My favourite books

Not that my opinion counts for much, but I thought I would talk about some of my favourite books. In no particular order:

•  The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy: Roy’s writing is simply gorgeous. The language she uses (like poetry) is enough to make this a great book, but the story is also very compelling. Funny and often quite sad. I read The God of Small Things a few summers ago, but it really stuck with me. 

• Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen: I know, I know. It’s terribly cliche for a female English major like myself to include this on her list, but frankly I don’t care. I can’t even count the number of times of read P&P–and it gets better with every pass. Full of humour, romance, and that famous Austen wit. And who doesn’t love Mr. Darcy? I’ve read all of Austen’s books, and P&P always brings me the most pleasure. 
• Vernon God Little, DBC Pierre: Dark, twisted, and very funny. Not to mention loaded with profanities. Vernon Little is an unlikely hero, but you can’t help liking him. Pierre’s book isn’t for everyone (my mom hated it), but those with an off-beat sense of humour will appreciate this novel. 
• The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls: I read this memoir very recently, and couldn’t put it down. You cannot believe the things that happened to Walls growing up. Walls is a good writer with a good story, and you really root for her and her siblings. Good subway reading too.
• The Romantic + Helpless, Barbara Gowdy: Gowdy is my favourite author. She’s from Toronto, so her fiction has a real local flare. Her characters are always so well-drawn, and you tend to like even the bizarre ones. The Romantic is a love story, but not the feel-good kind. Helpless is probably the most reader-friendly of Gowdy’s books–reads a bit like a subdued thriller. Gowdy’s great. Go get her books.