The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

This was one of my favourite books as a child and I came across a copy at a second-hand store in Christchurch and couldn't resist. It tells the story of a petulant young girl called Mary who goes to live in England with her widowed uncle after the death of her uncaring parents in India. With the help of her personal maid Martha and Martha's son Dickon, Mary begins to come out of her defensive shell and throughout the book turns from a painfully pale and sickly looking child into a happy child.

The title is given to the book by a garden which peeks Mary's curiousity and that of a small robin she befriends at the beginning of the book. The garden is transformed by Mary's discovery of it and it blossoms with her. As well as this, the secret crying that Mary hears at strange times of the night leads to another discovery. The garden becomes the central inspiration for the characters in the book who find themselves recreating the family they lost through the opportunities the garden creates. This book shows the way that nature can effect change in the dreariest of circumstances.

I definitely relived my childhood reading this book again! It's also beautifully written and easy to become involved with the characters, despite their flaws. I hope to reread another FHB favourite, A Little Princess as well soon.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Surprisingly before this year, I had never read this book. Earlier this year, the writer probably made most famous by this novel died and a couple of weeks later I picked up a cheap copy of this book at a local second-hand book shop. I had previously read Franny and Zooey which I would go as far to say that I enjoyed slightly more. Nonetheless, this book remains a classic and it is easy to see why.

It tells the story of Holden Caulfield, a young man expelled from prep school who runs away to spend time by himself in New York, preferring that to facing his parents. We learn early on about the death of Holden's brother which continues to trouble him, as well as his troubling life experiences and propensity to lie. Holden masks his troubled past with a gruff manner as he struggles to get back the innocence he lost when his brother died.

There is no doubt that this is an amazing work of literature. Holden likely stands as one of the most loved fictional characters of all time. Most people are able to comprehend and associate on some level with Holden and his want for the innocence of childhood to return. This is a stellar book with a brilliant character and excellent prose. I'd recommend it to everyone.