Books that blew your mind

Some of the greatest poetry is revealing to the reader the beauty is something that was so simple you had taken it for granted

Books that blew your mind

Every once in a while there will be a book that makes you want to shout out from the rooftops “Readthis book!” They are the books that just blow your mind. Perhaps they epitomise your spirit of adventure or challenge some long-help perception you have. Maybe they quite simple change your way of thinking forever. Sounds familiar? Then share your ideas with the rest of us.

“Will Swans: Three daughters of China”, Jung Chang

I remember reading this whilst on holiday with a boyfriend. I was absolutely gripped by the book, uneable to put it down at the breakfast table, during our sighseeing trips and well into the night. It’s an autobiographical account of three female generations of Chang’s family, and I was so fascinated by the picture it painted of Chinese culture, the things that happened during the Cultural Revolution, and how China is changing now. It was a truly eye-opening read.

Lori, San Franciso

“To Kill a MOcking Bird”, Harper Lee

We had to read this at school as one of our set text. Until that time, I’d never been particularly interested in reading, but I remember being so moved by the story of Atticus and his fight for justice. The story, set in poverty-ridden Alabama during the depressio, is told through the eyes of Atticus’ young daughter (Scout) an I wonder if it was this that made the story so poignant for me, reading as a young schoolgirl myself. Interestingly, although this book won her huge acclaim, Harper Lee never wrote another novel.

Maxine, Oxford

“Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”, Robert M. Pirsig

This book has sold more than 5 milion copies worldwide, making in one of the biggest-selling philosophy books eber. In the book, Pirsig explores many themes, and ne of them is the whole promise on which science, and therefore western medicine, is based. It’s a book about questioning and the search for true meaning, and for me it was quite simple a revelation. It opened my eyes to a new way of thinking. There are some books you need to read as you’re growing up and this, for me, was one of them.

Luke, Sydney

“To the ends of the Earth”, Ranulph Fiennes

This book was quite literally life-changing for me. The book describes the Transglobe Expedition undertaken in 1979 by adventures Ranulph Fiennes and Charles R Burton. This 100.000-mile journey, from pole to pole, took them across the Sahara, throught the swamps and jungles of Mali and the Ivory Coast over unexplored areas of Antarctica. The book describes how the two men risked death in order to achieve something spectacular, and it was this that first inspired me to complete a solo transatlantic sailing trip myself.

Alex, Dublin

1. Read the blog. Have you read or hear of any of the books which are mentioned

2. Which kind of book is not mentioned?

1. A novel about a young girl
2. a non-fictional account of an expedition
3. a detailed biography of a scientist
4. an autobiographical history
5. a philosopical memoir

3. Find words/phrases in the article which mean

  1. to be a typical example of something:..........(introduction)

2. so excited or interested in that you are reluctant to stop: ……… (Wild Swans)
3. full of poverty:.............. ( To Kill a Mocking Bird)
4. making you feel sad or full of pity:............ (To kill a Moking Bird)
5. statement or idea in which you base other ideas:............. (Zen and the Art of Motorcicle Maintenance)
6. land that is always wet or covered with water:......... ( To the Ends of the Earth)

Answers:

2

3. a detailed biography of a scientist

3

1. epitomise;  2. gripped; 3. poverty-ridden; 4. poignant; 5. premise, 6. swamps

“Speak out Advanced” by Antoina Clare and JJ Wilson