The team at Charlestown QBD have exploded into the spotlight with their fabulous reading recommendations this week.
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee: With the upcoming release of Harper Lee’s new novel, what better excuse to re-read my favourite novel – “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Set in America’s deep south against a background of racial prejudice that is almost unthinkable today, this book is full of morality, rights and wrongs, dreamers, battlers, heroes, and role models. Written in 1960, and set in the 1930’s this book is still relevant in 2015 and I get something new out of it every time I read it. -Steve (Store Manager)
Civil War by Mark Millar: One of Marvel’s biggest comic book events of the decade, Civil War pits the heroes we all love against each other. After the government implements the Super Hero Registration Act, the Marvel Super Heroes stand divided. One of my favourite collection of comics, Civil War is worth the read for any superhero fan. This is my go-to recommendation for anyone who knows a little bit of each hero’s back story, and wants to get into graphic novels. Spoiler Alert… It’s AWESOME!! – Jason (2IC)
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami: Tazaki his haunted by the friendship of his high school days. Each of his friend’s names contained a colour, while, fittingly, his did not. He always considered himself the boring friend, the 5th wheel so to speak, but it didn’t make it any easier for him when he was spontaneously kicked from the group with no warning and no explanation. Years later, his new girlfriend convinces him to go back and find out what happened so he can finally move on.
Murakami has a talent for weaving fantastical aspects into the mundane and everyday scenarios he writes about. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage is a little tamer than Murakami’s other works, which makes it a perfect pick for anyone who hasn’t read one before.- Megan
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan: This is the story of a young Demigod, the Son of Poseidon, who is accused of stealing Zeus’ bolt of Lightning. He must find and return the bolt, and to do this must not only find real thief, but also get the bolt from them. This book is an excellent read for any teen interested in Mythology, as it brings all those old myths and legends into a modern setting.
– Mitch
A Time to Kill by John Grisham: This is the first John Grisham book I read as a young teenager and have recently re-read it before starting on the sequel.
Set in the deep south of Mississippi, racial tensions explode when a crime is committed against a young African American girl by two drunken Caucasian men. This legal/crime drama thriller is very reminiscent of ‘To Kill a Mocking Bird’ and will capture your attention from the very first paragraph.
I found this novel from John Grisham to be thought provoking, emotionally driven and an overall good read for anyone that likes a good crime thriller. One of my faves! – Belinda
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: The story of a man living with immense guilt over the unspeakable act of cruelty on his best friend he witnessed when they were children. All Amir ever wanted was to win the kite running competition and win his fathers pride. But what happened the day of the competition will haunt him forever. Amir makes his way back to Afghanistan under Taliban rule in the hopes of finding redemption.
The Kite Runner is a devastatingly honest story that will have you hooked from the beginning. Hosseini perfectly captures this moving story. It is a powerful book that will keep you thinking after you read it.- Remy
The Shining by Stephen King: This was the first Stephen King novel I ever read and I do plan on reading more, but I was disappointed with The Shining. I tried really hard to like this book, however it seemed to take forever for anything interesting to happen and in my opinion it failed as a horror story. The horror elements, which included a possessed hose and hedge animals which came to life, failed to frighten me and were more giggle-worthy than scary. I think that the book included too much back story about the hotel and the Torrances, which made it slow to read and took away from the main story. Overall, I did somewhat enjoy the novel, mostly for the last 100 pages or so which almost redeemed the rest of the story. I’d rate it 2.5 out of 5. – Georgia
