One of my oldest and biggest passions is to read books. There is always at least one in my (now enormous) pile of ‘to read’ books, there is always one in my list of ‘to buy’ books and one that I’m reading.

I have been binge reading since I was a little kid. I don’t remember exactly when my love started, but I would guess it was around the age 7 or 8 in the library or book fair in my school. Thankfully for all the bookshops near me and Amazon, I continued to read and buy way too many books during and after I graduated High School.

In my many years of reading, some books managed to enter my always changing list of favorites. Right now there are three fiction books that I think everybody should read or, at least, give a chance to.

1. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Yes, this is the book that inspired the TV Series. And yes, you should read it even if you watched the TV Series.

The Handmaid’s Tale tells the story of Offred, the handmaid of Fred. The goal of a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead is to breed and give a kid to a rich family. I think this book needs to be read by everyone because it makes you think about the actions we make, to appreciate the liberty that we have and understand why totalitarian governments are not a solution.

2. 1984 by George Orwell

1984 is an ultimate classic and a must-read to anyone. Orwell wrote this book in 1949, and yet we can still relate with what he is talking. The story happens in a province with a totalitarian government in 1984, but it could also happen in a democratic country in 2019. It might not be the most pleasant book to read, but it is definitely necessary. Just like The Handmaid’s Tale, it makes you think about our life and, in a way, appreciate it.

3. My Brilliant Friend/ The Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante

Ok, this is more than one book. It is actually four.

The first book that I read in 2018 was My Brilliant Friend, by Elena Ferrante. And it was love at first phrase. Since then I read the whole Neapolitan series, and I now also recommend and fangirl over it. I loved it so much that I’m actually considering to by the four books in Italian just to see how it is the original version.

Throughout the four books (My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, and The Story of the Lost Child) Elena tells the story of Elena Greco and Lina Cerullo. The series starts with the childhood of the two girls in Naples, Italy, and follows until they become elders.

HBO did a TV Series based on the first book (thank you HBO!), but I think it is worth reading the whole series.

If you want to know what my favorite books from 2018 were, check the video below!

• Did you read any of these books? If yes, what you thought of them? What other books have you read recently?