From reducing stress to improving focus and concentration, there are a multitude of ways that reading benefits the human mind. But most importantly, it enhances your perspective regarding what it means to be a mortal. Whether fiction or non-fiction, you become aware of the thoughts of the writer and try to understand the world from their viewpoint. Regularly reading a diverse variety of books enriches your thinking and helps you understand others better.
Whether you are a young adult or old, there are endless books to choose from. Some good ones include The Creative Act by Rick Rubin, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Black Observatory by Christpher Brean Murray, and Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Sometimes, the variety can seem daunting. Thankfully, you don’t have to think much on that front. We’ve rounded up some of the good books to read for adults.
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Top 7 Good Books to Read for Adults
1. The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
The book is a must-read for every adult embarking on or in the middle of their creative journey. By creativity, we mean every type of activity that needs an amount of creativity. Some examples include drawing, starting a business, writing, and the like. According to Rubin, every artist should have a spiritual component to solve creative problems.
To him, creativity or art is Dao, meaning that it has a life of its own. He asks us to treat it with respect, love, and awe, as creative works have the power to inspire change in humans. To create great artwork, we need to stop clinging to any rules, force it to come on paper (or whatever medium), or compete with other creators instead of nurturing our own voice. In other words, it inspires us to do creative works on our own terms, imbuing it with as much originality as possible.
2. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Brave New World is regarded by many to be the best dystopia novel. The book, written in the early 1930s, is set about six hundred years in the future. The concept of family is obsolete, and technology reigns supreme. The world created by the author is eerie but seems to be a potential future society.
The narrative is set in a society where humans are manufactured and developed according to their assigned social class. Huxley addresses topics like conformity, individualism, and the consequences of complete government control. The book takes the reader through the intense internal conflict of the main character, John, whose ideals are completely different from others’ experiences. It is undoubtedly an interesting read.
3. Black Observatory by Christopher Brean Murray
Black Observatory is a collection of compelling poems that revolve around the darkness of human existence in Black Observatory. Readers experience disorienting as well as familiar situations. The poetry has a life of its own, blending fiction-like prose with sensory-laden verse. The black observatory seems like a mysterious place existing within the collection. Some have associated ‘black’ in the book’s title with the author’s black humor through which he tries to deal with the absurdity of human life. Murray analyses parts of routine life until they no longer seem familiar. The book is tragic and comic at the same time, which makes it a must-read.
4. Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
A classic novel, Kite Runner is a tale of friendships, redemption, relationships, and guilt. The book centers around Amir, who feels a need to redeem himself from the guilt of his mother’s death. She died during childbirth. The theme of standing up for what is right to prove yourself as a true man runs throughout. Readers experience Amir’s transformation from a selfish to a selfless adult. The book isn’t just an interesting read. It significantly enhances the reader’s worldview, making them more respectful of the relationships in their life and a desire to protect and cherish them.
5. Waiting by Ha Jin
Waiting explores the side of China that is unknown to Western eyes. The story explores the universal theme of love but with a completely different lens. Lin Kong, an ambitious doctor, is a man struggling to confront the existence of two very different women. The first is his loyal and humble wife, chosen by his parents for him when he was young. She resides in his home village. The other is Manna Wu, an educated and modern woman whom Kong has been in love with for more than a decade.
Kong asks for a divorce from his wife in the village every time he visits her. But it doesn’t materialize because she backs out of it every single time. The story revolves around Kong’s longing in a society entrenched with the weight of centuries of custom.
6. The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus
The book, published in 1942, is a series of essays that explore the nature of life. No, this is not some abstract philosophical text that might bore you. On the other hand, it gives voice to something that most of us want to find an answer to but are never able to. The Myth of Sisyphus makes the reader aware of the autopilot way in which we live our lives. But by becoming aware of it, one is instantly confronted with life’s meaninglessness.
In the midst of this, the only serious question to ponder upon is suicide. But is it the right way to escape the futility of life? Camus says it’s not. On the contrary, he says that the best way to live is to acknowledge this meaninglessness fully. This is what will help you discover happiness.
7. Black AF History, by Michael Harriot
The Black AF History places the black experience at the center of America’s history. The book is a result of deep research conducted from primary resources to uncover Black stories that do not find a mention in history textbooks. Harriot’s hilarious and smart retelling of America’s history explores how Blacks contributed to the country’s birth. From the massive slave rebellion that brought on fast track the creation of the state of Louisiana to how enslaved blacks growing rice on the West African coast saved Carolina’s economic systems from collapsing, the book makes the reader acknowledge that American history is indeed black history.
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Summing Up
When exploring good books to read for adults, the choices are bound to feel overwhelming. Hopefully, this blog has made your work easier. We’ve given you limited options of some of the very best reads. Check out one or more of them. Rest assured, you will have a wonderful reading adventure.
