1. Bambi by Felix Salten [1923 - German / 1928 - English] "The novel traces the life of Bambi, a male roe deer, from his birth through childhood, the loss of his mother, the finding of a mate, the lessons he learns from his father and experience about the dangers posed by human hunters in the forest." Bambi is, by far, my favourite Disney film of all time. I've always wanted to read the book, but I haven't been able to find the english translation of the first edition anywhere. When I do, I'm sure it will become one of my favourite books!

2. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank [1947 - Dutch / 1952 - English] "Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank's remarkable diary has since become a world classic—a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit. In 1942, with Nazis occupying Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding." I've always been a fan of history, and I feel that it's important to remember the people who died in wars. This is probably one of the most well-known wartime novels, and I think it would be really interesting.

3. Animal Farm by George Orwell [1945] "Tired of their servitude to man, a group of farm animals revolt and establish their own society, only to be betrayed into worse servitude by their leaders, the pigs." Most people read this in school, however our class decided to read The Hobbit instead, so I missed out on the opportunity to experience Animal Farm. Although it's apparently quite a simple read, I find that the book's background sounds very interesting.

4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams [1979] "Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor." I'm quite a big fan of sci-fi, and I have no idea why I haven't already read this book. It's rated very highly, so I'm sure that I'll really enjoy it when I get around to reading it.

5. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling [1997] "The plot follows Harry Potter, a young wizard who discovers his magical heritage, as he makes close friends and a few enemies in his first year at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." For some reason, I've only ever read a few pages from this book. I like the films, and I've been told that the books are even better!

6. My Sister's Keeper by Jody Picoult [2004] "It tells the story of 13-year-old Anna, who litigates her parents for medical emancipation when she is expected to donate a kidney to her sister Kate, who is dying from leukaemia." The story stayed with me after I watched the film for the first time, and when I found out that it was based on a book, I immediately added it to my list.

7. Watership Down by Richard Adams [1972] "Set in England's Downs, a once idyllic rural landscape, this stirring tale of adventure, courage and survival follows a band of very special creatures on their flight from the intrusion of man and the certain destruction of their home." I loved the television series and film as a child, so I think it will be really exciting to revisit the story now!

8. Divergent by Veronica Roth [2011] "In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself." Since the film adaptation of this was released, it's had a lot of attention. It's been recommended to me multiple times, so I feel obliged to try it out.

9. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones [1986] "Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl's castle." I'm a huge Studio Ghibli fan, and although Howl's Moving Castle isn't one of my favourite Ghibli films, I'm sure it would be very interesting to read the original story.

10. Red Dragon by Thomas Harris [1981] "Will Graham stands in a silent, empty house communing with a killer. An FBI instructor with a gift for hunting madmen, Graham knows what his murderer looks like, how he thinks, and what he did to his victims after they died. Now Graham must try to catch him." I watched the tv series for a short period of time, and although I wanted to know what happens next, I found it far too dark to watch. Seeing as the tv show is based on this book, I think it would be interesting to read it to find out how the story unfolds, without having to deal with the visual gore in the show.