I love charity shops. For clothes, books or just some weird ornament that I think my flat could benefit from, I can spend ages just wondering up and down trying to find something unique and strange and trying to find some lovely old books that need a new home. The reasons why I tend to go to charity shops for books is because they are cheaper than most bookshops and always have something that I might not ever think twice about reading.
However, there is always that one book that no matter what secondhand shop I go into, it is always there. This isn't anything against the author and the quality of the story but more or less just reflects on the popularity of the book at the time that now guarantees its place in a charity shop for many years to come.
I'm the illustrated writer and here are the top 5 books I guarantee that you'll always find in your local charity shop.
1. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
There seems to be a rule when it comes to books in charity shops; if it has been made into a film, it is most likely gonna be there and the winner of the Booker prize is no exception from this rule. Since it's publication in 2001, it has sold roughly around 13 million copies worldwide, has won numerous awards and was made into an oscar-winning film by Ang Lee in 2012. Yann Martel even received a letter from Barack Obama, praising the book and it's religious themes and story-telling.
Life of Pi is about a young boy named Piscine Molitor, who is shipwrecked along with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker in the middle of the ocean for 227 days. It is a book unlike any other about survival, religion and displays the most impressive form of story-telling to date.
If you fancy a tale that will take you on an adventure unlike any other, I would definitely recommend this book.
2. The time-traveller's wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Again, another book that falls victim to the book-to-film rule (not that there's anything wrong with that rule) but this a book that I see CONSTANTLY on the shelves in charity shops. And no wonder, it has been translated into thirty-three languages and has sold roughly around 5 million copies worldwide. It was made into a film in 2009 but received mixed reviews but I'll leave everyone to make their own decisions on that.
As you can probably guess from the title, it is about a time-traveller named Henry and his wife Clare. Henry suffers from a genetic disorder that sends him spiralling throughout time without any self-control; ending up at random moments throughout Clare's life and then being absent the next. It explores the complexities of marriage, its endurance through trials and errors delivered onto it throughout the passing of time in the most imaginative way possible.
If you feel like reading a love story unlike any other with a magical twist, then pop into your local charity shop today.
3- Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
Awwww...Twilight, another love-story with a not-so-simple formula. If you haven't heard of the Twilight saga by now then one may wonder where you have been hiding these past ten years. First published in 2005, it has sold over 5 million copies, followed by three more books and had been made into films that took over every single teenage girls life.
In the story, we travel with 17-year-old Bella Swan as she goes to live with her father in Forks, Washington D.C. As soon as she steps into the new school, she catches everyone's eye as the new girl; especially the mysterious and handsome Edward Cullen. But Edward has a secret; He's a vampire and has been for over 100 years and has a dangerous hankering for Bella's blood. Their deadly romance would dominate the world of young adult fiction, sparking Edward vs Jacob teams ( Jacob is a werewolf who is also pining for Bella because of course there is !) endless parodies and countless fanfiction.
If you feel like treating yourself to a teenage fantasy of immortals moping over the new wallflower; then go for it.
4 - The girl with the dragon tattoo by Stieg Larsson
This next entry on our list comes with a rather tragic background. Swedish journalist Stieg Larsson managed to get a publisher to print the first of his three books in 2004, originally titled Men Who Hate Women in Sweden, only to die of a heart attack before they would be published. He would never get to see the success that his books managed to win worldwide along with being made into Swedish and English movies.
It follows Lisbeth Salander, a young computer hacker with a troubling past as she joins publisher, Mikael Blomkvist, on a secluded island owned by Henrik Vanger, to discover the hidden reasons of the disappearance of his niece - Harriet Vanger- who vanished without a trace from the family island over forty years ago. Together they will discover the gruesome murders of an elusive serial killer and treacherous family secrets.
This book might be a bit of a heavy read for some readers as it covers subjects such as rape and torture but if you want to follow one of the most intelligent, cunning and head-strong women to grace the crime-thriller genre than buckle up for one hell of a ride.
5. Fifty Shades of Grey By E.l James
Love it, hate it or just trying desperately to forget it ever graced the New York Times Bestseller list, there is no doubt alone that when it was first published in 2011, it caused a stir amongst critics and readers around the world for its depictions of BDSM and questionable literacy competence.
Surprisingly, Fifty Shades Of Grey started out as fanfiction based on another entry on this list, the equally divisive Twilight saga but when E.l James wished to publish it on her own website, she decided to change a few things around to bring some originality to the plot; so Edward became Christian and Bella became Anastasia.
Anastasia is a shy and awkward college student who suddenly finds herself interviewing the young and attractive billionaire Christian Grey, on behalf of a friend who has fallen ill. Anastasia instantly falls under Christian's charms and finds herself entangled in a BDSM relationship with Christian as he wrestles with past trauma and abuse.
Look, we all have a guilty pleasure that we are allowed to delve into now and again and if you wish to find out what all the fuss is about, then go ahead, I won't judge you. But the lovely volunteer at the till might.
There we go, that is my top five. What books do you always find in charity shops that are always there no matter what shop you're in? Let me know and who knows, I might be tempted to do another top five.
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