10 books you would love to stay home with
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There’s no better time to read than now. With people working from home and many parts of the world in lockdown, we find ourselves with more time on our hands. Time to tick off the list of books you have always wanted to read!
No idea where to start? Here are 10 books, classics and bestsellers, that will be worth your while to invest your time in.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
By (author) Yuval Noah Harari
The number one bestseller: Sapiens, covers the history of humankind, highlighting how a species has evolved and ended up conquering the 4.6 billion old earth.
Yuval explores all things human by breaking down what and who we are, why we came to conquer and how we did it,
'I would recommend Sapiens to anyone who's interested in the history and future of our species' - Bill Gates
'Interesting and provocative... It gives you a sense of how briefly we've been on this Earth' - Barack Obama
Of Mice and Men
By (author) John Steinbeck
Of Mice and Men is a classic novel about a close friendship between two migrant ranch workers, Lennie and George, and their aspirations of living the American Dream. By working hard and saving, they establish a plan for what they want to achieve in the long run. They hold the dream of buying their own farm while slaving away on someone else’s. Their story tackles issues like friendship, jealousy and loneliness.
Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About The World - And Why Things Are Better Than You Think
By (author) Hans Rosling
If you are a fan of statistics, pick up Factfulness. When we read the news it feels like the world is going mad, getting worse and worse every week. Which leaves us questioning, is the world really that bad?
Though it may seem so, the world has also improved over the years, contrary to most of our beliefs. Factfulness enlightens us with why the world is not as bad as we think it is, regardless of what we hear in our day-to-day lives, from poverty, equality and wealth, giving us ten reasons we’re wrong about the world.
The Better Angels of Our Nature: A History of Violence and Humanity
By (author) Steven Pinker
Respected academia Steven Pinker breaks down the history of violence and civilisation.
We hear how people are dying of violence in wars and starvation, but is it worse now than ever before?
Pinker gives an in-depth analysis of the entire human history, from the hunter-gatherers’ era to how we evolved to work together to solve each other issues by using agriculture and different skillset.
Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress
By (author) Steven Pinker
Enlightenment now, also written by Pinker, presents a case for the future and how progression is in sight. If you look at the data and statistics instead of the headlines in the news, we can see that we’ve progressed as a society in an unprecedented manner.
There are still key issues we face including poverty, inequality and climate change, which can be resolved with thoughtful thinking and analyzing the past.
By (author) George Orwell
George Orwell pours words on a page that leaves your mind feeling like it’s been fed the most scrumptious meal. One of Orwell’s most-loved books was Animal Farm, a relatively short read that cleverly discusses real-world problems in an anecdotal story about farm animals.
Owner of the farm, Mr Jones, forgets to feed his livestock one day, leaving them to starve. In a rebellious manner, the leadership of two particular pigs Napoleon and Snowball lead the animals into a revolution. Setting a mission to eliminate inequalities on the farm, the farm is organised to benefit those who walk on four legs. But with power being handed to a few, corruption arises.
By (author) George Orwell
Mass surveillance is prevalent in society, with authoritarian governments extending their security measures to facial recognition and evading civilians privacy. Even in less authoritarian governments, we’ve seen glimpses of frightening measures taken place in the name of ‘protection’.
George Orwell crafts a story of Winston Smith, a worker at the Ministry of Truth in the City of London. The streets he walks through have Big Brother staring through every poster, nook and cranny, as the thought police uncover every act of portrayal through helicopters in the sky. He finds love and explores the possibilities of a less frightening and depressing world. They begin to question the party which leads them both to a conspiracy.
Down and Out in Paris and London
By (author) George Orwell
Yes, we know we’ve listed a few George Orwell books but this is the last one, promise.
Down and Out in Paris and London was written when Orwell was in his twenties, struggling to find work. In it he documents his first time facing poverty, sleeping in bug-infested hostels and working as a dishwasher in extravagant hotels.
Being embedded in poverty surrounded by who else struggles helped Orwell find his voice as a writer.
By (author) Paulo Coelho
The Alchemist, written by Paulo Coelho tells the story of a young shepherd living in the hills of Andalucia.
All he knows is the comfort of the hills surrounding him, but one day plucks up the courage to explore further, with each intimidating step comforted by the thought process of accepting his is the path he needs to go down, he finds friendship, characters and wisdom along the way.
By stepping out of his comfort zone, he found the world treated him with life-changing experiences.
By (author) Donna Tartt
At just thirteen years old, Theo Decker survives an accident that most others wouldn’t. With only his mum and mostly-absent father in his life, he is left lost in the City of New York. Fortunately, an almost-stranger takes him in. But he feels empty without his devoted mother and finds symbols in his life’s path reminding him of her including a painting that draws him into the criminal world.
He spends most of his time split between the real world and the drawing rooms of where he works.
The Goldfinch is a haunted odyssey regarding America and the drama of captivating power. The story heightens your senses as you follow this lost Theo identify his place and trying to survive.
