Is one of your New Year's resolutions to read more fiction? Maybe you've really got into podcasts on your commute [1] or you've got sucked into the latest Netflix series (we are right there with you) [2]. It's not that you don't buy books, but by the time you're ready for bed, you can barely keep your eyes open to crack the spine or pick up your Kindle. We hear you, so we've compiled a collection of must reads that you won't be able to put down. If you haven't read them already, these books will renew your passion for fiction [3]. Each one is completely life-changing and life-affirming, and they will have characters and stories that you'll still be thinking about years later. Purchase or download these books immediately; they might just change your life.
I Capture the Castle
You might have read I Capture the Castle [4] (£6) when you were younger, in which case it's definitely worth rereading. If you didn't have the pleasure when you were a child or teenager, you'll fall head over heels with Cassandra and her first brush with love as an adult.
The Secret History
The Secret History [5] (£7) is Donna Tarrt's most popular work of modern fiction, and with good reason (if you can sift through the superfluous academic language that she throws around). The story takes a group of American college students and changes their lives forever. It's arguably her best work, but we also loved The Goldfinch [6].
The God of Small Things
The God of Small Things [7] (£7) is the story of twins Rahel and Etstha, who we follow as they try to make sense of the world. It was a sensation when it was released, and it won author Arundhati Roy the Booker Prize.
To Kill a Mockingbird
Even if you know the story of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird [8] (£5), it's one that must be read to truly appreciate its brilliance. The story at the heart of the novel is particularly poignant in today's current racial climate.
Wide Sargasso Sea
Jean Rhys's last novel Wide Sargasso Sea [9] (£6) was written 30 years after her first. She'd withdrawn from the writing community and was largely presumed to be dead. The book is loosely based on Jane Eyre, drawing its inspiration from the woman in the attic.
The Poisonwood Bible
The Poisonwood Bible [10] (£4) took Barbara Kingsolver 30 years to write and (in part thanks to a huge thumbs-up from Oprah) has now sold over 4 million copies worldwide. It's about a family's undoing, told from the point of view of a mother and her four daughters.
The Signature of All Things
Don't be put off by the mention of Eat, Pray, Love. The Signature of All Things [11] (£9) by Elizabeth Gilbert is an incredible novel. If you're looking for a tall, outspoken ginger-haired Victorian scientist to root for, you'll find her in heroine Alma Whittaker, and you'll think of her often.
1984
In today's climate, George Orwell's 1984 [12] (£5) really feels more like nonfiction. From Big Brother surveillance to questioning the true price of freedom, this feels like it was written last week, rather than in 1949.
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns [13] (£6) is one of those books that you saw people reading everywhere when it was released (it floored us at a bus stop, and we had to wait a while before we carried on with our journey). It's the story of two women at different stages of their lives forming an unlikely friendship that's overshadowed by the Taliban takeover of Kabul. It can be hard going at times, but it's truly beautiful.
The Alchemist
Is it too '90s to recommend The Alchemist [14] (£7)
? Paulo Coelho's magnum opus has now been read by over 60 million people all over the world. That's a lot of people trying to follow their dreams, but this is exactly what the book is about, and if you're not one of the 60 million, perhaps now is the time.
The Time Traveler's Wife
If you've watched the film The Time Traveler's Wife [15] (£8) but haven't read the book, you are in for a treat, as this is so much better than its adaptation. Audrey Niffenegger's bestseller about love, time travel, and soulmates will stick with you for years after you've read it.