ faces off against the ‘Socs’ again and again. When does provocation deserve retribution? What is the difference between all of us? This is a novel of loyalty, cruelties tempered by kindnesses and untampered realness. It is told with the kind of simplicity that can touch anyone.
‘If we don’t have each other, we don’t have anything.’
Just Kids by Patti Smith
Just Kids offers a beautiful exploration of glimpses of Smith's life - the life of an artist in New York City. The autobiographical novel ranges from sleeping on benches in Central Park to becoming a renowned artist and singer. The beloved Chelsea Hotel seeps into the pages amidst the age of rock and roll, the pages adorned with her love affair with Robert Mapplethorpe and her explorations of different mediums.
‘He (Jimi Hendrix) spent a little time with me on the stairs and told me his vision of what he wanted to do with the studio. He dreamed of amassing musicians from all over the world in Woodstock and they would sit in a field in a circle and play and play. It didn’t matter what key or tempo or what melody, they would keep on playing through their discordance until they found a common language. Eventually they would record this abstract universal language of music in his new studio.’
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseni
This is a masterful work of fiction. However, you may want to save this for a week that allows for heartbreak. Amir recalls the events of his childhood in Afghanistan, his personal crises, and the crises of war. Amir grew up beside his families servants son, Hassan, and their love for one another is beautiful. However, it is all ripped apart on the day of a kite fighting tournament. The story progresses through the fleeing of war and the negotiations of guilt, morality and political terror.
“I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded; not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night.”
The Beach by Alex Garland
Perhaps you’ve seen the movie, Leonardo Dicaprio in his prime, or perhaps you haven’t, either way it’s worth the read and watch. The Beach centres on Richard, a young backpacker who's flown to Thailand from England. Richard, along with the girlfriend he adores and a french guy, decide to locate a secret paradise on a map, found after the death of a hostel neighbour. The novel is effervescent, gripping and beautiful, teetering on the line between hedonistic joy and horror itself. I devoured this book in three days, and I cannot stop thinking about it. It is a must read for 2026.
“There's this saying: in an all-blue world, colour doesn't exist... If something seems strange, you question it; but if the outside world is too distant to use as a comparison then nothing seems strange.”
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
This was the final book I read in 2025 and it has become my favourite book of all time. Twisted, gruesome, captivating and more than anything - immensely beautiful. A young man interviews Louis, who recounts his life from 1792, when he meets Lestat, a vampire who lavishes in cruelty and luxury. The tale recounts Lestat's turning of Louis and their intertwined life, Louis’ grappling with morality and his farewell to human life. This book is reminiscent of The Picture of Dorian Gray, horrifying Lolita, and Dracula. Not only does this novel stand alone to be enjoyed, it also offers an avenue down the Vampire Chronicles further written by Anne Rice.
‘It was as if when I looked into his eyes I was standing alone on the edge of the world...on a windswept ocean beach. There was nothing but the soft roar of the waves .’
Featured Image:Unsplash/ Art Attack
Which book will you read on this list?
