Top 10 of the Best Award Winning Books

Books are always recommended for reading by people to their friends, families, loved ones – perhaps a couple bad books to the occasional terrible person you hate. But to be famous all on their own, a book has to have something incredible about it.

That’s where awards come in. They give the books that deserve it all the glory and fame one could hope for. Unlike popular books like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, which gained popularity due to the time period and the endearing idea that the books presented to those children, these books were chosen for the highest honours for several reasons – but mostly for the writing and the story itself.

Here we have a list of the Top Ten of the Best Award Winning Books:

The Giver, by Lois Lowry:

With a most surprising twist waiting for the readers, written in a very simple and plain style, The Giver presents a dystopian world where everything is seemingly perfect, and all the people are content and happy, until the protagonist, Jonas, is selected for the role of the receiver. As he learns of times when people used to experience things, he struggles to make a decision, till he’s forced to run away to save his adopted little brother, Gabriel. The book explores themes on conformity, control, and what it costs to have a utopian world.

Life of Pi, by Yann Martel:

Quite famous even without an award to its name thanks to the blockbuster film based on the book, Life of Pi explores the story of a young boy, Pi Patel, who attempts to survive after a shipwreck leaves him stranded in the ocean along with a tiger named Richard Parker. The author’s unique style blends the elements of adventure and survival with deep philosophical questions, making the reader question what is fact and what is reality.

The God of Small Things, by Arundhati Roy:

An emotional, beautifully written story revolving around twins, a story set in Kerala, Roy manages to explore basically every theme usually found in stories written in India. It has a slight poetic style to it, making it a powerful meditation on loss, identity, and the effects of cultural restraints.

Dune, by Frank Herbert:

Another book made famous by the blockbuster movies based on it, Dune is actually much older than most books, with the writing style quite difficult for most readers to fathom. But once you get into the flow of it, it’s quite an enjoyable read. For something that served as the inspiration for the Star Wars franchise, Dune has enough of its own to start a new franchise, possibly even greater than its loose copy.

The Book Thief, by Marcus Zusak:

Set in Nazi Germany, which automatically gives the book a sad and morose setting, the book explores the beauty of human relationships and resilience during dark times, and follows the story of a young girl who finds solace in stealing books and sharing them with her foster family and a Jewish man, narrated by Death himself.

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins:

Yet again a blockbuster franchise’ beginning stone, the Hunger Games trilogy (which were all critically acclaimed books) presents the story of Katniss Everdeen, a 16 year old girl who lives in dystopian America, who gets roped into a cruel entertainment for the Capitol, the Hunger Games. She proceeds to be a revolutionary leader even at such a young age and to even topple the Capitol, all for her sister, whom she loses at the end. The book was part of the major dystopian YA books of the 2010’s, and was immensely popular for a book targeting young adults.

A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle:

If Peter Pan had been a science fiction story, you’d get a Wrinkle in Time. It explores adventurous themes mixed with fantasy and strands of love and courage. Each obstacle in their way helps them to overcome their inner fears, making the story about emotional and self growth.

Midnight’s Children, by Salman Rushdie:

Intertwining the personal and political histories of India, the story follows a boy born at the exact moment India gained independence, making him weirdly connected to the fate of the nation. With a slight satirical tinge, the story is written very richly, but also in a complex manner.

The Blind Assassin, by Margaret Atwood:

A multi-layered story woven like a tapestry, narrating the stories of a family, a forbidden romance, and a science fiction story within the story, the Blind Assassin explores themes of betrayal, power, memory, all while bending reality with fiction.

Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson:

The last on the list, and personally, my favourite, the heart-crushing movie Bridge to Terabithia comes from an award winning book – unsurprisingly. The themes involve childhood, creativity, imagination, friendship, loss, and the pain of growing up. The protagonist, who chose to escape reality in an imaginative land he made with his friend, has to learn to cope with reality after a sudden tragic loss.

And thus concludes the list of the top ten best award winning books.

How many of these books have you had the chance to read? Most people today are too busy to sit down properly to enjoy a good book.

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