Joe’s top 10 books to read and relax

• 27 Feb, '19
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After a long day at university, if I’m not hanging out in the lounge at [The Glassworks](https://www.iconinc.co.uk/locations/leeds-the-glassworks), you’ll find me with my head in a book. For me a good book provides the perfect escape from a stressful day. Here are ten of my favourites that I’d recommend you read. Enjoy!

1. Harry Potter books 1 - 7

It would be a crime not to include Harry Potter in a book blog! If you read the stories as a kid, I’d urge you to re-read and experience the magic all over again. J.K. Rowling takes you to a place full of fantasy, it’s a total escape from real life. At the very beginning of the books Harry Potter discovers that he’s a wizard, then the story follows his journey at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and his quest to defeat Lord Voldemort.

2. Divergent trilogy

This trilogy had a rough ride when it was adapted for the big screen. Lionsgate came up with the brilliant idea of premiering the first film when The Hunger Games was at its peak. Because of that, Divergent is always compared to The Hunger Games, but they’re totally different. I love Veronica Roth’s descriptive writing in this series, she really takes you to another world. In a dystopian Chicago, Beatrice Prior turns 16 and has to choose between 5 factions: Amity, Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless and Erudite. To help 16 year olds choose their factions, they go through a test to see where they belong. But Beatrice’s results are inconclusive; she is divergent. And if that’s found out, she’ll be in grave danger…

3. One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories

From the writer and actor of The Office US, BJ Novak writes a number of quirky short stories that has something for everybody. We learn what really happened in the race between the tortoise and the hare, what happens when we go to heaven, and what a date with a warlord is like. This book is great for quick reads, you can pick it up and put it down whenever you like – I’m not joking, one story is four lines long!

4. And Then There Were None

The queen of murder mysteries, Agatha Christie, delivers one of her best stories. From the first chapter, you know this book will be a page-turner. Twelve people, all who have committed a crime, are sent to a secluded island off the coast of Devon and one by one, they are murdered. This is such a well thought out plot that leaves you guessing until the very end.

5. Tales of the Unexpected

The clue is in the title! Each story is filled with twists that you won’t be expecting. I had to read this book in secondary school but after a few short stories I was hooked so I carried on reading. Prepare to encounter a mysterious landlady, a wicked widow, and a cunning connoisseur. Like BJ Novak’s work, this is perfect read for when you’re running short for time.

6. Magpie Murders

You probably know Anthony Horowitz for his spy series Alex Rider. But his novel Magpie Murders is a murder mystery within a murder mystery; not your typical whodunit! Susan Ryeland, a book editor, is given the task of reading Magpie Murders, which follows detective Aticus Pund as he tries to unearth the murderer of two people in the fictional village. Susan, however, can’t finish the novel as two chapters are missing and she later finds out that the author of Magpie Murders is dead. When Susan decides to hunt for the missing chapters, she puts her own life in danger...

7. The Girl on the Train

This is an absolute must for thriller fans. Paula Hawkins made the main characters so complex, it’s just genius. Rachel, an unemployed divorcee, takes the train to London day in and day out; she sees the same couple (Scott and Megan) on her journey each time. But one train ride, she doesn’t see Megan and becomes increasingly concerned. Soon, it appears on national news that Megan has gone missing. Rachel decides to take matter into her own hands and investigate the disappearance.

8. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

This is such a sweet love story and an easy read. Simon has a loving family, a great group of friends and is a popular kid at high school. But he has a secret: no one knows he’s gay. Whilst writing emails to the mysterious ‘out’ pupil at his school, an unpopular theatre geek finds out his secret. Will Simon figure out who Blue is?

9. Still Alice

I think everyone will love this book as much as I do, it’s so beautifully written. Dr Alice Howland, a linguistics professor, forgets a word during a lecture. Slowly but steadily, her mental ability starts to decline and she gets diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Not only does Lisa Genova explore how Alice copes with Alzheimer’s but also how Alice’s family deal with it too. Not going to lie, I did shed a few tears reading this.

10. Five Little Pigs

As you can tell, I’m really into Agatha Christie’s books. It’s been 16 years since Caroline Crayle was convicted of murdering her husband but her daughter, Carla, believes this to be false and approaches Hercule Poirot to find the actual murderer. Our community is bursting with awesome students like Joe. Find out more about the social side of IconInc, [here](https://www.iconinc.co.uk/our-community/our-students).