“A room without books is like a body without a soul” said Marcus Tullius Cicero. There are certain books that are shelved as ‘must read’ and each year so many such books are published. Here are 10 popular books that were published this year, as listed by goodreads.com. These books are certainly a must read!
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green:
The Fault in Our Stars is the fourth solo novel by John Green and was published in January 2012. The story is narrated by a sixteen-year-old cancer patient named Hazel, who is forced by her parents to attend a support group, where she later meets and falls in love with the seventeen-year-old Augustus Waters, an ex-basketball player and amputee. Green stated on his Tumblr blog and his YouTube vlog that “the title is inspired by a famous line from Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar (Act 1, scene 2). The nobleman Cassius says to Brutus, ‘The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves, that we are underlings.’”
Pandemonium (Delirium, #2) by Lauren Oliver:
Pandemonium is a dystopian young adult novel written by Lauren Oliver, which was published in February 2012. It is a sequel to the 2011 book, Delirium. Pandemonium follows Lena, the series’ central character, as she explores the Wilds outside the walled community she was raised in.
Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James:
Erika Leonard, better known by the pen name E. L. James, is the British author of the bestselling erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey. Fifty Shades Freed is one of the popular books published this year. It is the third book in the Fifty Shades of Grey series. It was published on April 17 this year. The book is a mix of fate and spite combined to make Anastasia’s worst fears come true. Anastasia is the female protagonist of the trilogy. She is the primary love interest of Christian Grey, with whom she finds true love.
Insurgent (Divergent, #2) by Veronica Roth:
The second novel Insurgent in the trilogy ‘Divergent’ was released in May 2012. Divergent is the debut novel of American author Veronica Roth. Roth said that the idea for the series was born while she was studying in college. The third book in the series will be released in the fall of 2013.
The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling:
The Casual Vacancy is another ‘must read’ novel which was published this year. It is a tragicomedy novel by J.K. Rowling. The book was published worldwide by Little, Brown Book Group on 27 September this year. It was Rowling’s first publication since the Harry Potter series and her first novel for adults.
The novel is set in a suburban West Country town called Pagford and commences with the death of Parish Councillor Barry Fairbrother. Major themes in the novel are politics, class and social issues like that of drugs, prostitution and rape. The novel was the fastest-selling in the UK in 3 years and had the second best-selling opening week. It became the 15th best-selling book of 2012 in its first week of release. Within the first three weeks itself the book’s total sales topped one million copies in English in all formats across all territories. The book is being adapted into a BBC television drama and will be released in 2014.
City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments #5) by Cassandra Clare:
City of Lost Souls is the fifth book in the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare and was published this year. It follows the books City of Bones, City of Glass, City of Ashes, and City of Fallen Angels. The next book in the series is City of Heavenly Fire which will be the final book in the Mortal Instruments, closing the series. City of Lost Souls was released on May 8 this year.
Bared to You (Crossfire, #1) by Sylvia Day:
Bared to You is a 2012 New York Times bestselling erotic romance novel by author Sylvia Day. It focuses on the complicated relationship between two people with equally abusive pasts. The novel was initially self-published on April 3, 2012 by Day, with Berkley Books re-publishing the book on June 12 this year with an initial print run of 500,000 copies. Day said that Bared to You will be the first novel in her Crossfire trilogy, with the follow-up novel Reflected in You published in October 2012. Bared to You was declared Penguin UK’s “fastest selling paperback for a decade” and Penguin Group (USA) reports that Bared to You is Berkley’s largest breakout book of 2012.
Cinder (Lunar Chronicles, #1) by Marissa Meyer:
Cinder is the debut novel of New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer, and published by Macmillan Publishers through their subsidiary Feiwel & Friends. The story is freely based on the classic fairytale “Cinderella”.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain:
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking is a non-fiction book by Susan Cain published in 2012. Cain argues how modern Western culture misunderstands and undervalues the behavior and capabilities of introverted people, leading to “a colossal waste of talent, energy, and happiness.” The book presents a history of how Western culture altered from a culture of character to a culture of personality in which an “extrovert ideal” dominates and introversion is seen as inferior or even pathological. Stating that temperament is a core element of human identity, Cain cites research in biology, psychology and evolution to demonstrate that introversion is both common and normal.
Quiet reached the number 1 position on the NPR Bestseller List, number 3 on the Los Angeles Times Best Seller list and number 4 on The New York Times Best Seller list.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn:
Gillian Flynn is an American author. She has published three novels Sharp Objects in 2006, Dark Places in 2009, and Gone Girl in 2012.
