brilliant-books

Here a 12 brilliant books which places women at the center of the story line, each with different culture, background, and society. Which some are able to be empowered becoming independent woman who can voice her own right, follow their heart to get the love they desired, fulfill the duty of their role in society, even be in the adventurous or scandalous event out of ordinary.
Guaranteed everytime you read it will notice something different and still be inspired by them each time. A good read with a mug of hot tea and even a box of tissue to curl up too in a very long time.

12Heaven Has No Favorites: A Novel by Erich Maria Remarque

First published: 1961

Plot Summary:
This novel set in 1948 of an encountered by chance of a charming but dying Lillian determined to spend the rest of her life in adventure and Clerfayt the daredevil car racer. Together they journey across countries in Europe through the glistening Paris and romanpfojkrjigbbfgyfrtkjudh0giohjekjhuijkpfojkoptic Venice, live only for the moment today with no cares of tomorrow and then one start to fell in love with the other.

Reason you should read it:
Heaven has no favorite is the most beloved piece of Erich Maria Remarque, it is beautifully written, intimate, and sensitive. Exploring the view of life through the eyes of two different people, each convicted by different circumstances and experience love with an termination date in the most ludicrous time and place.

Best Quote:
“A lifetime, she thought, and every day was like every other, the endless routine, day after day, and at the end of the year the days coalesced as if they had been only a single day, so much were they alike, and, similarly, the years coalesced as if they had only been a single year, so everlastingly the same were they.”

11Chocolat by Joanne Harris
First Published: 1999

Plot Summary:
The titular character Vianne Rocher together with her daughter Anouk arrive in Lansquenet-sous-Tannes, a small village of French. There they open a chocolaterie, little that they know that Lent of 40 days before Easter has just begun. And the people in village are lead by Francis Reynaud the priest who deemed Vianne leads a dangerous beliefs and inappropriate. Vianne with her talent in cooking and charming personalities start to change the life of villagers but causes conflict with the priest whom make it his personal quest to drive her away, but she retaliates by helding “Grand Festival of Chocolate” on Easter Sunday.

Reason you should read it:
It is an exquisite journey of chocolate flavors and it’s mystery of influence in life, hand grounded and whisk by a woman who believes she have a touch of “witchcraft” who simply just show and share her love of chocolate to other and how it can open them to a change of wonderful life through different eyes and view of mind lead by a taste.

Best Quote:
“Happiness. Simple as a glass of chocolate or tortuous as the heart. Bitter. Sweet. Alive.”

10The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

First Published: 1985

Plot Summary:
Set in the Republic of Gilead, a military dictatorship created in the borders of former United States of America. When the President and most of Congress murdered during a arranged assassination, “Sons of Jacob” establish a revolution throughout the country. They banned all woman rights and labeled citizens by gender, reboot the society to a regime of Old Testament inspired social and religious state even divided by social classes. Offred known as “handmaids” tell the stories of her lifes during the transition and relationship with “The Commander” who secretly let her own women products and do all the activities forbidden for women, meanwhile “The Commander” wife also have secret arrangement with her in return for the news of her daughter. When finally her secret relationship with “The Commander” is discovered and lead to the uncertainty of her fate.

Reason you should read it:
This dystopian novel by the Canadian author Margaret Atwood has been widely known and adapted to various cinema, radio, opera, and stage, won the 1985 Governor General’s Award and the first Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1987. Which is set in almost modern New-England where women could not work, love, read, write or own any property, basically robbed woman of all her rights and left to only remain in a position of a handmaid. It is a very interesting novel which deeply moves and teaches you the true value of freedom.

Best Quote:
“We were the people who were not in the papers. We lived in the blank white spaces at the edges of print. It gave us more freedom. We lived in the gaps between the stories.”

9The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

First Published: 2011

Plot Summary:
This novel tells a love story of a highschool sweetheart Amanda and Dawson, though their love pure and true must separate because of the family background and society stereotype. Years later they are reunited in their hometown by their mentor and rekindle their feelings toward each other, and when the life they choose couldn’t meet their heart desire but for the benefit of their loved one’s tragedy appears which will lead to the fate of their unimaginable future.

Reason you should read:
Nicholas Sparks tends to writes novels that are so natural and realistic that are delightful to read, the sprinkle of mystery makes it even enjoyable in a calm evening with a cup of tea. This book cover the setting of a country town between a couple with love that can last forever, interrupted by suspense and circumstances of dark family leads to a tragic separation. And when the truth only to be founded brings to the lighter purpose of their life choices consequences.

