The Ultimate Reading List: Best Fiction, Non-fiction & Poetry to read!
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Your Ultimate Reading List - The Best Fiction, Non-fiction and Poetry books to read!

Need some good books to read? Look no further!

Girl reading books in book store

Are you an avid reader seeking your next exciting read? Or, would you just like to read more often and need some good book recommendations? In this post, I'll be sharing a detailed reading list filled with great fiction, non-fiction and poetry books.


So, whether you prefer novels that draw you in and make you forget the world around you, success stories from renowned entrepreneurs or love poems from the best bards - I've got you covered! This broad reading list includes a wide range of books from different authors and genres. From fantasy and mystery, to historical accounts of true events, you'll just want to keep reading!


I've included the short description for each of the books, along with a link to preview and read the first few pages on Amazon Kindle. Feel free to get scrolling and discover your next big read!


The Best Fiction, Non-fiction and Poetry books to read - A Words of Faith reading list

 

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Fiction Reading List


Discover new and exciting fiction books to read through this detailed list below.


Why not indulge your mind by reading one of these novels, novellas or short story collections? The best way to let your imagination run wild! Featuring classics as well as new releases, you can journey through Naples, Ghana or Mississippi - all within the comfort of your own home!


Combining magic, mysticism, wisdom and wonder into an inspiring tale of self-discovery, The Alchemist has become a modern classic, selling millions of copies around the world and transforming the lives of countless readers across generations.


Paulo Coelho's masterpiece tells the mystical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. His quest will lead him to riches far different--and far more satisfying--than he ever imagined. Santiago's journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, of recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, most importantly, to follow our dreams.


When Emira is apprehended at a supermarket for 'kidnapping' the white child she's actually babysitting, it sets off an explosive chain of events. Her employer Alix, a feminist blogger with the best of intentions, resolves to make things right.


But Emira herself is aimless, broke and wary of Alix's desire to help. When a surprising connection emerges between the two women, it sends them on a crash course that will upend everything they think they know – about themselves, each other, and the messy dynamics of privilege.


When Mary Lennox's parents pass away, she is sent to live in Misselthwaite Manor, her uncle's enormous house. Mary is considered a spoilt and ill-tempered child, but with the help of a gardener, a robin redbreast and two new friends, she discovers a garden full of magic and vigour that begins to transform her own personality in the most astonishing of ways.


Meet Adunni, a teenage girl born into a rural Nigerian village.

Aged fourteen, she is a commodity, a wife, a servant. She is also smart, funny, curious, with a spirit and joy infectious to those around her. And despite her situation going from bad to worse, she has a plan to escape: she will find her 'louding voice' and get her education, so that she can speak up for herself - and all the girls who came before her.


As she turns enemies into friends and superiors into aides, Adunni will take you with her on a heart-breaking but inspiring journey from a small village to the wealthy enclaves of Lagos, and show you that no matter the situation, there is always some joy to be found.


Effia and Esi: two sisters with two very different destinies. One sold into slavery; one a slave trader's wife. The consequences of their fate reverberate through the generations that follow. Taking us from the Gold Coast of Africa to the cotton-picking plantations of Mississippi; from the missionary schools of Ghana to the dive bars of Harlem, spanning three continents and seven generations, Yaa Gyasi has written a miraculous novel - the intimate, gripping story of a brilliantly vivid cast of characters and through their lives the very story of America itself.


Giovanna’s pretty face has changed: it’s turning into the face of an ugly, spiteful adolescent. But is she seeing things as they really are? Into which mirror must she look to find herself and save herself? She is searching for a new face in two kindred cities that fear and detest one another: the Naples of the heights, which assumes a mask of refinement, and the Naples of the depths, which professes to be a place of excess and vulgarity. She moves between these two cities, disoriented by the fact that, whether high or low, the city seems to offer no answer and no escape.


Who's Loving You book cover

A stunning collection of short stories from some of the UK's most talented established and emerging writers, celebrating love and desire in all its guises, written by and reflecting the experiences of women of colour.


Forbidden love. Lost love. Unrequited love. Love so powerful that it can transcend countries, continents and even the boundaries of time. In this extraordinary collection, authored by some of the best storytellers working in the UK today, writers reflect on love and desire in all its many forms.


The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it's not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it's everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Ten years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters' story lines intersect?


It is the mid-1800s and as slavery looks to be coming to an end, Sethe is haunted by the violent trauma it wrought on her former enslaved life at Sweet Home, Kentucky. Her dead baby daughter, whose tombstone bears the single word, Beloved, returns as a spectre to punish her mother, but also to elicit her love. Told with heart-stopping clarity, melding horror and beauty, Beloved is Toni Morrison’s enduring masterpiece.


