Temperatures in York are finally breaching the double digits and therefore the sun cream and crop tops are already visible all over campus. That means your summer book pile needs to be well stocked for all those days you want to avoid revision and instead sit out in the sun with a good page-turner. Here are my top four recommendations, old versus new, classic versus contemporary, that you simply HAVE to read before the sun vanishes for another eight months.
The Fault In Our Stars
Published in January 2012, this book has been around for a while, so if you haven’t already read the fourth novel by YouTube sensation John Green then you are seriously missing out. The story follows a young girl by the name of Hazel Grace Lancaster, who is diagnosed with Stage 4 Thyroid cancer with metastasis forming in her lungs, meets Augustus Waters, who lost his right leg to osteosarcoma and is in remission. The book not only thrusts us directly into the beauty and tragedy of love but the true horror of Cancer. It will make you laugh just as much as it will make you cry and could quite possibly change your entire outlook on human life. If you don’t like crying in public then DO NOT read this on the train or plane. Also, it has been made into a film due for release fairly soon so read this first!
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Gone Girl
Gone Girl is a contemporary thriller novel by American writer Gillian Flynn, which tells the story of Nick and Amy Dunne and their tumultuous marriage. On the day of their fifth wedding anniversary, Amy goes missing and Nick becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance. The book is filled with brilliant dishonesty and delicious deceit, appealing to both male and female audiences. It’s imaginative characters stay with you even after you’ve finished it – which you will do so very quickly as it is impossible to put down. This too will be made into a film in the near future starring Reese Witherspoon and I simply cannot wait. It currently still sits in the top twenty of the New York Times Bestseller list (Hardback Fiction) so is definitely worth a read!
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The World Of Ice And Fire
One of the most loved book (and television) series to be made this century, A Song of Ice and Fire is an epic saga that nobody can get enough of. This year, The World of Ice and Fire is being released to bring a comprehensive history of the ever-growing drama in Westeros. It is a chronicle, which stretches from the Dawn Age to the Age of Heroes and the coming of the First Men, all the way through to beginning of A Game of Thrones. This companion guide breaths even more live into the unimaginably massive universe created by genius writer George R R Martin, and while it is not exactly a pool-side read, it is a necessary addition to any true fan’s library. Talks over this guide began way back in 2006 so the anticipation is now paramount for this stunning addition to the fantasy Epic.
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Six Years
Six years ago, Jake watched his wife Natalie marry another man. He promised he would keep out of her life but one day, while reading the newspaper, he comes across the obituary of his wife’s husband, Todd. However, he is stunned when he sees the picture of Todd’s widow: it’s not Natalie. Jake then begins the desperate search for the woman who broke his heart six years previously. There is a reason this book remains in the top five of the New York Times Bestseller list: it is simply thrilling; definitely one of the most suspenseful books I have ever read. Throughout the entire book I thought I had figured out every twist and turn and I was always wrong and it just about drove me crazy. It sucks you in within the first chapter and never lets you go until the dramatic conclusion. The tale is intricately woven and brilliantly paced and the perfect distraction for anyone this summer.