Can somebody recommend a few books that I should read?

Question

for the age around 19 - 25. I want to improve my writing and reading skills :) so any suggestion will be highly appreciated!

Answer 1

I have MANY favorites, so I'm going to list three books on writing, and three excellent fiction choices. Hopefully something will interest you!. Let's start with books on writing:

1) "On Writing Well" by William Zinsser-- This is an excellent reference for any kind of writing. It will make your emails, essays, stories, and other writing clearer. I recommend this to everyone who wants to improve their writing skills.

2) "Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life" by Anne Lamott-- This is slightly more geared towards fiction writing, but can be helpful when you are attacking ANY large project in your life. Definitely a must for creative writers, students, or people who are looking for an entertaining book on writing.

3) "Writing Down the Bones" by Natalie Goldberg. You didn't mention if you want to improve your writing for school, work, or if you are a creative writer. This definitely targets creative writing, and focuses on the practice of writing. I write a lot of poetry and am working on a novel, and this is incredibly motivational to me.

As far as fiction goes:

1) Dante's Divine Comedy-- Most people read Inferno at some point in their school career, or have at least heard of it, but I'm personally partial to Purgatorio. This is a challenging, fun read. I'd suggest browsing through a few different translations before picking one.

2) "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger-- This book is definitely near the top of my list. It has become a real American classic, and it at the same time relatable and challenging.

3) "1984" by George Orwell-- This book is a terrifying vision of a controlled future. I think it is a must-read for absolutely everyone.

Other votes for fiction to read would go to The Iliad, The Aeneid, Paradise Lost, A Tale of Two Cities, and The Metamorphosis.

I hope something on this list struck your fancy! Happy reading!

Answer 2

Zechariah Sitchin, Immanuel Velikovski, Jane Roberts, Richard Bach, Jim Marrs, John E. Mack, Whitley Streiber, Pearl S. Buck,
Boris Vian (awesome), Douglas Adams, Edgar Cayce, Han Suyin.

Answer 3

A Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is pretty amazing.

Stephen King = excellent.

For more of a fantasy/religion based book, try the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman. Its for a slightly younger age group than you have mentioned, but still enjoyable all the same. the first book is called The Golden Compass, then its The Subtle Knife, and then The Amber Spyglass.

Answer 4

Well, there are many many books that you could read to improve to reading and writing skills. I suggest starting with classic literature; a book that can sustain your interest.
so here are a few of my favourites!

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Emma by Jane Austen
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defore
Great Expectations by Charles Dickins
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Hamlet by Shakespeare

There are so many others but I'd be here all day just listing them!

(Go to Barnesandnoble.com and click on barnes and noble classics to get a list of popular classical literature.)

ENJOY!

Answer 5

Great writing skills:
Kazuo Ishiguro
John Updike
Philip Roth
Ian McEwan
Richard Powers
Charles Dickens
Jane Austen (clear as glas)
Charlotte Bronte

Answer 6

Anything by any of the following authors:

Audrey Niffenegger
Salman Rushdie
Arundhati Roy
Haruki Marukami
Vikram Seth
Vikram Chandra

Answer 7

24/7 by Jim Brown. awesome book
Rose Madder by Stephen King awesome too
Oedipus The King by greek philosipher Homer definetly awesome

Answer 8

Magic Men by W. Korol Selley will challenge your ability to keep track of the many characters within the pages.

Answer 9

Laurell K Hamilton is good, and her Anita Blake series has it all. Action, suspense, mystery, sex, Vampires, Werewolves, gunfights.

The First book is Guilty Pleasures. (The books are all named after places in this fictional version of St. Louis, MO.)

Answer 10

Try Jane Austen books. She's an excellent writer of many classics, yet relatively easy to read, and interesting.