Best Quote:
“Life was messy. Always had been and always would be and that was just the way it was, so why bother complaining? You either did something about it or you didn’t, and then you lived with the choice you made.”

First Published: 1947

Plot Summary:
Anne Frank is a Jewish Dutch girl who received her blank diary as the 13th birthday present on 12 June 1942 which is during Nazi occupation of the Netherlands and she begins to write in it 2 days later and all the time during her hiding experience until her capture on 1 August 1944. 5 July 1942 her sister Margot was summoned to the Nazi work camp, the next day Anne, her sister, their parents Otto and Edith went into hiding together with Hermann van Pels and his family in the sealed-off upper rooms at the back of Otto’s company building in Amsterdam. There they were hidden for two years and one month with the help of Otto trusted colleagues. They were discovered in August 1944 and all sent to Nazi concentration camps, and Anne died when she was 15 years old in Bergen-Belsen only a few weeks before the prisoners liberated by British troops in April 1945. Otto is the only one who survived until the war finished. The original manuscript was found strewn on the floor of their hiding place after their arrest and kept safe by Miep Gies and Bep Voskuijl before returned to Otto after the war.

Reason you should read:
Anne Frank’s diary is a very important artifact of history, until now still become a staple text in primary and secondary school in the UK and worldwide. A reminder to young girls that their voice can be heard, she showed strength and had goals, she appreciates the moments and believes in positivity, and teaches us of how the life of Jewish populations have to endure during WWII.

Best Quote:
“I’ve found that there is always some beauty left — in nature, sunshine, freedom in yourself; these can help you.”

First Published: 2012

Plot Summary:
Louisa, an ordinary girl lives slow paced, unambitious, safe, and dull life received a job to make ends meet to take care Will the successful, energetic businessman, daredevil, and sports lover whose life turned upside down after a road accident. Will treat Lou with resentment and bitterness of his situation until gradually warm down to her and eventually they fall in love. Then Lou found out Will has made arrangement to end his life through Dignitas, a Swiss-based assisted suicide organization. Though after many efforts Lou makes, even bringing Will to a holiday trip in Mauritius island and tell him of her feelings, he still refuses to drop his plan in Dignitas and they go a separate way. Then before Will trip to Swiss, Lou find him and they agree of their times spent together are the best moments of their life’s. After Will dies, Lou is found sitting in Will favorite cafe in Paris reading his last words for her to “live well”. Turns out Will have to arrange an inheritance for Lou to really experienced life and continue her education.

Reason you should read this:
The novel has received positive critics from USA TODAY and The New York Times, saying “ When I finished this novel, I didn’t want to review it, I want to reread it”. it’s written beautifully and will make you sob like a baby, even taking every moment in our life as a gift and not take it for granted.

Best Quotes:
“Some mistakes… Just have greater consequences than others. But you don’t have to let the result of one mistake be the thing that defines you. You, Clark, have the choice not to let that happen.”

6Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

First Published: 1955

Plot Summary:
The main protagonist Humbert Humbert literature scholar fall in love and obsessed with 12-year-old Dolores Haze, daughter of his landlady Charlotte Haze who is infatuated with him. He marries Charlotte just so he can get close to Dolores, which he nickname “Lolita”. And when Charlotte died of car crash, Humbert bring Lolita to an adventure across country for a year and engage in sexual obsessive relationship with her all in his delusion pursuit of love and lust. Until he realizes someone has been stalking their journey all along.

Reason for you to read this: This is a controversial, revealing book which has made readers all around the world thrilled and becomes the discussion as well as success everywhere. Full of contradiction and provocative emotion. Some deem it as inappropriate and sinful, others are intoxicated with its flamboyant style. Either way, it has earned a classical status and respected as one of the superior achievement in 20th-century literature, as far as even the nickname “Lolita” has been implied in popular culture as the young girls who is sexually precocious.

Best Quotes:
“It was love at first sight, at last sight, at ever and ever sight.”

First Published: 1969

Plot Summary:
The setting happens in Lyme Regis village on Dorset’s Lyme Bay, it look into intriguing love triangle of a gentleman and amateur naturalist Charles Smithson, Sarah Woodruff the mysterious and charming woman left by a French naval officer and Ernestina Freeman a beautiful heiress of a wealthy merchant. Charles must choose to follow his duty of engagement with Ernestina or his obsession and lust to the captivating mysterious Sarah.

Reason you should read this:
This book have an utter uniqueness in it, a story set in the Victorian year of 1867 yet it’s sensibility grounded in the 1960s. It openly uses metaphors, language, and focus of the 1960s, not only it follows and even critiques the accord of victorian era period.

Best Quote:
“There are some men who are consoled by the idea that there are women less attractive than their wives; and others who are haunted by the knowledge that there are more attractive.”

First Published: 1969

Plot Summary: This book comprise of several short stories are set in the world Alice Munro created, countryside and towns centered of Lake Huron. It speaks of beginnings and departure, dangers and tragedies. All describes virtually and very vividly realistic to how mysteriously unusual and extraordinary how ordinary life is.

Reason for you to read this:
Alice Munro is a Nobel Prize winner writing of this novel might make you feel you would stumble upon it real life, that’s how similar it resembles your own life because it even possesses real flaws and distinctive feature. Her compassion for her character is what makes the story so alive. Kate Kellaway in the Guardian even describes the stories as quote “concise, subtle and masterly” noting that they have a “subtle, unshowy, covert brilliance”.

First Published: 2006

Plot Summary:
The story centered at Elizabeth Gilbert in her 32 years old who have it all, a marriage, a beautiful home, a successful career. Though she has it all, she is unhappy in her marriage and finally divorce her husband. After a devastating rebound relationship she decides to go to year journey to Italy to eat and enjoy life, then India to find spirituality, and last to Bali Indonesia to find balance. All the while her journey leads her to a mind opening means of truly being alive and happy inside and out.

Reason for you to read this:
This book is actually Elizabeth Gilbert own experience, and it is fascinating and really open your minds to a different perspective of life. To follow her on her brave decision and journey to find what she really wants in life. And it is even more enjoyable to just imagine her adventure in those three wonderful cities and countries with its own beauty, culture, and lessons learned from her experiences.

Best Quote:
“Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it.”

2Little Women (Puffin in Bloom) by Louisa May Alcott

First Published: 1868

Plot Summary:
Four sisters Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March lives with their mother “Marmee” in New England. Their father is away serving in Civil war, and after they lost their fortune they have to struggle to make ends meet. The mother guides them in their personal life growth, and they seek solace and faith in their religion. They make good friends with their neighbor grandson Laurie and his tutor John. While Jo pursue her passion of writing and rejected Laurie’s love to her, and Amy follow their grand-aunt March to Europe for her art lessons, Meg then fall in love with John get married and live nearby their old house. But when tragedy falls to Beth who dies of weak condition from the “Scarlet Fever” she contracted before, the whole family and friends were to come back and their fate changes.

Reason you should read this:
Little Women is a 19th-century classic that is timeless and widely known around the world, until today it is still loved by women and even has been adapted to various film, television, musicals and opera, stage, web video, audio drama. The novel centers on four sisters and their lives growing up together, through their family situation, rivalries with each other, finding their identity, relationship, financial condition, and their greatest strength of female independence and love and support to their family even in hard and good times.

Best Quote:
“Your father, Jo. He never loses patience, never doubts or complains, but always hopes, and works and waits so cheerfully that one is ashamed to do otherwise before him.”

1Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

First Published: 1813

Plot Summary:
The novel focus on Elizabeth the second daughter of Bennet family in the society of British Regency landed gentry, she is a lively women who have to deal with the stereotypical issues of demeanor, heritage, morality, education, and marriage. Especially of her mother’s eagerness to get her daughters wealthy husbands to secure her financial condition in the future as she has no son. Then came the wealthy Mr.Darcy who is depicted to not have the ease and grace of socializing and even considered to be having too much pride, and Elizabeth who rely too much on first impression and tittle therefor she judge (prejudice) him too severely in their early encounter. They were initially attracted to each other though their pride and prejudice have restrain them apart, but as the novel progresses, Darcy and Elizabeth are continually met by chance then they discovered of each other true nature were far of what they see. It was then up to them self to overcome their differences and finally discover their love to each other.

Reason for you to read this:
This book is one of Jane Austen’s most known and popular works around the world which has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, a personal favorite of almost every woman even among literary scholars. Even has been adapted to various movie television, audio book, stage, etc. It is written in perfect narration, captivate the reader in a whole cultural, emotional, and delicate manner compared with our modern world yet the characters are beautifully intellectual, sophisticated and deeply complex and still romantic. Jane subtly blend the delicate world of that age with a more brave and much modern theme that is deemed more important nowadays. That environment and manner raising the new generations is so important in the development of their character and morale.

Best Quote:
“Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.”

Conclusion:
These 12 books are inspiring, strong, full of hearts, the kind that every women need in her list to sometimes look back to themselves of all the wondrous things women could do and have. As women is a delicate creature of sensitivity, yet intelligent and strong.

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