The most interesting books are lists. What to read for the soul: list of the best books

As a child, the best entertainment for me was to go to the library and spend the whole day there, looking at books, reading them right there, and then take a stack home.

Fortunately, now you don’t need to run to the library for stacks of books; there are convenient electronic books that you can take with you on vacation or read on the go. And the public Internet has also appeared; it is indispensable as a source of information; it is easy to obtain the necessary information. Among other things, I study the blogs of people who read, track the winners of literary competitions, and these books form the basis of my lit list.

Summer time is coming, a time of vacations and good mood, when you really want to please yourself for a hard and long winter, full of accomplishments and serious thoughts. I want to read something “for the soul”, get pleasure from it and get a little benefit from it.

1. Evgeny Chizhov “Translation from interlinear”

What would have happened if the USSR had not collapsed?

How often does this issue become the cause of disputes and quarrels.

The author built his own model of the USSR, created a miniature country in Central Asia - Koshtyrbastan. He placed the People's Leader on the throne and surrounded him with an entourage of “state” criminals, night “craters,” fear and universal worship.

But one wrong phrase... and our hero fell into the millstones of the system.

The country is fictional, but everything in it is so real that you begin to doubt whether it is fiction?

2. Augustus Brown “Why the Panda Stands on its Head and Other Amazing Animal Stories”

“Experiments have shown that a craving for the “green snake” also develops in hamsters, but their resistance to alcohol (in terms of unit weight) is 40 times higher than in humans. If a person had the stamina of a hamster, he could drink a box of wine every day - without any visible manifestations. But hamsters, like people, become aggressive from excessive doses of alcohol.”

You can open this wonderful book to any page and feel free to begin to be amazed. If you love amazing facts from the life of animals, then this book is just for you.

And sometimes you wonder whether we are so different from animals or are we still birds of a feather?

3. Hermann Koch “Dinner”

The book was translated into 21 languages, and in 2013 it sold a million copies.

What's the secret? After all, she simply describes one family's dinner.

The younger brother is jealous of the older brother and is unable to control his aggression. The elder brother is a candidate for prime minister, an egoist and a tyrant. And children kill homeless people, post videos of it on the Internet, and then blackmail each other.

Is it okay family?

But they can sit at the table next to you in a restaurant or be your friends.

4. Valery Panyushkin “Revolt of Consumers”

Most of us remember the trains that traveled from Moscow and smelled of sausage; everyone stood in line and bought whatever they had to, just to buy it. So this book is about us.

Valery Panyushkin is a journalist, worked in such well-known publications as Vedomosti, Snob, and The New Times. For his column in Gazeta.ru he was awarded the Golden Pen of Russia. All this says a lot and, therefore, it will be a pleasure to read.

Why was it impossible to return low-quality goods a couple of decades ago, but now it is possible? Why “to learn how to choose a president, you must first learn how to choose a refrigerator”? What is consumerism and isn’t it a dirty word?

If you are interested, then feel free to proceed and you will like it!

5. Maya Kucherskaya “Aunt Motya”

An amazing women's book. Written by a woman for women.

On the one hand, a standard ladies' romance - love, betrayal, passion, brief meetings in the car and at friends' apartments, and nightly tears. On the other hand, the level of text is significantly higher than a standard romance novel.

And if in ordinary such books the prince rides on a white horse, or at least rides in a white Mercedes, then here we see an ordinary life, an ordinary woman who is unhappy in her marriage, who has a child and has a beloved man who is also firmly married.

Maybe the secret is precisely in this similarity to all of us?

6. Neil Gaiman “Never (Behind the Door)”

Did you know that when you step into a London Underground carriage, you can get to a feast with the exuberant Earl? And that there is another world under London, full of magical creatures?

Did not know? And he is.

Richard Mayhew didn't know either, but one day he decided to help a stranger, and his life turned upside down...

The book, written in the genre of psychological thriller, pleasantly surprised readers of modern literature and lovers of detective stories. The story is told from the perspective of three women - Rachel, Anna and Megan. The main character Rachel has to travel by train from the suburbs to London every day. Out of boredom, every day she watches through the window a married couple who seems ideal to her. But one day she witnesses a strange scene, after which her wife goes missing. Rachel understands that only she will be able to solve the mystery of the woman’s disappearance, but is it even possible to interfere in someone else’s life, even in such situations.

