April 23, 2023, 8:00 AM
April 23, 2023, 8:00 AM
There is no better way to celebrate International Book Day than by reading! “It would be very difficult to choose a favorite among so many, many choose the classics as mandatory reading in life, and even, there are selections made of books that must be read before you die or other types of selections that impose lists of books to read. Depending on the taste, genre, era or nationality of the writer, I propose this list of 10 books that caught me and I consider mandatory reading for any book addict”, says Constanza Arata, co-manager of the Para Ellas Reading Club, from DUTY.
1. Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
A dystopian novel, Bradbury’s most famous. Narrates the life of Guy Montag a peculiar firefighter whose task is to burn books and thus censor society by depriving it of knowledge. A curious fact, Bradbury was so proud of his work that his epitaph reads: “Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451.”
2. The man who loved dogs, Leonardo Padura
August 21, 1940 is a key date where a story within several stories converges, Padura offers a sublime narration around a historical and true fact, the assassination of Leon Trotsky in Mexico City, it is a common thread to thousands of other stories that are intertwined in the man who loved dogs. A complex, but beautiful work in every sense of the word, it is raw and real, ending up being a social x-ray of communism and socialism at the time.
3. The Little Prince, Antoine Saint Exupery
The best-selling French work read and translated by the story is a poetic ode to values, full of forceful messages about love, fidelity, business, friendship. The Little Prince is a mandatory book to review once in a while since the meanings of its prose will be useful as a child, adult and older.
4. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
Perhaps the first novel written in its horror and suspense genre, narrates the creation of a creature with horrendous characteristics and its passage through life, the difficult relationship that this creature has with its creator, a kind of father who rejects a son. Frankenstein is a jewel of literature written in Gothic prose and set in the city of Geneva and the Swiss and French Alps, the story starring Dr. Victor Frankenstein embodies the complexity of human relationships. A work undoubtedly ahead of his time that was also written by a woman, an unimaginable situation in 1818.
5. The shadow of the wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafón
It is difficult to choose a Ruiz Zafón option since they are all extraordinary. The Shadow of the Wind is the beginning of the saga of The Cemetery of Forgotten Books. Set in the city of Barcelona in 1945, Daniel is taken by his father to a strange bookstore called the Cemetery of Lost Books, there he must choose a book and his choice is The Shadow of the Wind, written by Julian Carax, author whose published books are known to have been burned. Daniel begins a frantic search for why. The Shadow of the Wind is an addictive book that takes you into the wonderful world created by the late Ruiz Zafón.
6. Tell me who I am, Julia Navarro
Guillermo is a young unsuccessful journalist, desperately accepts his aunt’s curious job offer investigating the dark past of his great-grandmother, a task that will take him to Europe, Argentina and different parts of the world where her mysterious great-grandmother had adventures as a spy and working undercover, discovering the secret life of Amalia Goyaroa. Tell me who I am, is a fascinating novel that takes us to scenes from the Second World War, the Spanish Civil War and the complex world of Soviet espionage, without a doubt, it is a novel worth reading and loving.
7. A Pillar of Fire, Ken Follet
Another difficult choice among so many wonderful novels written by Ken Follet, A Pillar of Fire has all the elements to make it an unforgettable read. Ned Willard returns to his hometown of Kingsbridge in 1558, in the midst of a cunning game of thrones Elizabeth I accedes to the throne of England turning all of Europe into her enemy while Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, is the victim of a vile kidnapping in her castle on the outskirts of Paris. A story of betrayals, where Follet recounts several highly relevant historical events accompanied by an exquisite plot and extremely well-developed characters.
8. The empire is you, Javier Moro
A fascinating story of Pedro I, the heyday of the kingdom of Portugal and its incredible expansion into Brazil, creating one of the richest and most powerful empires on the planet. Pedro I will leave an intangible mark on the history of both countries. A story full of passion, love, lovers and intrigue in the midst of creating one of the most prosperous countries in the world: Brazil.
9. Me Julia, Santiago Posteguillo
The story of Julia Domna and her husband Severo, narrates the battles of the latter and his army to have the total conquest of the Roman Empire. Julia rejected for her Syrian origin is the new empress of Rome, guides her husband with excessive sensuality and intelligence to lead a new imperial dynasty. Santiago Posteguillo delivers a novel embodied in unique and precise details to imagine what it is like to carry out a real battle in ancient Rome, from the military strategy to the rules imposed by the warriors. A novel worthy of the 2018 planet award, simply addictive!
10. The beast, Carmen Mola
The plot focuses on newspaper headlines announcing the presence of a soulless beast that tears girls to pieces and leaves them scattered on the dirty streets of Madrid. The heroes of this story are a journalist in search of a scoop and an excelator of the royal guard who, after being blindsided, is left as a simple stowaway. The beast has its eyes on Lucía, its next victim, a 14-year-old orphaned teenager who must find Clara, her little sister who has disappeared, who is an appetizing morsel for this cruel vermin.
The beast is a suspense novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat from its first pages. An interesting twist of this book is that it is written with three pens, are three authors who formed Carmen Mola, a pseudonym to generate greater expectation and success in the publication of her novels, who would say that to form a successful author three men would be needed.
Constanza Arata: Wait for your comments on Facebook: The book addict Bolivia
