Over time, books have become more of an old concept rather than a method of escapism from the world that surrounds us through life- yet, this escapism can still be found if you’re looking in the right places. Reading can become a getaway from reality, a place offering comfort, alongside tears sometimes. Sometimes they can make you rethink things, consider ideas you never thought you would; sometimes they fill you with a feeling of satisfaction and joy that can’t be put into words to explain  to someone who has never experienced it. Regardless, books are somewhere for you to find refuge when things become too much, or even when things become boring- they can also be somewhere for you to procrastinate cleaning, if you want. It’s up to you to decide. Yet, what books are out there that won’t bore you to sleep and will actually entice you to read until the end?

1. Wuthering Heights

Emily Brontë

Stormy moors, tragic love. Heathcliff and Catherine are destined for one another, following each other to the ends of the Earth to be together, but their differences in class may always keep them divided. Dark, twisted romance meets unhinged characters, secluded settings and the rigid social hierarchy of the 18th century. If you want to have your eyebrows furrowed in shock at certain chapters and to root for different characters to fall in love, this book is perfect for you. Yet, you may want to choose a copy with a glossary in the back; 18th century language can be confusing when you're living in 2025.

'Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.'

2. The Outsiders

S.E Hinton

Found family, the harsh division between classes and the importance of understanding your own identity, all blended into a story of struggle. The Greasers Vs The Socs seems to be a never-ending battle, as the protagonist, Ponyboy, pushes to survive with the help of his gang. Loyalty and heartbreak intertwine, as the boys connect beyond surface level. With twists and turns along the way, if you see that a book is good when a few tears fall at the ending, then this is the book for you.

'Sixteen years on the streets and you can learn a lot. But all the wrong things, not the things you want to learn.’

3. Five Feet Apart

Rachael Lippincott

Physical distance doesn’t always mean emotional distance- a concept that is enforced through the love story of two terminally ill teenagers kept apart in the name of safety. Their connection deepens as they navigate love, loss and the necessary space between them. Always six feet apart, the two fight for love despite their health, tiptoeing around the danger of each stolen glance and every inch they dare to close the distance. Be careful not to get tears on your pages as you grow invested in the love of two people falling for one another under overwhelming conditions.

‘If I’m going to die, I’d like to actually live first.’

4. We Were Liars

E. Lockhart

Privilege, secrets and a summer gone terribly wrong, ‘We Were Liars’ follows Cadence Sinclair as she attempts to piece her life together after she suffers an accident that her family refuses to speak of. Written like poetry, nothing is what it seems, and it feels like everybody is lying about something or another. With only her jagged memory, Cadence struggles to remember the past over the course of the summer, and everyone’s weird behaviour definitely doesn’t help. If you love plot twists, and staring at your page with your jaw to the ground by the end of a book, then you’ll love this one.

‘We are liars. We are beautiful and privileged. We are cracked and broken.’

5. The Diary Of A Young Girl

Anne Frank

This is the real, deeply moving story of Anne Frank, a young Jewish girl surviving in hiding from the Nazis during World War Two and the holocaust. Written from the hidden space in a house over the course of almost three years, her diary was published by the only surviving member of Frank’s family- her father. It is full of fear, hope, wit and wisdom beyond her years, as she dreams of freedom. The raw, struggling voice of Anne Frank serves not only as a historical document highlighting the horrors Jewish people faced during this time, but of hope for a future, despite the crumbling of the world outside.

‘In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.’

Celestemere

Notes From The In-Between