When Korede's dinner is interrupted one night by a distress call from her sister, Ayoola, she knows what's expected of her: bleach, rubber gloves, nerves of steel and a strong stomach. This'll be the third boyfriend Ayoola's dispatched in, quote, self-defence and the third mess that her lethal little sibling has left Korede to clear away. She should probably go to the police for the good of the menfolk of Nigeria, but she loves her sister and, as they say, family always comes first. Until, that is, Ayoola starts dating the doctor where Korede works as a nurse. Korede's long been in love with him, and isn't prepared to see him wind up with a knife in his back: but to save one would mean sacrificing the other...


Ugwu, a boy from a poor village, works as a houseboy for a university professor. Olanna, a young woman, has abandoned her life of privilege in Lagos to live with her charismatic new lover, the professor. And Richard, a shy English writer, is in thrall to Olanna’s enigmatic twin sister. As the horrific Biafran War engulfs them, they are thrown together and pulled apart in ways they had never imagined.

For years, rumors of the 'Marsh Girl' have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life - until the unthinkable happens.


Non-Fiction Reading List


Explore this list of interesting and engaging non-fiction books for you to read.


Learn from those who have tested the waters before you by reading a great non-fiction book. From self-help to inspiring autobiographies, these selected authors will leave you spoilt for choice! Discover new life hacks, money management tips, success stories and more! With books touching on a range of topics including relationships, race, identity and faith. You'll be sure to find a new book that caters to your interests.


People think that when you want to change your life, you need to think big. But world-renowned habits expert James Clear has discovered another way. He knows that real change comes from the compound effect of hundreds of small decisions: doing two push-ups a day, waking up five minutes early, or holding a single short phone call.


He calls them atomic habits.


What are you afraid of? Public speaking; asserting yourself; making decisions; being alone; intimacy; changing jobs; interviews; going back to school; ageing; ill health; driving; dating; ending a relationship; losing a loved one; becoming a parent; leaving home, failure, believing in yourself...


Internationally renowned author Susan Jeffers has helped millions of people overcome their fears and heal the pain in their lives with her simple but profound advice. Whatever your anxieties, Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway® will give you the insight and tools to vastly improve your ability to handle any given situation. You will learn to live your life the way you want - so you can move from a place of pain, paralysis, depression and indecision to one of power, energy, enthusiasm and action.


Being a loud black girl isn't about the volume of your voice; and using your voice doesn't always mean speaking the loudest or dominating the room. Most of the time it’s simply existing as your authentic self in a world that is constantly trying to tell you to minimise who you are.


Sometimes it's not easy to find self-worth in a world that seems obsessed with telling us we're not good enough. Empowering, intimate and full of heart: this highly-anticipated debut book from the online sensation 'The Slumflower', aka Chidera Eggerue, the unstoppable force behind the ground-breaking movement #SAGGYBOOBSMATTER, is essential reading for all young women. It's time to take charge of your life.


Rich Dad Poor Dad is Robert's story of growing up with two dads — his real father and the father of his best friend, his rich dad — and the ways in which both men shaped his thoughts about money and investing. The book explodes the myth that you need to earn a high income to be rich and explains the difference between working for money and having your money work for you.


This honest and provocative book recognises and celebrates the strides black women have already made, while providing practical advice for those who want to do the same and forge a better, visible future.


Illustrated with stories from best friends Elizabeth Uviebinené and Yomi Adegoke’s own lives, and using interviews with dozens of the most successful black women in Britain, Slay In Your Lane is essential reading for a generation of black women inspired to find success in every area of their lives.


The 7 Habits have become famous and are integrated into everyday thinking by millions and millions of people. Why? Because they work!


With Sean Covey’s added takeaways on how the habits can be used in our modern age, the wisdom of the 7 Habits will be refreshed for a new generation of leaders.


A candid, inspiring guide to finding lasting love by getting real about your relationship goals--based on the viral sermon series about dating, marriage, and sex with millions of YouTube views.


Realer than the most real conversation you've ever heard on the topic, Michael Todd's honest, heartfelt, and powerful teaching on relationships has already impacted millions of people in all seasons of life around the world. Now, in Relationship Goals, Michael tells his own story of heartache and healing, unpacks explosive truths from God's Word, and tells it to you straight to help you win at relationships in every part of your life.


Practical, funny, implementable advice and stories that will help you understand why you are how you are, how to love what you can't change, how to change what you don't love, and how to be a badass all the time.


The book that sparked a national conversation. Exploring everything from eradicated black history to the inextricable link between class and race, Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race is the essential handbook for anyone who wants to understand race relations in Britain today.


John Piper book

John Piper aims to help us find joy in Jesus that is so deep and so strong that it frees us from bondage to comfort and security, and impels us to live merciful and missional lives. Written with the radical hope that all Christians would experience the fullness of life in Christ, this book will help you fight for joy daily by leading you to rediscover the soul-satisfying glory of God.


From the early lessons she learned growing up in South London, to the moment she gave up the 9 to 5 to do what she loved, Patricia Bright s story will revolutionise how you think about work, life, and what it means to succeed.


