Books. I love them. I read many and enjoy ticking each new title off my seemingly bottomless list of ‘books I want to read before I die’. As such, I thought it’d be an interesting exercise to sit down and attempt to select a handful of books that, one way or another, impressed me greatly enough to earn a place on my coveted list of ‘all time literary favourites’.
At first, I thought this wouldn’t be too difficult; a quick glance at my bookshelf and my favourites would pop straight out…right? Nope! Wrong. Very, very wrong! The longer I spent shuffling through my bookish catalogue, the more overwhelmed I became. I soon realised each novel I’ve ever had the pleasure of enjoying occupies its own special place in my heart and mind. How could I ever narrow my large collection of amazing reads down to such a small list?
Well, after some serious thinking, I’ve realised my favourite books are those that left a lingering impact long after the final page was turned. They are the books that tugged on my heart strings, shifted my perspective and challenged my thinking. They are the books that transformed me from the person I was into the person I am. So, without further ado, here are my top four picks: