Our favourite local homegrown recording artist, Yuna, is no stranger to the habit of reading. Busy as she may be, reading has always been a hobby she found time for; be it minutes before bed, in planes while jet-setting across the globe or even stolen moments between recording albums.
BookXcess, one of Malaysia’s leading alternative bookstores carries affordable titles across many different genres and Yuna has compiled a list of her favourite reads from her favourite bookstore.
1. “Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire” (Book 4) – JK Rowling
Of course one of the cult favourites of literature appears on this list. The 4th book of the Harry Potter Series — Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, tells the story of young Harry Potter who got chosen to participate in the Triwizard Tournament. Filled with thrilling adventures with an ominous twist at the end, this book is definitely one of the best in the series. Better yet, for those of you who have not read any of these magical books by JK Rowling, a boxed set of the entire series is available at BookXcess!
“I remember reading this when I was in secondary school. I would read it from late afternoon till I didn’t realise it was already dark and I needed to turn on the lights in my room! It gives me a really nice feeling when I go back to reading this once in a while — it is my favourite Harry Potter book,” said Yuna, when asked about her experience reading this book.
2. “Gone Girl” – Gillian Flynn
“Before the movie came out, I decided to read ‘Gone Girl’ without knowing anything about it. I was blown away by the twist in the middle of the book. Even some parts made me cry!” Yuna said as she reminisced reading the book while travelling around the US in a van during her 2013 summer tour.
This book has one of the most thrilling and unexpected twists that will definitely keep readers on their toes. It is intense through and through, with one of the most memorable character monologues — the “Cool Girl” monologue.
3. “The Firm” – John Grisham
Coming from a law background, Yuna is a fan of this legal thriller following Harvard Law Graduate, Mitch McDeere. As all John Grisham books go, this one is no exception to a well thought out storyline and a dramatic plot.
Yuna described it in a way we all could relate as she “fantasised about a world where she is an actual lawyer”. Well, aren’t we all glad she ended up following her dreams of pursuing music instead because her voice is a blessing to us!
4. “Ready Player One” – Ernest Cline
“I love this book! My husband was reading this to me during our honeymoon in Tulum, from start to finish within a week, and I was blown away until I had to re-read it myself. The book is so good that when the movie finally came out, I actually felt disappointed because the book was THAT good!” Said Yuna about the fourth book on this list.
This dystopian novel describes a post-apocalyptic society that has fallen to overpopulation and climate change. These people subscribed to the only form of distraction they knew, a game-like utopia called OASIS where they can virtually do anything or be anyone.
5. “The Lovely Bones” – Alice Sebold
If you can’t already tell, this far in the list, Yuna is a big fan of complicated plots and drama. The final book in this list is another mystery filled thriller!
“’The Lovely Bones’ tells a story of a dead girl narrating her life and death, which is so sweet and so sad — it’s definitely a great thriller novel where you keep guessing what will happen next and wondering who’s the real murderer in the story. Definitely a heart-wrenching story worth reading and of course like all books, it’s way better than the film!” she describes “The Lovely Bones”.
That was a nice glimpse into the library of Yuna. All of the books listed are available on BookXcess Online and retail outlets. For more information please visit https://www.bookxcess.com/.
Article courtesy of BookXcess.