Packed with her trademark attitude, style and sense of fun, Heart & Hustle is an inspirational guide to taking control of your own future.


Poetry Reading List


If you, like myself, are a lover of poetry then you'll certainly enjoy some of these poetry books.


Poetry is the art of words! If you prefer shorter reads that keep you thinking, then one of these poetry books is just for you! Perfect for the lunch break, the morning commute or the few minutes of silence before you wind down for bed. Explore the minds of some great poets and expand your perceptions with these great poetic reads.


What is it like to grow up in a place where the same police officer who told your primary school class they were special stops and searches you at 13 because 'you fit the description of a man' - and where it is possible to walk two and a half miles through an estate of 1,444 homes without ever touching the ground?


In Poor, Caleb Femi combines poetry and original photography to explore the trials, tribulations, dreams and joys of young Black boys in twenty-first century Peckham.


rupi kaur constantly embraces growth, and in home body, she walks readers through a reflective and intimate journey visiting the past, the present and the potential of the self. home body is a collection of raw, honest conversations with oneself - reminding readers to fill up on love, acceptance, community, family, and embrace change. illustrated by the author, themes of nature and nurture, light and dark, rest here.


Self help meets artistry and imagination. Captivating, inspiring and above all, truthful. Words of Faith is your new companion. In her newest release, Faith takes readers on a profound poetic journey with the intent to challenge growth. Through simple yet skillful use of language and imagery, the reader is stimulated, intrigued and moved.


"Don’t be afraid to grow." She says, "To take the risks in life that will propel you into your purpose. Be refined, be challenged and above all, seek to grow." Will you let these Words of Faith nurture your soul? Described as "a collection of devotional poems that readers can draw strength and encouragement from" , Words of Faith is one not to dismiss. "They also have a kind of minimalist quality to them that makes each poem work well as a kind of mine for aphorisms... What makes them particularly effective is that they are obviously heartfelt and deeply personal, but at the same time universally accessible."


A stunning gift book containing 150 bold, brave and beautiful poems by women – from classic, well loved poets to innovative and bold modern voices. From suffragettes to school girls, from spoken word superstars to civil rights activists, from aristocratic ladies to kitchen maids, these are voices that deserve to be heard.


Rachel Long’s much-anticipated debut collection of poems, My Darling from the Lions, announces the arrival of a thrilling new presence in poetry.


Each poem has a vivid story to tell – of family quirks, the perils of dating, the grip of religion or sexual awakening – stories that are, by turn, emotionally insightful, politically conscious, wise, funny and outrageous.


In the last months of his life, his vision impaired by surgery and unable to read, Clive James explored the treasure-house of his mind: the poems he knew best, so good that he didn’t just remember them, he found them impossible to forget. The Fire of Joy is the record of this final journey of recollection and celebration. Enthralled by poetry all his life, James knew hundreds of poems by heart. In offering this selection of his favourites, a succession of poems from the sixteenth century to the present, his aim is to inspire you to discover and to learn, and perhaps even to speak poetry aloud.


Maya Angelou's poetry - lyrical and dramatic, exuberant and playful - speaks of love, longing, partings; of Saturday night partying, and the smells and sounds of Southern cities; of freedom and shattered dreams.


FURY sees the Ted Hughes Award winner David Morley once more seeking to give imaginative voice to the natural world and to those silenced or overlooked in modern society, ranging from the Romany communities of past and present Britain, to Tyson Fury and Towfiq Bihani, one of the forgotten inmates of the Guantanamo bay detention centre. In poems that bristle with linguistic energy and that celebrate poetry's power to give arresting voice to the unspoken and the untold, in ourselves and our societies, FURY is David Morley's most powerfully political work.


More poetry books to read:


Sit back, relax, and get ready to read...


I hope this post has been helpful and allowed you to discover one or two new titles to read this year! Let me know if you've read any of these books and feel free to share your personal recommendations in the comments.


Happy reading!


- Faithful xoxo

 

About the Author:


Faith Olajuyigbe Poet

Faith is a Birmingham based writer. She has a background in drama with a focus on writing poetry, blogs and more.

Through her work, she explores themes such as love, life, faith, passion and purpose. Faith is a true creative at heart and also enjoys videography and editing.


Her debut poetry book, Words of Faith, is available to purchase in store and on Amazon.


 

Instagram: @faithdneto

Twitter: @faithdneto

Facebook: @faithdneto

YouTube: Faith Dias Neto


 

Copyright/Sharing Note:


Content on this website is copyright Faith or the relevant contributing author. It may not be reproduced without express written permission.

If you would like to use the poetry in Words of Faith, or re-share content for commercial or any other purposes, please email directly. If you are unsure of what commercial use covers, please contact prior to usage. Thank you.


Please note: The book descriptions are sourced from their Amazon pages. No copyright infringement is intended in this post. The use of content is strictly for the purpose of education, review and is in line with fair dealing governed by Sections 29 and 30 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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