My Top 5 Books This Winter
#1 Coraline — Neil Gaiman
Coraline accidentally finds a secret passage in her home. A passage to a different reality. What will she do when she finally finds out how dangerous it really is?
I loved this book! It really intrigued me how dark this novel was. The way the author described the characters truly freaked me out and I couldn't stop thinking about them! If you love horror movies or books, I definitely recommend!
#2 The Wolf — Nate Blakeslee
Wolf 0-Six was the most famous wolf in the Yellowstone National Park. Everyone was talking about her, everyone knew her from the photos. This made her vulnerable to hunters, who were furious about wolves being introduced in the Park again. The hunters were furious about the wolves being endangered, so when the USA government claimed the population is stable, they started their kill spree. When 0-Six dies, the nation decides it's time to fight back. This book is a story about how one wolf changed the way people think.
I finished the book quite quickly because it was interesting. I was in the Yellowstone Park and saw 0-Six myself. She was a true beauty, no one can deny that. Blakeslee did a great job of telling her story and describing the long and painful way the wolves are being seen by people. He described two different points of view, without any judgment. Another great book to read this winter!
#3 Viking London — Thomas Williams
The untold story about Vikings and their fights against England. This books is a short historical novel, which depicts how London has changed under the oppression of the Vikings. It tells the tale of Lundenwic, Lundenburh, Lundunir, and Lundunaborg — different versions of the city, which is now known as London.
The Vikings have always been my favourite part of the history. I absolutely love the Norse Mythology and all movies about them. This book was an interesting part of literature and I can tell that Williams did tons of research before writing the book. The novel is short but very detailed and the language is rather easy to understand.
#4 North Korea Confidential: Private Markets, Fashion Trends, Prison Camps, Dissenters and Defectors — Daniel Tudor, James Pearson
North Korea is full of secrets. No one truly knows how life there really is. The amount of leaked information is not enormous as anyone who dares to talk about this country and its secrets may be put into a concentration camp, and never be released. Tudor and Pearson managed to talk about the everyday lives of the people of North Korea, the norms there. This book is a great insider into how the North Korea truly is like.
This book was rather difficult for me to find. No shop I knew had this book in stock, which meant I had to wait and check my local bookshops regularly. At the end of the day it was worth it. The book truly analyzed the flaws and strengths of the North Korea, their standards of living and the unknown, mysterious aspects of lives there. Perfect book position for anyone who is interested in travel and history!
#5 A Christmas Carol — Charles Dickens
Scrooge hates Christmas. He doesn't care about the tradition and helping others. He doesn't want to share his money with other people, people in need. Three ghosts — ghost of the past, of the future and present Christmas decide to visit him, to teach him kindness and appreciation towards his family, coworker and other people.
This classical Novel is truly amazing to read for Christmas. It teaches us how fragile life is, and how we cannot waste time to be angry at it. Dickens wants to teach us how the relationship we have with other people can influence us and our reputation in the public, how we are remembered. If you are unable to read the book, there have been a couple of movies released, which are based on the book. Definitely a great story after the Christmas dinner!