Category: Uncategorized It's been a while since my last update, but I've been reading quite a lot lately, and it's been keeping me busy (and I'm only a few chapters away from finishing my first book!). So I guess it's the right time to catch up on my blog and share my bookshelf with you. Hopefully some of them will inspire you. Let's go! The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry It's always interesting to get back to classic literature, and it's a fun read. The Prince of all planets is a young boy who's fascinated by aeronautics and wants to be an aviator. He meets the Little Prince, who is from a neighbouring planet. At first, they don't know what to talk about, but the two children soon become good friends. The Little Prince is going to teach the Prince a few lessons and life lessons in return, including: don't judge too quickly, don't judge at all, and don't judge yourself. You can find the original French version and a modern version at Goodreads. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett I bought this book last year when I was in my travels and in between some bookshops. This is a classic story about two children, Sara and Peter. Sara is a princess, and Peter has no idea about his status, but that doesn't mean he doesn't dream about it. He just wants to be useful, and to be able to play with his little sister. All the other girls in the village think his sister should be the princess, but Peter refuses. The two children, therefore, get into a lot of mischief. And unfortunately for them, Mr. Carrisford is a strict and narrow-minded guardian. I always like it when it's a good story, and this one doesn't disappoint. Even better, the audiobook is narrated by Jim Dale, who reads in his usual style, and he does a brilliant job. You can find it on audiobook or ebook. A Little Princess (Abridged) by Frances Hodgson Burnett Sometimes, it's nice to be able to listen to a classic book, but not have all the details in the novel. I like the version by William Russell, with whom I had the chance to do a podcast interview about some of his books. It's very pleasant listening to him read to me. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë I loved reading Jane Eyre when I was younger. As I've already told you, I read Jane Eyre first (yeah, I've got a strong interest for classics), and that was the reason why I had to find it as a topic in the French A levels I took last year. I don't know if you're as obsessive as me, but I've read all the books from her, and I've already read three movies inspired by her stories. (I know, it's a big deal for me...) Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen This is also a book that is a classic of the Austen family. It's a comedy about a young girl called Catherine, who has just started to live with her aunt and uncle. She's very bored and decides to get back to her uncle's library to read about ghosts. One day, she finds a mysterious trunk with the name 'Susan' on it. She opens the trunk, and the book inside tells her about some strange stories. But, in true Austen style, no one believes in it. It might be a bit strange for an Austen fan, but it's a very fun story, and the book is lovely. Persuasion by Jane Austen As I mentioned above, I love classics and Jane Austen's books were my first classics. Persuasion is one of my favourites, and it's probably my favourite novel. It's about two people who think they love each other, and try to find ways to be together, but fate seems to be against them. It's a really fun read and it will probably stay in my favourites for a very long time. Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling I've always been a fan of J. K. Rowling and her novels. When I was at school, I wasn't an avid reader, and we had a book club in the library. I didn't really care about it, so I was quite surprised when one day, I saw my name and there was a note saying: "you haven't read the Harry Potter books". I thought I was missing out, so I read the entire series in less than two years. When I finished reading them, I was so happy that I could relate to her books. Rowling doesn't care about what others think, and she writes stories about people who are different from others. As you probably know, it's been adapted into a movie. I saw the third movie, and I really loved it. It will remain a favourite in my life. The Art of the Novella by John Dickson Carr I first heard about John Dickson Carr on a mystery podcast. It was about his first book, The Hollow Man, and it reminded me that I didn't have his book yet. So I found my copy, and I had the opportunity to do a podcast interview with him, talking about his work. Harry Potter: Quidditch Through the Ages by J. K. Rowling When I was in primary school, we did an extra-curricular class called sports. This meant that I was going to learn another language: sports. And that was actually a good idea. I didn't realise it at the time, but it was going to help me learn English. I really like to know about sports, especially the ones I don't play. Because in France, we don't have an Olympic team or soccer players, so I'm quite fond of sport. And obviously, this book would have been a bit too old for me back then, but I've been reading it for a few years now. I think there's a Harry Potter version for every sport. Tolstoy's War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy In my first years of school, I thought I was really hard-working and that I was the one who could do any job that anyone else did. But I soon discovered that many things were different in England, and that some things are simply not in my vocabulary. For example, one day, when I was in France, I had to find someone who could change my clothes (since I wasn't allowed to go to school dressed like a man), and I had to do it at 6 in the morning. As it was a Sunday, there were no shops open, and I didn't want to go and buy clothes. Fortunately, I found a bookshop with a computer where I could find what I needed. And while I was doing it, I came across Tolstoy's War and Peace. I knew about Tolstoy because of the series about Sherlock Holmes that was about The Hound of the Baskervilles, and that was the one that was in my mind, so I read this book when I went back to France the next day. It was very different from everything else, and since then, I've always been fascinated by the Russian writer. So when I had the opportunity to do a podcast interview with him, and read some of his letters, I didn't think twice. The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens This is a new book that was released recently and it's already on my Christmas list. The novel was inspired by the death of Dickens's young friend, Dickens's friend, who drowned on Christmas Eve when Dickens was only a young man. It's set in Victorian England, but in between all the things and details about Victorian England, it explores the question: Who killed Edwin Drood? Of course, there are a lot of suspects, but it doesn't stay that way. And as you might have guessed, I really like a good Victorian crime mystery. Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe I was looking for other books from the famous Ann Radcliffe, because I already read The Romance of the Forest, but I can't find it anywhere. The only one I could find is Udolpho, and I've never heard of this book before. It's actually a bit scary, and I'm not scared at all. I'm not a big fan of mysteries, but I found this one really enjoyable. An Island of Stone by John Buchan John Buchan was one of my favourite authors during my English studies. I never read any of his books until this one, but I found his works online and, once again, I was really excited to have them. And, as in the case of Anne of Green Gables, I also really love the film. It's not going to be a favourite, but I'll still watch it once I have the chance. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee I love reading Harper Lee's books. When I was little, I already loved to read because I had a lot of classics, but I was fascinated by the stories of Maycomb County, Alabama, and people who have the misfortune of being from a family that looks down on them because they're poor. I really love how she writes, and this book is probably one of my favourites. Frankenstein