Woman falls captive of aborigines after a shipwreck, until she finally manages to escape to "civilization". This gorgeous novel by the Australian Nobel prize winner Patrick White is, however, much more than that. It talks about the indestructible tenderness and humanity hidden under physical, emotional and social savagery. Ellen's resilience and ability to mold herself to hardships and cruelty, without letting go of what lays in her core, is beautifully described in White's rich poetic prose.

Beautiful memoir about the deranged, troubled people that populated the author's adolescence. The stories here are simply wrong - repugnant, morally challenging and illegal. This memoir unfolds into gorgeous, austere, atrocious depictions of psychological workings running wild and unbounded, often fueled in a dubious way. You sure need some sense of humor and cynicism to be able to enjoy it, in which case you'll find it hilarious. But it is, really, a frightening tale of misfitted lives.

Novel about frustration, pain and despair, told in first-person by four characters who happen to meet on new year's eve in a popular suicide spot. Nick Hornby and his tragicomic bluntness prevent such dark subject to be stained by over-dramatic and cliche assumptions. Some people might think the characters are too shallow and stereotypical, and the narrative too lighthearted. But I thought it was positively unpretentious, sensitive and deliciously ordinary in Nick Hornby's typical fashion.

Two friends go on a aimless random trip around the world, giving away large sums of money to strangers. Can't say more without spoiling the story or your interpretation of the story, so I will just say that I thought it was brilliant and beautiful. Perfect read for chronic wanderers and restless souls, who seek purpose through constant change and experience.