Chloe Parker of Literophilia blogged about her Top 5 books recently and invited people to share their own. Here’s mine:

I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith
I’m always drawn to stories that centre around sensitive, introverted girls that I can identify with, and of all the literary heroines I’ve encountered over the years, Cassandra Mortmain is perhaps the one I feel the strongest connection to. Her eccentric family and the castle they live in may make the story seem like a romantic fairytale, but Cassandra, with her heartfelt and open narration, is so natural and real it’s hard to remember that you’re reading fiction and not listening to somebody’s closest secrets. It’s not hard to see why fans of this book are so devoted to it. (PS, the 2003 film adaptation isn’t bad either.)

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke
I think the size of this book puts a lot of people off — but trust me, it’s definitely worth it. The huge amounts of detail (including footnotes consisting of excerpts from biographies and text books that don’t even exist outside the novel) make this a truly absorbing and compelling book. The third person omniscient narration gives the book a very classic feel, and although this might lead you to feel distanced from the characters at first, by the end you’ll really care about what happens to them and feel sad to be ending the story.

Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
Lolita is beautifully written, with parts of it reading almost like poetry. It becomes uncomfortable at times — not just because of its taboo subject matter, but because of the intensity of Humbert’s obsession and his dangerous state of mind. As the book goes on, it becomes more and more emotionally draining, but it’s an amazingly intense reading experience. And it’s not all depressing and disturbing, there’s quite a bit of black comedy in there too. A friend of mine told me that her Literature tutor said that envied anyone who was yet to read Lolita, as they still had that amazing experience to look forward to. I’d agree with that.

Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen
The original and best romance novel. The ending becomes obvious very early on, and yet the romance only becomes more and more thrilling and exciting as it goes on, making the ending even more satisfying (by the end I was breathless, my hand on my heart). Actually, I confess, the first time I tried to read it, I found it incredibly boring. Then I realised that I was taking it far too seriously. One of the great things about Jane Austen is her sense of irony, and once I realised that, I fell in love with her writing.

Swallows & Amazons (series) - Arthur Ransome
I first discovered this series when I was around eleven. I was starting secondary school and the world was beginning to feel like a different, more scary place. Although I’d never read it before, Swallows & Amazons reminded me of being an innocent child with no cares in the world. The characters had nothing to be afraid of, and were allowed to learn through their mistakes. Their adventures took place within the real world, made more exciting by their imagination, which they were fully encouraged to use. I knew nothing about sailing, but my dad was the senior ranger at a country park, so I knew a lot about exploring and make-believe. Now, as an adult, I’m more in need of this kind of escapism than ever, and there are no books more comforting to me.