my top 10 favorite reads
1 – To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
One of the few times where I have felt that my inner mind/thoughts were satisfyingly transcribed into words. I am in awe of her lyrical prose and her ability to seamlessly incorporate aspects of our subconsciousness and our psychology into her writing; to me, this book is less about plot and more about experiencing human consciousness put beautifully into words.
2 – As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Faulkner is such a genius, yes I needed a reading guide for all of his books, and yes his stream-of-consciousness sentences get extremely long and confusing sometimes, but when he gets it right it is so, so good… each chapter shifts into a distinct character’s mind, where their entire worldview and syntax and psychology are uniquely reflected in the words. I have cherished every bit of this book, you will be mind-blown if you give it a fair chance!
3 – East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Compared to the experience of reading Faulkner or Woolf (where it’s easy to get lost in the sauce), reading Steinbeck feels like the perfect balance between clarity and beauty and depth, his prose is stunning yet the plot also flows easily (no guide needed). I thoroughly enjoyed the way it explores what we inherit from our past and how we move forward. Parts of this book will forever stay with me.
4 – In Search of Lost Time, Vol. I: Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust
The whole “In Search of Lost Time” collection feels like a warm, cozy friend whom I get to spend precious time with, helping me to slow down and appreciate the small beauties in life, down to the finest details. Woolf/Faulkner-levels of beautiful prose but on another level… lots of long, windy, spellbinding sentences. If you’re also a sensitive and introspective person, his writing will deeply resonate and become like a sanctuary, and the characters will feel like your own dear friends in 19th century French upper nobility (lol). You will also never see steeples the same way…
5 – The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
I don’t think a book has wrecked me as much as this one. If you’re scared of one day waking up in life, looking back, and feeling like you’ve understood it all wrong, this book will resonate deeply with you. It is a devastating exploration of duty, suppressed emotions, and wasted potential. It had lots of humorous parts as well. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I love Ishiguro’s writing.
6 – Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
The book that reignited my love for reading while I was in undergrad (before that, the last thing I read in my free time was the Percy Jackson series in middle school). For that alone, this book will always have a special place in my heart. Of all the authors I’ve ever read, Murakami’s writing feels the most… spellbinding? The way he blends surrealism into his books makes me feel like I’m hallucinating and high on some weird drugs and I’ve never experienced drugs like that before. I know he’s a bit controversial with how he writes women but I will still stand by the fact that his writing is uniquely magnetic, moody and enjoyable.
7 – Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
Iconic opening line, I got a little lost in the first 1/4th of the book and almost dropped it but I am so glad I stuck through with it because it gets so, so good. I love that the whole 200-page book is one day in the life of our main character, Clarissa Dalloway. If you like To the Lighthouse you’re bound to like this. On a side note, I am unfortunately 99.9% a Korean-American Peter Walsh…
8 – Light in August by William Faulkner
My first Faulkner. There’ s this scene near the beginning where he describes one of the characters, a pregnant woman named Lena Grove, eating sardines that I re-read around 20 times because I was that awe-struck at what he just pulled off with the English language. It’s what made me a fan of Faulkner. Many say this should be the gateway to his books, and I do think it is less hard to follow than his others. Highly, highly recommend.
9 – Sanshirō by Natsume Sōseki
Another one of those books that got me back into reading. I heard that this author is like the John Steinbeck or Ernest Hemingway of Japan, someone they study in their own literature curriculums. I don’t remember it all too well other than how it made me feel. It was a very quiet, gentle, coming-of-age novel about a 23-year old country boy traveling to Tokyo to study literature. It’s a book I would love to revisit one day as I have fond memories of reading it in between my university studies.
10 – The Stranger by Albert Camus
I remember being awe-struck by Camus’ writing style. His words are remarkably concise yet clear, precise, and haunting. He does so much with so little. It was a very devastating book that has stuck with me, and it was the start of my personal journey in diving deeper into philosophy and my own existential thoughts.
