This holds completely true for me because I have always considered books as my best friends in this beautiful journey called life. I am sure you will agree with me on this: Books are not merely limited to entertainment or leisure; there are so many things that you can learn from books.
Imagine humans over a span of generations documenting their lives, lessons learned, experiences gained and the teachings they want to share. A book may not guarantee success or make you overcome a stressful phase in your life, since these are things you have to do by yourself.
But, just like a weary traveller in a desert feels rejuvenated after drinking a sip of water, you will find the courage to take heart and begin afresh after reading.
10 books which did impact me in great measure:
1. The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
The Mahabharata, an Indian epic is a 1.8 million word story of how sibling rivalry in a royal household culminates into a devastating war at the battlefield of Kurukshetra.
Banerjee’s The Palace of Illusions is a retelling of the Mahabharat from a woman’s perspective, which is refreshing and never seen before.
Draupadi, the wife of the five Pandava brothers who can be called the protagonists in some sense relates her story, but she is such a central character that we get a glimpse of her at all major plot points in the epic. Every plot and subplot will leave you spellbound because you may not live in a palace or march off to fight wars but just like these kings and princes of yore, you do find yourself grappling with the complexities of human nature.
Since it is the woman’s perspective, we get to see and perceive beneath the superficial images of all characters and the lasting imprint it leaves on your mind is that, ultimately, you have to be your own Saviour and that men and women are the same in as many ways as they are different.
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“We cannot force ourselves to love—or to withhold it. At best, we can curb our actions. The heart itself is beyond control. That is its power, and its weakness.” –Chitra Divakaruni Banerjee
2. Heal Your Body by Louise L.Hay
The entire mankind is prey to diseases…. Sometimes, they mar our productivity, make us miss that amazing party and then sometimes, they can be fatal. But can you control and prevent these diseases using your mind? Hay says you can.
As you leaf through the pages, you do realize that the diseases troubling you for long were the result of your thought patterns. This book will teach you how to use your mind as the most powerful medicine of them all!
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“I would help you release your patterns of fear and teach you how to create a new cycle of good experiences by using your mind in a different way.”– Louise L. Hay
3. Paths of Glory by Jeffrey Archer
Jeffrey Archer is a magnificent storyteller, a fact reaffirmed in Paths of Glory. It is a fictional story based on the real life of famous mountaineer George Mallory (In 1924, Mallory and climbing partner Irvine perished on Mount Everest but it is uncertain whether they reached the summit or not.
If they had managed to achieve this feat, they would be the first men to do so.) Leave such a romantic story in capable hands such as Archer’s and the result is such, that after reading this book, you would want to head to the mountains yourself.
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“Some people have dreams so outrageous that if they were to achieve them, their place in history would be guaranteed.”- Jeffrey Archer
4. Open by Andre Agassi
There are many autobiographies which should feature in this list. But one simply cannot exclude Open by tennis legend Andre Agassi. I read this at a particularly vulnerable phase in my life and yes, this book did help me a lot.
While all we viewers can see about sportsmen are the shining trophies and glamorous parties, the blood, sweat and sheer hard work always go unnoticed. Open is a book more about dealing with failure than it is about success and it is also about finding the true purpose of one’s life.
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“Remember this. Hold on to this. This is the only perfection there is, the perfection of helping others. This is the only thing we can do that has any lasting meaning. This is why we’re here. To make each other feel safe.” – Andre Agassi
5. Brilliant Persuasion by Stephen C. Young
At work, school or anywhere in general, while in an argument with another person, don’t we all feel, “I wish I could make you see it my way!” Whether we signed up for it or not, all of us have to learn to sell our point of view in life.
This book introduces some tried and tested persuasion techniques and then backs them up with irrefutable logics. Regardless to say, a very useful little book.
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“You’ll discover how to win people over, get backing for your ideas and build successful relationships.”- Stephen Young
6. The count of the monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Young sailor Dantes’ is on the cusp of his life. He is about to be married to the love of his life with a promising career within his grasp. But his jealous rivals cook up a plan which will make Dantes’ a prisoner at the dreaded Chateau d’If, a prisoner for life. When Dantes’ returns with a new identity, what will be their fate?
This classic deals with the ever-popular theme of vengeance in an engaging and compelling way.
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“I am not proud, but I am happy; and happiness blinds, I think, more than pride.” – Alexandre Dumas
7. Wise and Otherwise by Sudha Murthy
Every book of Sudha Murthy is steeped in realism but for me, books detailing her own reflections are gems of literature. Having played a prominent role at Infosys and having been involved very deeply with social work, Sudha Murthy encounters and documents a wealth of experiences.
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“Experience has taught me that honesty is not the mark of any particular class nor is it related to education or wealth. It cannot be taught at any university. In most people, it springs naturally from the heart.” – Sudha Murthy
8. Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie
The Queen of Crime Agatha Christie spurns another nail-biting finish where you guess and second guess yourself as to who has really committed the crime. The plotline is such: A daughter wants to revisit events of the past to absolve her convicted mother.
The murdered man is her father, a famous painter. There are layers and layers of intrigue in this book that I am sure will be very satisfactory to all suspense lovers.
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“There is something about the defenselessness of youth that moves me to tears. Youth is so vulnerable. It is so ruthless–so sure. So generous and so demanding.” – Agatha Christie
9. The Folk of the Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
This one may not appeal to you but it’s surely the book for all the tiny tots. When anyone asks me which book is the best for children, I say, “Always, start with Blyton.” Along with discovering technological wonders, let them discover the realms of dreams and imaginations.
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‘Well, we must be jolly old-fashioned then,’ said Bessie. ‘Because we not only believe in the Faraway Tree and love our funny friends there, but we go to see them too – and we visit the lands at the top of the Tree as well!” – Enid Blyton
10. The Rise and fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer
The First and the Second World Wars are events that shook history. They are worth being studied carefully to understand why they happened and why they should never happen again. This is a long World War book which covers both the wars in excruciating detail.
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“The power which has always started the greatest religious and political avalanches in history rolling has from time immemorial been the magic power of the spoken word, and that alone. The broad masses of the people can be moved only by the power of speech.” – William Shirer
I would have loved to include more books in this list like the Harry Potter series but because this is a list of only 10 books, I have not exceeded the limit. Also, I have tried to include lesser known but powerful books. Enjoy the flow of thought into your mind and the rollercoaster ride in each of these.
I have added some of them in my future reads. Thanks