The novel turned out to be so successful that Hollywood decided to film it. It will star Emily Blunt and Rebecca Ferguson. The Girl on the Train will premiere in September 2016.

The novel begins in England in 1940. Flora Lewis receives a tempting offer from a mysterious "flower thief". She must go to England to find an extremely rare camellia variety in the garden of an old estate. Circumstances are like this: Flora is forced to enter the house of a lord as a nanny. And soon she finds in the room of Lady Anna, who died under mysterious circumstances, a herbarium album with strange notes.

The reader is then transported to modern New York, meeting a heroine named Addison. Her husband suggests going to the outskirts of London to be able to write a book there. Having gone there, Addison finds a story about a beautiful camellia that once grew in the queen's own garden. An interesting feature of the book is the alternating story about Flora and Addison, who appear in the book after one chapter.

Haruki Murakami’s new novel cannot go unnoticed, and so it happened with the book “Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and the Years of His Wanderings.” The main character of his work was young and inexperienced. The new world of Tokyo was very different from the environment in which the guy grew up. The metropolis turned out to be much larger than he had imagined. There is too much choice of things to do, too many people around, life moves too quickly. But he had a place for his soul, where he happily returned - the so-called “indestructible stronghold of harmony and friendship.” However, in his second year, he learns that this place has disappeared without a trace.

The work of the author Jeannette Walls has become a real sensation in the world of modern literature. The journalist decided to openly talk about her difficult childhood and growing up in a large family. Her parents were supporters of strange parenting methods, which raised many questions. From childhood, they were taught to stand up for themselves, go against the system of society, acquire useful skills and stick together. However, all these beliefs collapsed when the family began to have difficulties, the principles of unity sounded like a mockery, and existence practically in the trash heap aggravated the situation. But all these trials taught Jeannette one thing - if you immerse yourself in the world of dreams, one day you will create it into your reality.

Harper Lee is a writer who became famous thanks to the book “To Kill a Mockingbird.” For many years, this novel was considered her only work, which upset many readers. However, the list of new literature in 2015 unexpectedly stunned book lovers around the world - the writer was preparing to release a book set 20 years after the events described in To Kill a Mockingbird. It turns out that this work was written first, but the publishers lost interest in it.

According to the plot of the new book, the main character Scout is forced to struggle with many problems, she is trying to understand her father’s attitude towards society and its structure, as well as realize her true feelings towards the place where she was born and raised.

This detective novel, which instantly became a bestseller, was written by “mother” JK Rowling, hiding under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The book became the final part of a series of publications about private detective Cormoran Strike. In it, the intricate story begins with the fact that a woman named Robin received a package containing a severed female leg. Her boss - the same Strike - immediately identified several suspects capable of such a cruel act. While the police, focusing their attention on one of them, try to solve the crime, Cormoran realizes that this is a false lead. He takes matters into his own hands and plunges into a dark and confusing world made up of mysteries from the past. The translation of the detective story should appear in early 2016.

The author of the famous post-apocalyptic novel promised readers that he would turn the familiar and familiar world of his works upside down so that even for his fans there would be many discoveries. After this announcement, a new book called “Metro 2035” was published, which describes events on Earth after the third world war. The planet is completely deserted, but at a depth of tens of meters, at stations and in tunnels, people are trying to wait out the end of the world. There they created a new little world for themselves instead of the lost huge world. They cling to life for dear life and refuse to give up. They dream of returning to the top - one day, when the background radiation from nuclear bombings subsides. And they don’t give up hope of finding other survivors.

Whether the weather is good or bad, there is no nicer and more interesting activity than sitting on a cozy sofa, surrounded by pillows, with a cup of hot tea at hand and, most importantly, a fascinating book before your eyes. We all love a good story, an epic story, a sob story, a story that will pull us into the whirlpool of its events, fascinate us with ornate phrases and make us forget about the real world, real people and real problems for an hour or two, or even for the whole day.

