The Three Books I would recommend everyone to read (3 must read books - fiction)

Your life as a fiction-reader would be incomplete if you do not read some seminal books/ book-series in your lifetime. The Harry Potter series, the Lord of The Rings or A song of Ice and Fire Series are to name a few. There is a plethora of such books available in the world today and the Lists featuring 'must read books before you die' vary with taste and people. Some great books are coming still ('Less' by Andrew Sean Greer is one such book fiction-readers should give a try).

In the following post, I will be concentrating on three stand-alone novels (fiction) which according to me you have GOT TO read before you die:

1. Gone With The Wind (by Margaret Mitchell):

Margaret Mitchell wrote only one book in her life and it was the Gone With The Wind. Now, I request you to not judge this book by its cover as you may form an impression that this book is also about a damsel in distress and her saviour knight in shining armor: a clichéd love story you badly want to avoid (hopefully), but (un)fortunately, Gone With The Wind stays as far from the typical Romeo-Julietesque love story as possible; Set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, Gone With The Wind tells you a story of the intricacies of human lives, interpersonal relationships, the moral values and character of common people like you and I, all of which are put to test at the time of mortal danger and desperation. The book also tells a compelling story about the sacrifices people can make for their homeland. Having leading female characters in the history of English Literature such as Scarlett O'Hara, Melanie Hamilton, Scarlett's mammy, Gone With The Wind shows the immense mental strength women have at their disposal and how women actively act as the spine of any functional, healthy society. The book won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937 and the 1939 movie adaptation starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh won the Best Picture award at The Oscars (12th Academy Awards), all of these only indicate the immensity of Margaret Mitchell's work. Published in the year 1936, Gone With The Wind is a once in a lifetime 'experience' and if you are not familiar with Scarlett O'Hara's flare, Rhett Butler's charm or Melanie Hamilton's kindness I request you to buy or borrow a copy of this cult-classic right now and start your journey!

2. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (by Agatha Christie): 

A must read if you love reading detective novels and murder-mysteries (I'm guessing most of us do). Its a well-known fact that with her 85 books and 2 billion+ sales worldwide, Agatha Christie is the best-selling author of all time (outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare) and Murder of Roger Ackroyd is one of her finest works. Truth be told, Murder of Roger Ackroyd is one of the most 'intelligent' books I had ever read. I can guarantee that you won't be able to predict the identity of the murderer until the last chapter; at the very last pages of the book the whole plot becomes crystal clear, everything falls in its place and every page of the book starts making sense. I can also guarantee that after you finish reading the book for the very first time, you'd be in an absolute state of shock, awe and disbelief (same thing happened with me). The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is an exceptional book from the Queen of Crime which you can't afford to miss out on.

3. The Godfather (by Mario Puzo):

The Godfather by Mario Puzo is my third and final recommendation of a fiction you should read before you knock on heaven's door. You probably have watched the movies already, so you already know what its about (in case you haven’t watched the movies, let me tell you that it mostly tells a story about the organised crimes during the Mafia era in the United States and the fierce rivalry between the Mafia families). Do read the book if you haven't still as there's so much more to it than the movies. Grab a copy of The Godfather right now and don't miss out on the opportunity to put on the shoes of Don Corleone and experience the once-in-a-lifetime journey through the infamous Mafia era.

Have you read any of these books? What's your pick on the top 3 books one must read? Please leave a comment and let me know!