Help me choose great books for a 16th birthday present

[DandelionDahlia]

For a truly lovely girl who loves reading.

She'll give any genre a go and is looking for surprises.

It doesn't matter if she's likely to have it already - I can check shelves and there'll be a gift receipt.

I thought maybe Rebecca and Heartstopper for starters?

Lessons in chemistry
the white album by joan didion
Cleopatra and Frankenstein
diary of an oxygen thief
wolf hall
circe

I wish someone had given me The Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind when I was 16.

I was massively into Lord of the Rings at the time, and re-read them over and over again.

Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series is about 27 books altogether, and I've re-read the lot about 4 times over the years, incredible works of fantasy with so much going on, great characters, exciting stories, not to mention valuable lessons into people, politics, religion, all these undertones and values like never changing who you are for other people, believing that you always have a choice in life, and that tyrants shouldn't be tolerated in any circumstance.... I just can't speak highly enough of them.

Bunny by Mora Awad for a mature 16-18 year old. The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood. The Uncommon Reader Alan Bennett. Good for young women to read :)

Maybe post on the feminist board as there are some very wise, well read women on there :)

I think half the fun is choosing , going to the shop and having a browse so I’d just give her book tokens and perhaps a book related gift / 1 book

Can see your point but I love it when women give young women books… it connects us

I'd get a couple of really nice editions of classics, say from this range -

www.waterstones.com/campaign/clothbound-classics

Then for other birthdays you can add to the collection. Start with Frankenstein, 1984, maybe The Never ending story or wizard of Oz.

I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith

Memoirs of a Geisha for a view in to a different life/time?

This is what I thought of immediately too

Nancy Mitford also great for coming of age stories

Terry Pratchett Discworld st at going with colour of magic

The woman in white

Wylders Hand

Jamaica Inn

Thank you!

Several superb choices here that I wouldn't have thought of for her.

I'm making a list.

The Handmaid's Tale, the Secret History by Donna Tart, Gone with the Wind also excellent and a favourite here. I really enjoyed recently Our Share of the Night I think it was called by Mariana Enriquez. 1984, Brave New World, those all spring to mind

Shuggie Bain was devastating and brilliant too

I started reading a lot of non-fiction around then but I don't want suggest titles as most of it will now be outdated and also depends on her interests and personality, but something to consider?

Also some fiction suggestions:
Noughts and Crosses series by Malorie Blackman
Little Women
Thirteen Reasons Why
The Lovely Bones
Refugee Boy by Benjamin Zephaniah
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Cold Comfort Farm

Daisy Jones and the Six

My son is the same age. He’s into Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie. Also Dan Brown and Janice Hallett.

I think I need a copy of The Uncommon Reader for me too

I would pick a selection of books with strong female leads.
All different ages, and genres.

The Outsiders by SE Hinton

Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier (my DD read it aged 16 and now says it is her favourite book)

DD is 17 and wouldn't touch several on this list. We have several classics like Little Women but she finds the fairly outdated writing style difficult to read. Saying that, she loves Pride and Prejustice.

If you think about Heartstoppers, I would recommend Red White and Royal Blue. There are also several others about coming out, same sex relationship if you think she is into this.

For historical fiction, the C.J. Sansom books are good or Ken Follet's Pillar of the Earth.

If she likes crime, Tess Gerritsen or Lisa Gardner

@reluctantbrit I wish I could have the joy of reading Pride and Prejudice for very the first time again! Perfect at that age.

Books I read at that age and have stayed with me are:
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark
The Country Girls - Edna O’Brien
Georgie Girl - Margaret Forster
The Catcher in the Rye- RD Salinger
A Clergyman’s Daughter - George Orwell

Little women, The Help, The Color Purple, Sarah J Maas’ books, School of good and Evil

Find out what book was the number one bestseller on the day she was born and get a lovely copy of that?

Rebecca
Handmaid's Tale
Picture of Dorian Grey
The Bloody Chamber

Books every girl should have!

I spoke to an English teacher recently who has a goddaughter, she said she was buying the winner of the “women’s prize for fiction” for each year and will gift her goddaughter all 18 on her 18th birthday.

so depending on your budget, could you buy 16 books?!