Slaughterhouse-Five
★★★★★
Centering on the infamous firebombing of Dresden, the story follows the life of Billy Pilgrim. as he reflects on the events of his life across time and space.
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
★★★★★
The story of labour-camp inmate Ivan Denisovich Shukhov, it graphically describes his struggle to maintain his dignity in the face of communist oppression. An unforgettable portrait of the entire world of Stalin's gulags.
The Outsiders
★★★★★
Two weeks in the life of Ponyboy Curtis, a 14-year old "greaser" and his struggles with right and wrong in a society in which he believes that he is an outsider.
Memoirs of a Geisha
★★★★☆
A world where women's artistry is to entice the most powerful men; where their virginity is auctioned to the highest bidder, and where love is scorned...
The Big Sleep
★★☆☆☆
The first book featuring tough-as-nails P.I. Philip Marlowe... private eye, educated, heroic, streetwise, rugged individualist, hero... a complete man, a common man, and yet, a highly unusual man.
Murder on the Orient Express
★★★★★
A train stopped at midnight in the snow. A dead body found in a compartment. Twelve stab wounds leave no doubt it was murder. And Hercule Poirot, tasked with solving the crime, is certain the culprit is a passenger on the Orient Express.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
★★★★★
A classic study of shallowness, vanity, casual cruelty and hedonistic selfishness, all presented as a suspenseful Gothic horror novel
Rosemary's Baby
★★★★★
Dark and twisted horror novel with a slow build-up of a sense of unease, with both the reader and the protagonist asking themselves, "Is there something ominous, or are we reading too much into nothing?"
And Then There Were None
★★★★★
Influential murder-mystery that is clever and suspenseful. This gem will keep you guessing!
The Handmaid's Tale
★★★☆☆
The Handmaid's Tale is an incredibly well-written dystopian tome, presented as a diary of "Handmaid", living in an extremely misogynistic, horrifying world.
The Wizard of Earthsea
★★★★★
The origin story of sparrowhawk, the greatest wizard of Earthsea. As the young boy learns to be a wizard, his pride and ego causes him to take some mis-steps; and as a young man, he uses his skill and resourcefulness to rectify those mis-steps
The Diary of a Young Girl
★★★★★
Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank’s remarkable diary has become a world classic—a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit.
It
★★★★★
Arguably the best work by Stephen King. Seven teenagers first stumble upon the horror one summer, and now they are grown-ups who have gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But none of them can withstand the force that has drawn them back to Derry to face the nightmare without an end, and the evil without a name...