Books give us the chance to experience unprecedented adventures with a wide variety of characters, to experience feelings previously inaccessible to us, to visit unprecedented and sometimes non-existent lands. One book can last you a day or a week, depending on how fast you read it. However, it nevertheless takes a lot of time, and this hobby requires a lot of money. Therefore, every really good book is worth its weight in gold, because it more than pays for all costs, while mediocre or obviously weak literature only spoils the mood and makes you regret the time and money spent on it. We bring you the most interesting books to read that can be purchased on the shelves of our local stores.

Planet Water, Boris Akunin

It's impossible to miss with Akunin. All his books, whether novels or historical essays, captivate you from the very first minutes with their smooth narrative language and fascinating plot. “Planet Water” continues a series of detective novels about the beloved character Erast Fandorin, who during his eventful life managed to uncover many crimes and conspiracies, as well as visit various parts of the planet, including mysterious Japan, where he learned the art of ninjutsu and found a faithful Masu's friend and assistant. However, the funny valet does not play a big role in this book. It consists of three stories, three new adventures of Erast with the corresponding subtitle “The Adventures of Erast Fandorin in the 20th Century.”

Paper Towns, John Green

The author of the piercingly tragic novel “The Fault in Our Stars,” John Green, has already managed to win a whole army of fans. So it's no surprise that Paper Towns was an immediate best-seller and flew off the shelves at record speed. The book tells the story of teenager Q Jacobsen and his mysterious neighbor, Margot Spiegelman, for whom he has had feelings for many years. When one day Margot invites him to take part in a punitive operation against her offenders, Q immediately agrees. But after this enterprise, Margot suddenly disappears, leaving behind only a trail of notes and subtle hints. Like all the most interesting books, “Paper Towns” received a film adaptation, in which the leading role was played by the famous supermodel Cara Delevingne.

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and his years of wanderings, Haruki Murakami.

Haruki Murakami is without a doubt one of the top 100 authors you need to read at least once in your life. Like most Japanese writers, Murakami gives his books a special philosophical atmosphere, full of thoughts and inner experiences of the hero, whose thoughts you simply cannot tear yourself away from. Every word is a revelation, every event has its own meaning, every detail adds additional meaning to the story. Tsukuru Tazaki is a colorless man whose life one day took a sharp turn and quickly went downhill when all his friends turned their backs on him for no reason. Many years later, the already adult Tsukuru decides to find out exactly when and what exactly went wrong in his life, going first to Nagoya, and later even to distant Finland.

The Martian, Andy Weir

You know you've stumbled upon a worthwhile book when you're greeted with quotes like "Duct tape works anywhere and everywhere. Duct tape is a gift from the gods, it should be worshiped" and "It's not as bad as it seems. I mean, I'm still screwed . Just not that deep." And there are plenty of such pearls in the book. Andy Weir's sci-fi book, which won a film adaptation, does not try to amaze the reader with beautiful speech patterns or cheap action; it takes a completely different course. Mark Watney was left on Mars during the evacuation, presumed dead. Waking up completely alone and without contact with Earth, Mark had no choice but to try to survive on an alien planet, using all the available means in his arsenal.

Shantaram, Gregory David Roberts

Published in Russian in 2010, Shantaram takes pride of place in the list of the top 100 best books of all time. The plot tells the story of an Australian who escaped from prison, a former drug addict and robber. With the help of a false passport and the name Lindsay Ford, he ends up in Bombay, where he begins a completely new life, full of adventures, misadventures and all sorts of difficulties. In the book, the experiences of the main character himself, his thoughts, wise sayings of his friends and, of course, descriptions of an exotic country and its inhabitants are intertwined in an amazing mix. On February 5, the sequel to the book with the intriguing title “Shadow of the Mountain” comes out.

After you, Jojo Moyes

"After You" is a continuation of the novel "Me Before You", telling about the further life of the main character, Lou Clark, after the death of her loved one. Trying to forget about him and open a new page in her life, Lou returns home and finds sympathy and understanding in a psychological support group among the same people who share with her the severity of her situation and her deep experiences. Thanks to them, Lou meets emergency physician Sam Fielding and a mutual understanding arises between them. But despite the sympathy that Lou feels for her new acquaintance, she is still not sure that she can move on and fall in love again. According to the author himself, “After You” is an unplanned book, but Lou’s fate simply did not leave her alone, as, quite likely, many fans of the first book.

