Book Recommendations across Genres

Every World Book Day, readers reminesce about their favourite books.

Today, I pick my favourite authors and their works in the various literary genres for the impact they have had on me.

Humour

P. G. Wodehouse

The master of the slapstick and the ridiculous, P G Wodehouse has always been a favourite. The inimitable Jeeves saves the Woosters of the world from irredeemable mishaps.

Joseph Heller

‘There is a very thin line dividing comedy and tragedy’ and no one illustrates this better than Joseph Heller. Read his iconic Catch -22, where you don’t know whether things are funny or deeply sad.

Sci Fi

H.G. Wells

The War of the Worlds featuring Martians is too descriptive to be a far fetched science fiction tale.

Romance

Jane Austen

Jane Austen has always ruled hearts with Pride and Prejudice. For a long time, it was my yearly read as I graduated from graphic novel editions to abridged editions to the unabridged book.

R.D. Blackmore

The difficult-to-read ‘Lorna Doone’ is my ultimate favourite when it comes to romance reads.

Tragedy

Thomas Hardy

The master of classic tearjerkers with beautiful imagery and captivating descriptions, Thomas Hardy drew the rural countryside very well.

Adventure

Jules Verne

20,000 leagues under the Sea was an exotic read for me.

Enid Blyton

The Mallory Tower escapades and the Famous Five mysteries are the ultimate adventure tales.

Experimental

Virginia Woolf

for Stream of Consciousness so excellently delineated in To the Lighthouse.

Salman Rushdie

for Magic Realism in The Midnight’s Children and Haroun and the Sea of Stories.

Horror

Edgar Allen Poe

The few short stories of Edgar Allen Poe made my blood run cold.

Roald Dahl

Writing for children, some of the stories struck terror in my heart.

Children

Richard Scarry

Possibly, I spent hours and hours poring over ‘My First Word Book Ever’ with fantastic illustrations.

Enid Blyton

The naughtiest Amelia Jane and all the other talking toys are fascinating.

Young Adult

Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay

The masterpiece Making a Mango Whistle is about children, their play and dreams.

Playwrights

Bernard Shaw

for Pygmalion.

Rabindranath Tagore

for bringing alive history and mythological figures.

Poetry

Rabindranath Tagore

Geetanjali remains a deeply spiritual piece of work.

Derek Walcott

His poetry touches deep chords in my consciousness.

Historical Fiction

Alex Rutherford

The Moghul Series are fascinating, bringing the lives of the moghuls to the readers.

Mary Renault

for The King must Die that features the Greek hero, Theseus.

Biography

Irving Stone

Lust for Life is the story of the life of the celebrated painter, Vincent Van Gogh and his penurious life.

Benazir Bhutto

Daughter of the East, her autobiography is a racy read.

Detective

Erle Stanley Gardner

I supremely enjoyed the lawyer Perry Mason’s sleuthing capabilities and an adept legal practice.

Agatha Christie

Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot are unlikely detectives and very efficient.

Ruth Rendell

Her mysteries are tempered with excellent stories that showcase the human psychology.

Fantasy

Devaki Nandan Khatri

Chandrakanta
It’s the only notable fantasy book I have read and it is captivating.