I used to work in a bookshop — these five books are the best I've ever read

There’s nothing quite like immersing oneself in a captivating book. I’ve whiled away countless hours engrossed in reading, never once regretting it. However, spending the same amount of time binge-watching Netflix can sometimes feel like a day wasted. In my youth, my first employment was at an independent bookstore.

It was a delightful job that involved serving customers, arranging books on shelves and display tables, and unpacking fresh stock. Contrary to popular belief, working in a bookstore doesn’t mean you spend your entire day buried in a novel; in fact, it was quite the contrary; most days were incredibly busy. Nevertheless, it did enhance my knowledge of literature, with colleagues and customers offering numerous recommendations over the years.

My absolute favourite genre is crime fiction/thriller, but I also have a soft spot for cult classics, fantasy, women’s fiction, autobiographies, and humour. After several years at the bookstore, I pursued English literature at university, where I was introduced to modernism, post-modernism, Shakespeare, and Gothic literature, reports the Express.

Bearing this in mind, here are my top five all-time favourite books:

1. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, 1969

This book, which spans multiple genres including autobiography, is based on Vonnegut’s experiences as an American prisoner of war. He was captured by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge and transported to Dresden. While in Dresden, Vonnegut was held in a deep cellar with other POWS named Schlachthof Fünf (Slaughterhouse Five). However, this isn’t solely Vonnegut’s tale. It’s also the story of Billy Pilgrim.

Billy, a character born from fiction, is a barber’s assistant who finds himself conscripted during the war. He’s an optometrist, an alien abductee, and a widower who becomes ‘unstuck in time’.

Billy’s narrative unfolds chronologically, beginning with his birth in 1922 and culminating in his death in 1976. The book whisks us away to various moments in Billy’s life, most notably his abduction by extraterrestrials and subsequent relocation to their home planet, Tralfamadore, where he’s put on display and introduced to their understanding of time. I devoured Slaughterhouse-Five in a single day when I first read it.

Despite its intricate plot, the novel’s style is straightforward, featuring concise sentences peppered with dashes of whimsical humour. The only way to articulate my reaction after finishing this book is to say that it completely blew my mind.

While genre-bending novels can sometimes come across as pretentious or directionless, the purpose, sentiment, and message behind this one couldn’t be more lucid. It’s one of those rare books that I could revisit time and again without ever growing weary.

Buy Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

From the moment I delved into this book, I was certain it would be a captivating read, and indeed, I devoured it within a week. The narrative is cleverly divided between two eras, exploring the 1971 tale of Rita Murphy and the contemporary story of Sylvie.

Rita serves as a nanny to the Harrington family, who relocate to Foxcote Manor for the summer. The family comprises two children, Hera, 13, and Teddy, 6, along with their mother Jeannie, while their father Walter stays behind in London.

In an unexpected twist, Hera stumbles upon an abandoned infant in the woods surrounding the property. Instead of alerting the authorities, they opt to keep her existence under wraps.

However, their lives take a dramatic turn when a body is discovered in the same woods just days later.

The modern-day narrative centres on Sylvie as she navigates her daughter Annie, separation from her husband, and caring for her ageing mother.

As both tales unravel, the link between Sylvie and the events of 1971 becomes apparent, hinting at how the two narratives will eventually intertwine.

Buy The Glass House by Eve Chase

This novel revolves around Jenny, a woman in her thirties living in London who has a complicated relationship with both her mother and her smartphone. A self-confessed social media addict, Jenny can’t even share a simple photo of a croissant on Instagram without obsessively tweaking the caption.

While reading this, there were chunks where I found myself in stitches, seeing reflections of Jenny’s chaotic ways within my own life. Equally, there were poignant instances that made me yearn to reach out, embrace Jenny and reassure her with the words, “Everything is going to be alright.”

Adults delves into the essence of friendship, the complexities binding mothers and daughters, and the journey to self-love, even when facing tough times.

Buy Adults by Emma Jane Unsworth

This bitingly satirical novella deeply affected me, leaving a lasting impact. Originally a commentary on Stalinist Russia, Animal Farm’s resonance endures with each new decade as liberties are curtailed, remaining as potent today as it was eight decades ago.

At its heart is a tale of barnyard creatures fed up with their neglectful keeper, Mr Jones. Resolving to rebel, they establish their own sanctuary, ‘Animal Farm’, where equality reigns supreme.

Alas, two pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, usurp control, forming a tyrannical rule not unlike the human despotism they sought to vanquish.

Buy Animal Farm by George Orwell

5. The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell, 2019

The narrative follows Libby Jones who, after years of uncertainty about her origins, discovers on her twenty-fifth birthday that she’s the heiress to a grand mansion situated in London’s esteemed Chelsea area.

A quarter of a century ago, police were summoned to the residence following reports of an infant’s cries. Upon arrival, they discovered a cheerful 10-month-old baby, perfectly healthy, gurgling away in her cot upstairs.

However, a grim scene awaited them downstairs in the kitchen – three lifeless bodies, all clad in black, lay next to a hastily written note. The other four children, known to reside at Cheyne Walk, had vanished.

Buy The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

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