Struggling to find anything to read in your next holidays, here are our top 5 must reads for any season.
1 Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama
Barack Obama’s autobiography takes us up until his entry into law school, some ten years before he was in political office. He recounts his life building a picture of an absent father through tales from his mother, growing up in Hawaii, attending Columbia University and finally returning to Kenya. Not viewed as a typical political memoir, Obama’s writing style has been described as “unique and extraordinary”. One of the most important books you will ever read.
2 To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Harper Lee’s influential novel published in the 1960s is often referred to as one of the greatest pieces of American literature. Exploring themes of race, wealth, honour and conduct it tells the story of a wealthy white lawyer and the black client he defends against a charge of rape. Expertly tackled but simply written it’s an absolute must-read before you die.
3 Small Island by Andrea Levy
Charting the post-war emigration of native Jamaicans to the ‘Mother Country’ of England seeking better times, Andrea Levy expertly tells this story from the four main characters different points of view. Described as one of the defining books of the last decade, the story of the less than warm welcome the Jamaicans receive and the attitudes of the English people they meet still has resonance today.
4 Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
The original freedom fighter Nelson Mandela tells his story of the struggle to end apartheid as part of the ANC, his development of guerrilla tactics against white oppressors and his 28 years of incarceration on Robben Island in his own words. This makes for a huge autobiography, but one that’s definitely worth lugging around on your commute for a few weeks. A unique insight into the history of a living legend.
5 Native Son by Richard Wright
Set in 1930s Chicago, Native Son is the story of a young man brought up in poverty who ends up committing heinous crimes that force both the black and white communities to hate him. A gritty, violent, explicit but ultimately tragic story of person devoid of any hope, it’s hard to read but brilliantly written. Tough going but we absolutely urge you to give this book a chance.