The Mysterious Case of Billy Milligan, Daniel Keyes

A master of the psychological novel, author of the late 20th century masterpiece Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes continues to explore the mysteries of the human mind. Based on the story of a very real man, Billy Milligan, who suffered from multiple personality disorder, Keyes created a truly amazing and goosebump-inducing novel about the horror of sharing your body with another consciousness and losing months, even years of your life in oblivion, while someone else, standing at the helm, commits completely unthinkable acts. The main character, like his real-life prototype, was accused of crimes that he did not commit. And until he was arrested, no one even suspected what kind of chaos and what kind of struggle for a place in the sun was going on in Billy Milligan’s head.

The Year We Met, Cecilia Ahern

The queen of sentimental romance, Cecilia Ahern, once again delights her fans with not only a touching love story, but also food for thought. Jessmine, the main character, had everything her heart could desire - a great job, friends and family. But all this changed overnight when she was suddenly fired and left without work for a whole year. However, the girl does not lose heart and takes on all sorts of small chores around the house, takes care of the garden, makes new acquaintances and builds relationships. Jesmine's adventures give you the opportunity to look at your own life from a different angle and learn something new about yourself that you had never suspected before.

All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr

Reading about war is not easy, writing about war is even more difficult. However, Anthony Doerr took on this task without fear and, after many years of reflection, brought to light The Light We Invisible, which immediately became a bestseller and was awarded a Pulitzer Prize. The plot follows the lives of two completely different characters, a shy German boy and a blind French girl, who, despite the war raging around them, fight for survival and for the right to grow and be happy, while trying to maintain their humanity and not lose loved ones.

The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins

A gripping detective thriller by former journalist Paula Hawkins, it immediately gained great popularity upon release and held a leading position on The New York Times bestseller list for 14 weeks. Rachel often watches from the train window one seemingly painfully perfect family, husband and wife, whom she named Jess and Jason. But one day the beautiful picture is shattered when Rachel notices something shocking while driving by, after which Jess disappears. Rachel is confident she can find out what happened to Jess, but isn't sure if she should interfere in someone else's life.

We hasten to remind you that these are not all the interesting books to read that you can purchase. These are just a few suggestions based on the best seller list at local stores. Don’t be afraid to experiment and perhaps, unexpectedly for yourself, you will greatly expand your horizons and learn something new about yourself.

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Summer has already finally declared itself, free time appears, it’s time to enjoy some pleasant reading. Experienced book lovers immediately ask themselves a pressing question: what books to take on vacation?

Of course, on vacation you need to relax, filled with positive emotions from nature, beautiful places and new people. It was given for this purpose, to lie on the golden sand and look at the sea. But you can spend your vacation not only pleasantly, but also usefully, if you take with you an interesting and fascinating book to read.

On vacation, there is always a time when you have nothing to do with yourself, you just want to lie down and read something. Reading serious books is, of course, good, but such literature is hardly suitable for relaxation.

Choose light books that do not have intricate plots, which will not constantly keep you in high suspense and you will not have to rack your brains to solve secrets and riddles. Such books should be easy to read, avidly. You will be impressed by relaxation all day long, and in your free time you will be able to read a book, which also gives a lot of pleasure and benefit, but is not annoying.

We often take books on the road. If the publication is interesting and you can’t tear yourself away from it, the time on the road passes very quickly, and we are filled with even greater positivity and anticipation of new impressions. Such books, read avidly, leave their mark, and soon we can return to them again, for the same emotions and impressions that she gave us.

The book blog site offers you its selection of works for both women and men, which are literally read engrossed, you can’t put them down, so they are great for reading on vacation. Introducing ten of the best books for relaxation! And these are not only books about love.

A selection of books “In one breath.” Especially for vacation!

1. Vladimir Nabokov “Camera Obscura” (1933)
A book about love and betrayal, about passion and betrayal. “Camera Obscura” strangely evokes contradictions within every reader: the actions of the characters are repulsive, but at the same time the images are so vivid, the descriptions are so colorful that the book enchants. It is impossible to tear yourself away - in one breath.

