A top book writer has listed some of his favourite books of all time, stating that these selections were “easily the top five”. Despite being a self-proclaimed “non-fiction junkie”, Prahalad Rajkumar opted to rank his favourite fiction books.
Rajkumar stated: “That said, a fiction book has the capacity to delight the soul. A good fiction book can transport you into a magical world and expand your mind. Why, a good fiction book can give you life lessons.”
Here are the top five fiction selections from the writer.
5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J K Rowling
Rajkumar explained: “I have re-read the Harry Potter series several times. The Chamber of Secrets is my favorite Harry Potter book for one reason and one reason alone: Gilderoy Lockhart.
“This narcissistic ‘defence against the dark arts’ teacher is a piece of work. He does not know anything about ‘defence against dark arts’ – but he is an expert snake oil salesman. He has written many books, convinced the world that he is an expert, and even managed to convince the astute Dumbledore into giving him the job. His charm worked wonders on the ladies – the erudite Hermione Granger did not suspect that Lockhart was a hack – she was smitten!
“As far as characters go, Gilderoy Lockhart is one of the best crafted ones in the Harry Potter series. And this book has many other delights. This is the book which introduces Dobby, the poly juice portion, the character named Tom Marvolo Riddle, and much more. Alright, alright, I know I’m ‘supposed to’ like The Deathly Hallows, Goblet of Fire or Prisoner of Azkaban — these are the crowd favourites. I’m happy to unashamedly confess to my oddball choice — my favorite Harry Potter book is The Chamber of Secrets.”
4. You by Caroline Kepnes
Rajkumar said: “Joe Goldberg has his heart in the right place. Or so it seems. All he wants to do is to find the love of his life — he is prepared to give his heart and his soul to be with her and make her happy. He’ll do anything to get her into his life and be with her. And that’s the problem — he will do anything to be with her. That includes stalking her and stalking other people.
“That includes trapping people in a cage in his basement and killing them. Played by Penn Badgley in the Netflix adapted Series, Joe Goldberg has become a crowd favorite. Like him? Hate him? Confused? Decide for yourself after reading You.”
3. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
“Ten people are brought together to an island by an unknown host. There is no way out of the island — the boats that brought them have gone back. There is nobody else in the island — just these 10. They start getting murdered one by one. And the killer is one of them.
“As far as thrillers go, this book tops the charts. You have to interact with a small group of people, knowing that one of them is out to kill you. And people keep dying around you one at a time — and you wonder if you’ll be next. How do you protect yourself? Psychology at its finest. I’m a die-hard Agatha Christie fan, I’ve read every murder mystery she’s written. And Then There Were None is a superb psychological thriller that is guaranteed to keep the reader glued to this book.”
2. A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman
Rajkumar said: “Ove is a grumpy old man. He doesn’t tolerate idiots — we get ample glimpses of this in the first few chapters.
“As we, the reader, successfully develop a judgmental dislike towards Ove, author Backman gives us snippets from Ove’s back story: Ove’s honesty as a young worker — as a dutiful husband who has to live with the burden of his wife’s miscarriage — a grieving widower who sees no point in living anymore. And just like that, Backman converts our dislike of Ove to respect and sympathy.
“Ove’s neighbors, especially the pregnant lady from Iran — Parvaneh — bring kindness, warmth, color and perspectives into Ove’s life. Over time, the reader begins to positively like Ove! There is a very good reason A Man Called Ove has become a cult classic. Give this book a read – you will not be disappointed.”
1. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
“I hesitate to call The Midnight Library a fiction book since it has taught me more life lessons than the average non-fiction book. Nora decides she has nothing to live for and decides to end her life. Her brother Joe refuses to talk to her for leaving their band, The Labyrinths (which soon disbanded after her exit).
“Her mother died a few months ago. She chose not to go to Australia with her best friend Izzy, which made the two grow apart. She broke up with Dan, the man for whom she left The Labyrinths. She passed on the opportunity to pursue competitive swimming as a teenager — who knows what might have been. She just got fired from her job. Her cat just died.
“She forgot to show up for the piano lesson session with her student Leo, which may put a stop to these lessons. Just as she decides to end the life, she magically finds herself at the midnight library, a place where she can choose to live any of the alternate lives that she rejected. If she is happy with the chosen life, she can continue living that life. Any time she wants out, she can return back to the midnight library.
“She lives through each of them — and finds that they are not happily-ever-after movie she played in her head. Things went wrong — very wrong — in every one of these lives. The Midnight Library is guaranteed not just to entertain you, but to make you reflect hard on life.”