Top 9 Literary Works to Boost Your Critical Thinking and Vocabulary

1. My Sweet Orange Tree

José Mauro De Vasconcelos (1920 - 1984) was a Brazilian writer. Born into a poor family in the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, he had to take on various jobs to make a living. However, with innate storytelling talent, exceptional memory, and a rich life experience, José felt compelled to become a writer and began writing at the age of 22. His most famous work is the autobiographical novel My Sweet Orange Tree. The book was included in the elementary school curriculum in Brazil, sold rights to twenty countries, and was adapted into a film.

Starting with innocent tones and ending with nostalgic reflections, My Sweet Orange Tree makes us realize the true beauty of life lies in simple things like the white flower of a tree in the backyard, and that life is truly miserable without love and hidden truths. This timeless masterpiece continues to touch the hearts of readers worldwide since its first release in 1968 in Brazil.

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2. Rainbow Warrior

The Rainbow Warrior is hailed as the most influential work in Indonesia. This book will take you back to your youth with innocent love of school days and mischievous pranks, amidst tears and laughter. It also paints a vivid picture of the gaping disparity between the rich and the poor.

On the opening day, thanks to the last-minute appearance of intellectually disabled boy Harun, Muhammadiyah school narrowly escapes closure. But what lies ahead for the dreams of teaching and learning in this Islamic school, when it seems ready to collapse at any moment, with the threat of closure looming from the education inspector, and vicious machines waiting to demolish it? And do the passions of the Rainbow Warriors have the strength to conquer the daily forty-kilometer bike rides, the treacherous swamps filled with flesh-eating monsters, not to mention the allure of deadly adventures following the call of the mysterious sorcerer on Pirate Island, and the irresistible temptation of money earned from part-time odd jobs? The Rainbow Warrior, a profoundly moving literary work that conveys the true essence of being a teacher, a student, and a performer that you shouldn't miss!

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Dreams at Morisaki Bookstore follows the story of Takako, who quits her job, gets deceived by her lover, and falls into a cycle of endless sleep to escape her sadness. Then, a phone call from her cousin, whom she hasn't seen in 10 years, wakes her from her slumber. Takako reluctantly agrees to help out at Morisaki bookstore for half a day, just to please her mother.

But beyond her imagination, what awaits her is the old and dusty Morisaki bookstore, a world of thousands of books containing both time and history within. The books heal the wounds in her heart. Moreover, Takako discovers so many new and interesting things that she had never known before. This is a gentle yet profound story, especially suitable for those who enjoy collecting rare books.

The story flows gently, floating like the character Takako herself. If you expect a story with many twists and turns, high drama, you may be disappointed. However, that doesn't diminish the charm and allure of Dreams at Morisaki Bookstore. It's thanks to the witty, delicate, and luminous writing style that brings a positive, bright feeling to the story, guiding the reader step by step, lightly and smoothly, until reaching the last page with an involuntary smile. The journey ahead is definitely worth hoping and waiting for.

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The Kite Runner, a work that has topped The New York Times bestseller list for 110 weeks. The book contains all the necessary elements to become a bestseller: timely relevance, thrilling plot, emotional depth, intense conflicts between characters, within the characters themselves...

The story is the autobiographical account of American-Afghan writer Amir's childhood years filled with joy as well as mistakes, of days drifting in a foreign land and the journey back to a war-torn homeland to redeem himself and his deceased father. Through Amir's recollections, readers are taken back over twenty years, when Amir was a twelve-year-old boy living in the sheltered embrace of wealthy and noble Baba. Alongside Amir throughout his childhood years is Hassan, the son of Baba's loyal servant Ali, a clever and resilient boy who repeatedly risks himself to protect Amir. Their friendship undergoes many twists and turns, selfishness, misunderstandings, distances, yet will it endure? This is a work not to be missed, its profound insights creating the success of this literary masterpiece.