2. Gabriel Marquez “Love in the Time of Plague” (1985)
One of the most beautiful love stories I've read.
The main character, Fermina Daza, rejects the advances of her childhood friend, believing that it was all just a naive episode of her younger years. At 21, she marries a doctor dedicated to fighting cholera. He is a very practical person and is passionate about science. They love each other, but then Fermina finds out that her husband was not faithful to her; he honestly admits that he had an affair during their marriage. After the death of her husband, the love between Fermina and her childhood friend unexpectedly flares up again... They travel on a ship, and in order to avoid unnecessary checks at customs, they hang a flag that means illness on the ship.
The novel is also very easy to read.

3. Stieg Larsson, Millennium trilogy (2004-2007)
Thriller. You've probably heard at least more than once about the film adaptation of this series, because films were made based on all three books. The first book, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” is simply an excellent detective story: a fascinating storyline that keeps you in constant suspense, inimitable images of the characters, and an unexpected ending at the end. You will definitely enjoy reading it.

4. Haruki Murakami “1Q84” (2009)
A multi-volume psychological novel by a modern writer. Very easy to read, consists of two different stories, developing in two different realities and intertwined. A book for everyone. There are parallels with the previous novels of the Japanese writer, so I would not recommend starting your acquaintance with Murakami with these books. But - in one breath.

8. Scott Westerfeld "Ugly" (2005)
No, this is not a love story at all, it is a dystopia. “Ugly” is the first novel from science fiction writer Westerfeld in a series about a future world where most people are fantastically beautiful, thanks to the “beauty” operation. But Tally has not yet turned 16, and she is forced to wait, to live out her last part of life in an “ugly” guise. The girl will go against the whole world to show humanity true beauty.

9. John Fowles "The French Lieutenant's Mistress" (1969)
Another love story. The mysterious and delicious book by John Fowles can cause a storm of emotions. After reading, the question remains: what is the ideal ending for this book? You'll want to read it again.

10. Janusz Wisniewski “Mistress” (2007)
You will witness six mesmerizing love stories. Vishnevsky always makes you believe what he writes and feel it for yourself. As a result, you plunge headlong into it. Sensual, subtle, soulful.

Summer is in full swing, and you need to spend time with benefit not only for the soul and body, but also for the brain. The best food for the mind is books. Only, mind you, real ones - paper ones! Take them with you to the beach, open them in the evenings in outdoor cafes, read them in bed while the rain sounds, and don’t forget to put them in your suitcase when you go on a trip. Reading will become not only fashionable for you, but also a truly useful habit if you use our list of 11 books that you should definitely read this summer!

Robin Sharma, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

We have all heard stories about how a successful and successful entrepreneur or employee gave up everything, sold his property and went to some distant land in search of spiritual truth. Robin Sharma's work, which has been recognized more than once as a bestseller, tells the story of one of these characters: a very wealthy lawyer, experiencing a spiritual crisis, leaves his former life for the sake of immersion in ancient culture, in order, thanks to Eastern wisdom, to awaken his soul and overcome the melancholy that has settled in it. . Let's see what he can learn!

Alice Munro, "More Than Life"

The Canadian writer, who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013, is considered a continuator of the traditions of A.P. Chekhov for her simplicity, purity and, of course, brevity. “More expensive than life itself” is literally Munro’s last work: according to the writer, she does not plan to continue her literary works. The book is a collection of short stories telling about the life stories and destinies of the heroes. If you love descriptions of the subtle inner world of characters, this book is definitely for you!

Ray Bradbury, Dandelion Wine

For some, this summer will not be complete without a magnificent book by the famous writer, which makes you think about the transience of time, kindness, and fleeting moments of happiness that need to be noticed. Full of warm and sunny memories, this work will help you enjoy the nostalgia of childhood and feel every moment associated with the most beautiful time of the year. If you haven’t read this book yet, it’s time to rectify the situation!

Marcus Buckingham, Kurt Coffman, "First Break All the Rules"

If your summer is spent in a stuffy office, it's time to give yourself a break and distract yourself with a rather interesting book that will convince you that “the best managers in the world do things differently.” Tens of thousands of interviews that the authors conducted with the most effective managers of our time reveal the secrets of success and productivity: it turns out that sometimes you just have to break the rules. Try!

