I am pretty sure that a part of me is 90 years old.

That part thinks that the prefect day contains hot chocolate and a good book. And that part thinks that e-books are rubbish.

Because it’s all about how a book feels in your hands. How it smells. How many coffee/tea stains it has. How battered it looks.

The uglier the better.

These are some of my favourite books. Read them if you can.

1. The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time by Mark Haddon
A book from the point of view of an autistic boy who wants to find out who killed the neighbour’s dog with a pitchfork. It made me laugh and cry at the same time. Such a witty book and wonderfully written.

2. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Two women who bond under the most terrible circumstances. The story of friendship and war in Afghanistan made me cry like a baby. It’s incredibly disturbing and moving.

3. The Elegance Of The Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
To summarise that it’s a book about a concierge in a Parisian house wouldn’t do it justice. This book is like the most beautiful flower that slowly blossoms. Granted, it starts off slow and made me wonder why everyone loves it so much but it’s one of those books that slowly but steadily have a massive impact. I seem to have a preference for books that leave me in tears at the very end. This is no exception.

4. The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
Ok ok, they’re considered children books (although I disagree) but they’re hands down my favourite book series. Yep they even beat Harry Potter. They’re smart, surprising and have a good dose of love-triangle without being sickly sweet. I made my mum and my flatmate read it and once they got started they couldn’t stop. Still, it seems like no one else believes me that these books are brilliant (you know who you are!)

5. The Other Hand by Chris Cleave
An English family, a Nigerian girl. The most unusual circumstances. This book is like a slap in the face and makes you feel so angry at the unfairness of the world. Yet at the same time it’s terribly sarcastic and funny which balances it out very nicely. Literature at its best.

6. One Day by David Nicholls
Dex and Emma on one day, every day for 20 years. No book is more hyped than this one in the UK at the moment – but for a good reason. I think we all find a part of ourselves in both characters. And, quite typically, I was weeping at the end. Too bad I was in the train at that moment.

There are so many more but I reckon these are plenty for now.

What are your favourite books?