5. The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Mink Kidd (45 to go!)

This novel is exceptionally beautiful and crafted with such love that it is most definitely a 'must-read'. The tale is of Lily Owens and Rosaleen (her nanny) in their quest to find out who their mother really was. Stumbling upon a honey farm and three bee-keeping sisters Lily finds out more than she expected. 

It is a story of faith which is what makes it so special. As a Christian, I particularly loved the focus on Mary (and a rather special Mary she is too) instead of the common religious figure; Jesus. It made you think more of our communal mother and how she can nurture our souls just a much as our real mothers. 

The ever running theme of honey in the novel makes you hunger for sweetness and further highlights the 'Queen Bee' ethic of women. August, May and June (the bee keeping sisters) are the cogs of maintaining the hive and they welcome all - including Lily - into their honeycomb.

A truly enjoyable book that I would happily read over. 

4. Marshmallows for Breakfast - Dorothy Koomson (46 to go!)

Now, usually when I see a blurb like the one I saw on this book, I am wholly intrigued only to be completely let down. Let me explain...
The back of this novel told of multiple tragedies and secrets letting on for it to be a very interesting tale but it was this blurb that spoiled the book for me. Don't get me wrong - I couldn't put it down - it's just that the back told me almost EVERYTHING that happened until about page 340 where there was only 100 pages left that were 'mysterious'. This ruined it a lot for me. In addition, I thought that Kendra's secret was played out for too long. I do understand how it was made to seem as though it was hard for her to admit the secret but it left me formulating ideas about what it could be, only to have them continually solidified throughout the book so the actual revelation wasn't so 'WOW'.
That said, I really loved the narration style of the book. I was easy to follow and packed with similes (which I love). Therefore it was very interesting and it was nice to have the 1st person narration take you to the forefront of battle scenes and intimacy. Overall a generally pleasing and realistic read.

3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky (47 to go!)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower could be summed up with the use of just one word: cute. Critically acclaimed and a clear favourite with teenage readers and young adults alike, the book is a very enjoyable and easy read. The epistolary novel (written in a series of letters) is quirky and satirical offering a naive and innocent narration of the events of college life and growing up in general. The intimacy of the novel is what really makes it for me. Everything seems so heartfelt and it is as though Charlie is in desperation for help, in any given situation, so the whole story is like an appeal.

The story is not a gory horror or a graphic crime thriller, it's just nice. A nice novel and a tale of personal experiences and fears that, at this period in time, are communal. As students head of or college or university and leave other people behind, The Perks of Being a Wallflower lets you know that you're not alone.