Gregory David Roberts, Shantaram

One of the best books for the holidays - fascinating, exciting, and will not leave any reader indifferent. The novel, which broke many sales records, is a confessional tale of a hero who was forced to hide from the law for years. This book contains everything that normal people would prefer never to encounter in their lives, but which is so interesting to read about from your cozy and safe nest. Divorce, deprivation of parental rights, drug addiction, robbery, sentence - 19 years in a maximum security prison, escape, counterfeiters, smugglers, Indian mafia, struggle for love... In a word, everything that will not let you get bored this summer!

Anna Gavalda, “35 kilos of hope”

Another story by a French writer, this time written from the perspective of a 13-year-old boy who stubbornly hates school. But you shouldn’t think that the book is intended for the younger generation - it absolutely surprisingly resonates in the hearts of both older children and adults themselves. And if you have already acquired offspring, then this book is simply a must-read: thanks to it, you will remember your youth and learn to better understand growing children. “35 Kilos of Hope” is a reminder of how to be good parents, as well as the importance of not giving up and believing. Reading will take you no more than one or two hours, and we can say with confidence: your time will not be wasted!

Eckhart Tolle, Live Now!

This book will become your little friend and a real salvation if suddenly on a rainy summer evening you feel lonely, sad and, perhaps, a little anxious, if you are entering a new period of your life - by your own will or by chance. A great expert on wounded human souls, Eckhart Tolle will reveal to you the true state of affairs in your life, give you consolation, tell you how to find spiritual harmony and perspective, help you return to the “assemblage point” and pave the path of your own path, so that the next morning you can again enjoy a new day !

Jojo Moyes, One Plus One

Touching and incredibly gripping until the last page is the story of Jess, a single mother who works two jobs and at the same time tries to guide her two children on the right path. Unexpectedly for the heroine, but expected for us, a man appears in her life who awakens to the desire to help Jess and her children. Modern and original, full of irony and positivity, this story ends as it should in a romance novel!

Jennifer L. Scott, Lessons from Madame Chic: 20 Style Secrets I Learned While Living in Paris

If you want to learn the traditions of French families, as well as the secrets of French women on how to look not just beautiful, but elegant in any situation, how to instill healthy habits in yourself, how not to deny yourself your favorite dishes and not gain weight, as in the ever-accelerating rhythm of life to preserve not only beauty, but also health, then this book is for you! The narration is told on behalf of the author - a purebred American woman who ended up in a French family through an exchange program and, willy-nilly, was forced to learn something...

Peter Mayle, France. A year in Provence"

You can travel while sitting without leaving the room: right in the office or at home, sitting comfortably between the sofa cushions. This book will take you to the sun-drenched province of Provence, which seems quite eccentric to any visitor. The main character of the novel buys himself an old farmhouse to start a new life here, tries to accept the local way of life and integrate into the environment. When you look from the window of your house at the traffic jams and concrete walls of high-rise buildings, what is happening in the novel seems like some kind of unknown miracle that is located far away in a parallel Universe. And after reading the book, you begin to understand where you want to spend your next vacation...

Daphne Du Maurier, "Rebecca"

If you like a book that not only thrills your heart, but also excites your nerves, “Rebecca” is definitely for you! The novel, written in the first half of the last century, was included in the list of 110 best works according to the BBC. Four directors, each in his own time, did not disdain to film it, including A. Hitchcock himself. This is a work that came out largely from Jane Eyre and continued in the novels of Hesse and King. According to the plot of the novel, a young woman meets an aristocrat who is much higher in position than her, and is also the owner of the luxurious Manderley estate. After the imminent wedding, the main character moves to her husband’s estate, where his former wife Rebecca, now deceased, previously ruled. Very soon the new young wife begins to suffer from the fact that she cannot outshine her predecessor, who, it seems, even after her death continues to be the mistress of the situation. Or doesn’t it seem so?.. “Rebecca” will certainly become a decoration in your library and will remain in your memory for a long time. The narrative is so captivating that they say reading this book is like hypnosis. A must read!

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