Note: Only the first photo belongs to me, and I don’t care if you take that one. I got the rest off Google Images. Reviews are original, not stolen. I am also recommending these works by order of repetitive readability (meaning how much I like reading them again and again).

1. Murder Mystery:

The novel revolves around the initiation of Richard Papen, a Classics student, into the elitist Greek class of five, who after some hesitation accept him as one of their own, and, following a disastrous series of events, wind up murdering their dear friend Bunny (not a spoiler; that’s what the book is about). Famously described as a murder mystery told in reverse, “The Secret History” explores, with glimmering and intelligent style, the little things that edge perfectly stable minds towards the one chaotic act known to Man: homicide.

2. Comedy:

“When You Are Engulfed in Flames”. David Sedaris is an extremely funny man. So funny that he can write essays about his own day-to-day life or his past experiences and make reading them enjoyable, which is the exact power put to use in this brilliant anthology. Let me give you an example and quote one of the more vulgar of his essays’ subjects, Helen: “I was up and back to the fucking terlet six times last night. Shit so hard I think I sprained my asshole.”

3. Romance/History:

There are actually two novels in this category. The first is:

With every good romance comes an ending that makes you sob. Fear not, however: the end of “Water for Elephants” makes you sob with happiness. Jacob Jankowski is a young veterinary student who, after learning of a tragic accident one fateful day, runs away from his hometown and winds up on the train of a traveling circus. There he finds himself accepted by the circus folk, particularly by the lovely equestrian star Marlena and her emotionally unstable husband August. Events begin to spiral out of control, and you will find yourself in the midst of the unfolding of an unforgettable tale.

The second novel is:

Centered on the events of Germany in World War II, this novel is uniquely and inspiringly told from the viewpoint of Death himself - the one who has the busiest job of all, particularly in those volatile years. He observes the tragedy of human warfare and the effects it appears to be having on a strange young girl, who, though illiterate, steals books, and whose life is being ripped apart by the workings of the ruthless Nazis. I cried and hugged myself for what must have been twenty minutes after reading this.

4. Anthology:

This is a collection of the most wonderful short stories by the most wonderful fantasy writer the world has ever seen. Gaiman has a way of reaching out through his words and seeing right into your soul, reading and retelling your fears as fiction. You absolutely must read “The Price”, a shortie about an adopted black cat that nightly defends its new human family from an unspeakable terror, and “We Can Get Them For You Wholesale”, a terrifying speculative tale on the business of murderers. You will not leave this book the same person.

5. Tragedy:

Written in the same themes as his later, more famous novel “Lolita”, “Laughter in the Dark” tells the sad but beautiful tale of Albinus, a married man who falls sickly in love with the decades-younger Margot. My personal opinion is that this book, though much shorter, deserves far more acclaim than the often rambling and less focused “Lolita”. You will not regret this read.

6. Graphic Novel:

Consider the following: a happily married couple living a serene secluded life in the far woods. They have a small son named Joaquim, who is their ultimate pride and joy, but their peace is suddenly disturbed one day by the arrival of three distant figures on a nearby hill, watching young Joaquim, and following his every movement. His parents know what miseries they bring, and, desperate to save their son from that horrible fate, the father takes Joaquim far, far away, to be patiently stalked by the Three Shadows, learning the slow painful lesson that life, though riddled with death and grief, is ultimately neverending. A beautiful tale told unforgettably through Cyril Pedrosa’s black-and-white sketchings.

I have many more books to recommend, but it is 3 in the dark-hours and I need my sleep. Enjoy reading!