Reading into World Book Day – Part 1
It is no coincidence World Book Day on April 23 shares a date with the birth or death of many prominent authors, including William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes.
An unread book is like a message left undelivered – it serves no purpose.
It is no great secret the benefits reading brings, and the joy of diving (figuratively) into pages of the written word can only be shared by those who have experienced it.
Once a year, bookworms celebrate literature as a collective.
It is no coincidence World Book Day on April 23 shares a date with the birth or death of many prominent authors, including William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes.
Cervantes, of course, penned the famous tale of Don Quixote.
As part of celebrations Newcastle Advertiser staff will join, enjoy a list of book series you simply have to get stuck into:
The Discworld Novels – Terry Pratchett
What do witches, soldiers and beggars share in common with a world balanced on four giant elephants atop a giant turtle? They all belong to a series considered the Monty Python of literature.
The Millennium Trilogy – Stieg Larsson
Enter the world of Lisbeth Salander, a delinquent with photographic recall, and Mikael Blomkvist, head of Millennium magazine. Full of twists, turns, crime, politics and intrigue, the nature of the content is not suitable for young readers.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
Bizarre worlds, aliens, a manically-depressed android, the number 42 and a thoroughly English hero are the Sun around which Adams’ acclaimed works centre.
Harry Potter – J.K. Rowling
The novel series, brought to life in film, almost never existed. Thankfully a publisher saw the potential of Rowling’s series, and helped the magical world of Harry Potter rise like a phoenix.
The Mortal Instruments/ The Infernal Devices – Cassandra Clare
It’s hard to determine which of these interlinked novel series’ are better. If you’re into angels, demons, magic, love and kicking butt, Clare has the thing for you.
The Lord of the Rings/ The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien
What novel list is complete without Tolkien? The Hobbit is a precursor to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and you’ll fall in love with the wide scope of well thought out characters joined within the Tolkien universe.
The Alex Cross novels – James Patterson
The nuggety titular character from Patterson’s crime series will draw you in and keep you there. Dark, gritty and thrilling, Alex Cross has recently been brought to life on the big screen to mixed reviews – read the books instead!
The Aubrey-Maturin series – Patrick O’Brian
Although some learned of the series through the film Master and Commander, the series of 20 novels (and one unpublished) reached considerable acclaim internationally. If you are a nautical fan, get stuck into these!