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The Catcher in the Rye has been the subject of extensive debate in America. After much controversy, the work has been included in the high school curriculum in the United States. Moreover, Time magazine has ranked The Catcher in the Rye as one of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present day.

Holden Caulfield, a 17-year-old boy who has been expelled from three schools, and Pencey Prep is his fourth. Then he fails 4 out of 5 subjects and receives a dismissal notice. The story tells of the following days of Holden, with a bitter and mocking look at a dull, corrupt, debauched, and directionless youth. The book successfully describes the chaotic, sensitive psyche, touching on the darkness of young people, or more broadly, the youth of all of us.

A chaotic and confusing book like the way youth unfolds may initially confuse readers, but after the pages, all youth will be portrayed in the most authentic and vibrant way.

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'An emotional novel, a book that takes us from laughter to tears with humorous and captivating characters.' - Jury of the Prix des Maisons de la Presse award.

Flowers Still Bloom Every Day, a story that will linger in the reader's heart. Gentle yet profound, as the book has often brought tears to readers' eyes. Violette Toussaint lives as if she were dead. The woman was abandoned by her birth mother as soon as she was born, then her beloved little daughter also left her in a tragic accident, and even her husband one day no longer stayed by her side. This story of love, pain, and hope will ultimately leave us with positive emotions, happiness, and contentment once we flip through to the last pages.

Flowers Still Bloom Every Day is a very lifelike, beautiful book. Its characters are full of life, bearing very real, very sad destinies.

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Paulo Coelho's novel The Alchemist is like a simple, compassionate fairy tale, rich in poetry, imbued with the mystical philosophy of the East. In its first publication in Brazil in 1988, the book sold only 900 copies. However, with the special mission of the book for all humanity, transcending national borders, The Alchemist has stirred millions of souls, becoming one of the best-selling books of all time, capable of changing readers' lives.

The book is like a movie replaying all the experiences in the journey of destiny pursuit of Santiago, thereby helping the character understand the deepest meaning of happiness, harmony with the universe and humanity. The book is a work to read at least once in a lifetime if one wants to change their life. 'When we strive to become better, everything around us will also become better.'

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Wuthering Heights recounts the love story between Heathcliff, a lowly foster child of the Earnshaw family, and the beautiful young lady Catherine Earnshaw. Heathcliff's entire life is devoted to loving only Catherine, and his love drives him to madness. It's only in death that Heathcliff finds true peace in his soul, as his grave is buried next to Catherine's as he wished for so long. But the story doesn't end there. Emily makes the whole Wuthering Heights burst into brightness with a happy ending among those who remain.

The love that Catherine (the daughter) 'headstrong, but kind' gives to Hareton 'clumsy, rough but honest and kind-hearted' is the love that resolves all the enmity of the previous generation, the oasis that blossoms in a dull, icy atmosphere that numbs all the sources of joy in life.

Even though it was born over 170 years ago, Wuthering Heights is still a unique and captivating classic novel for readers.

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9. Kafka by the Shore

'This most beloved Japanese author in America could publish this anonymously, and his fans would instantly recognize it. For first-time readers, Kafka by the Shore is an excellent introduction to his well-deserved reputation in both the West and his homeland. He writes a type of postmodern, philosophical, surreal literature that is both intellectually stimulating and more accessible than Tom Robbins, and lighter than Thomas Pynchon.' (Steven Moore, The Washington Post). Haruki Murakami, the famous contemporary Japanese author known for works like Norwegian Wood, 1Q84, and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle,...

Kafka by the Shore follows Kafka Tamura, fifteen years old, as he flees from his home in Tokyo to escape the horrific curse that his father has placed upon him. On the other side of the island chain, Nakata, a mentally handicapped old man, makes a similar decision to embark on a journey. Their fates intertwine to become a mutual reflection. Kafka by the Shore, a surreal story at the beginning of the 21st century, immerses us in a modern and dreamy journey within contemporary Japan.

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