Are you frequently bored during the holidays? Or are you looking for something to read and help you relax amidst all the homework and revision? Fret not! Let’s check out some fascinating books to put on your reading list, including:

1. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Israeli writer Yuval Noah Harari
2. The Mortal Instruments book series by American writer Cassandra Claire, and
3. The Mysterious Benedict Society, by American writer Trenton Lee Stewart

Our book reviews will be broken down into 4 parts:

1. General Overview of the books’ content 
2. My opinions about the book 
3. Recommended links and images (Do note that some links might or might not contain spoilers to the plot of the book. Proceed with caution.), and
4. A bit about the author 

With that, let us dive right into our first book review

SAPIENS: A brief history of humankind

Overview 

Sapiens is a book written by Israeli writer Yuval Noah Harari which provides information about human evolution spanning 70,000 years. It talks about how humans have gone from being insignificant animals in Africa to rulers of the world and what they are going to become in the future. The book questions what has led us to become the dominant animal species, along with the “why” and the “how” this has occurred. The book focuses on 4 revolutions that propelled our species forward, helping us progress, and advance our technologies:

1. The Cognitive Revolution (c. 70,000 BCE) 

• The cognitive revolution is a part of the Homo Sapien history where Homo Sapiens developed the ability to conjure and imagine myths and religion, increasing levels of communication between tribes.

2. The Agricultural Revolution (c.10,000 BCE) 

• The agricultural revolution was the beginning of farming for humans. Alongside farming and agriculture came the domestication of farm animals and human settlement along river banks.

3. The Unification of Humankind (c. 34 CE)

• The unification of humans, or globalisation, is the consolidation of human political organisations towards one global empire. However, this changed when European superpowers started colonising parts of the world, leading eventually to the confluence of different lifestyles. 

4. The Scientific Revolution (c. 1543 CE)

• The scientific revolution was a time of industry and innovation, which author Mr Harari regards as elites trying to remedy their ignorance, along with driving early European imperialism and convergence of human cultures. 

My take on the book

The book is great for readers curious about human history and how we came into being. Well-received by the public, the book is a good way to learn about the history of the world. As an avid history enthusiast, I gained deeper insights into human history and the book also generated new questions and curiosities about our interactions with the Earth as a species. This book is highly immersive and thought-provoking, inspiring many epiphanies and new realisations. Sapiens is a text that spans multiple different topics and the writer is both insightful and knowledgeable. If you are a person interested in human history or simply want to try a new book during the holidays, do consider Sapiens!

Miscellaneous information

Links to online review

1. The Guardian
2. Goodreads
3. Business Insider 

Other recommended reads 

If you enjoyed reading Sapiens, do check out other similar titles such as The Ancestor’s Tale by Richard Dawkins, or The Human Age by Diane Ackerman, as well as Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond.

A bit about the author   

Yuval Noah Harari is an Israeli public intellectual, historian, and professor in the Department of History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He now lectures at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. 

The Mortal Instruments (Series)

Overview

The Mortal Instruments is a series of 6 fantasy novels, following the adventures of a teenage girl, Clarissa Fray, as she learns more about her heritage as a shadowhunter, a group of entities who protect the world from dark forces beyond the mortal world. Tensions deepen, and friendships strengthen and break as the exciting, adventure-filled series continues through books 2 to 6.  The series is heavily inspired by concepts of angels and demons, with creatures such as vampires and werewolves possessing demon blood and the shadowhunters possessing angel blood.

My take on the book

Personally, I was thoroughly engrossed in this series, which was quite an emotional roller coaster with its many plot twists. For anyone who enjoys fantasy and loves the thrill of new discoveries, this series evokes a myriad of emotions as you journey along with the protagonist. This series adapts lore from the Bible and spins it into a fantasy that leaves you wanting more at the end of each book. Any fantasy enthusiast should give this wonderful series a shot. Highly recommended for fantasy lovers!!

Miscellaneous information

Links to online review

1. Amazon
2. The Guardian
3. Goodreads

Other recommended reads 

Should you enjoy The Mortal Instruments, do consider checking out other series such as Keeper of the Lost Cities, by Shannon Messenger or The Land of Stories, by Chris Colfer!

A bit about the author

While living in Los Angeles, Clare began writing fan fiction using the name Cassandra Claire. Her Draco Trilogy, based on Harry Potter, and The Very Secret Diaries, based on The Lord of the Rings, were highly popular. Cassandra Claire has also written a collection of short stories that can be found online.

The Mysterious Benedict Society (Series)

Overview

The Mysterious Benedict Society tells a tale of four children recruited by Mr Benedict through a series of puzzling and enigmatic trials; more of such trials are littered throughout the novel. These four children are then sent to investigate an institution on an offshore island and the next two books in the series feature more harrowing and mysterious adventures that deepen the relationship between the four children as well as the adults assisting them along the way.

My take on the book

In my opinion, this series takes a while to get into, unless you are accustomed to books with a slower ramp-up. As someone generally unfamiliar with this genre, I still found it to be an adventure with many enigmatic problems that really incite the reader’s curiosity. A thought-provoking book, it is filled with unique and fascinating problem-solving methods. Furthermore, though the problems might be complex, the solutions are explained clearly and in language that a layman can understand. Anyone interested in an adventure series that employs multiple problem-solving skills and innovative methods should give this series a try!

Miscellaneous information

Links to online review

1. Goodreads
2. Kirkus
3. Amazon

Other recommended reads

Should you enjoy The Mysterious Benedict Society, do check out other books such as The Secret Keepers, also by Trenton Lee Stewart, and The Candymakers, by Wendy Mass.

A bit about the author

Stewart was a Murphy Visiting Writer-in-Residence and taught a fiction-writing course at Hendrix College in the spring of 2019.

Where to purchase these books

You can purchase these books at online bookstores such as Amazon and also at physical stores around Singapore. Many libraries in Singapore should also contain copies of these books that you can borrow! 

I hope this review has been informative and will help you decide what is your next read. Happy reading!