Describe an exciting book that you enjoy reading - IELTS Cue Card

“Describe an exciting book that you enjoy reading” is a cue card topic that appears in the IELTS speaking part 2 & speaking part 3 test sections. This blog contains the model answers for this topic along with some useful test-taking tips. Practice using these sample answers to improve your grammatical accuracy, fluency, and coherence.

Describe an exciting book that you enjoy reading - Band 8

What book is it?

There is a widely popular quote called ‘Readers are leaders,’ for me, it is true. Books act as a guiding compass. I read several books in my life. Among them, the exciting book I enjoyed reading is Wings of Fire, originally published in 1999.

Tip Begin by emphasizing your interest for reading books Mention the book that you are about to talk about

When you read it?

I read this book in 11th grade, recommended by my class teacher in school. This book is the autobiography of the Missile Man of India and the former President of India, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. The Wings of Fire book tells how he pursued his goal from a small town to becoming a renowned scientist in India. While reading this book, I felt many goosebumps as the story contains many ups and downs. Since each chapter is beautifully written, I hardly stopped reading until the end. Moreover, many students and adults reading this book have drawn inspiration from his early life and work experience in the Indian Space Research and Organisation and Indian missile programs. The inspiring journey of his life makes the book particularly transformative for young readers.

Tip Describe when you read the book and what made you want to read it Mention how the book impacted you as a reader

What is the book about?

This book describes how the young boy who was born in a middle class family becomes a notable person in Indian space research and Indian missile programs and the President of India after a series of falls and odds. It covers all the information about how he was during his childhood, schooling, career and things he achieved. His ability to overcome setbacks and continue pursuing his ambitions makes his story even more compelling.

Tip Briefly describe the theme of the book and its highlights Touch on the messages that the book is trying to convey

Why do you think the book is exciting?

I am always amazed by the figure of APJ Abdul Kalam and this book satisfied my curiosity and inspired me to achieve things that I considered impossible.

Tip Justify your reasons for choosing this book as an exciting read Give a personal answer on why and how this book impacted you the way it did

Describe an exciting book that you enjoy reading - Band 7

What book is it?

Today, I read a wide variety of books. However, my reading habit started with a book which changed my whole perspective about books in a positive way. The book I’m referring to is “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho.

When you read it?

I read this book at a time when I needed it the most. Initially, I was not a great fan of reading books but my friend is a voracious reader. One day when I was feeling down, he gave me a book to read which he found interesting. I read the book that day itself since it is interesting and inspiring. I should say that I got this book at the right time. This book is a novel, the character Santiago ventured into a journey to discover the treasure in Egyptian Pyramids, after having a recurrence of dreams about it. The captivating storyline immediately caught my attention.

What is the book about?

This book focuses on the journey of Spanish shepherd Santiago and the lessons he learned. He is repeatedly having the same dream, in which a boy impels him to seek a treasure in Egyptian pyramids. And, he talked about the dream to the gypsy woman. She told him to go to Egypt. Afterwards, he sold his sheep and began his journey by going to Tangier. It also deals with the theme of fear. It is like, if you are getting into an unknown path, the fear will emerge. It is important to beat fear in order to live life to the fullest. Perseverance is another thing that is embedded in the story. It says that even if you fall, you need to get back up and fight to improve your life.

Why do you think the book is exciting?

The way the story is written and structures itself hooked me into reading. I would say that the characters such as Santiago, a boy etc., all are characterised well and are easily relatable. The themes pursued in the novel are inspired and changed the perspective of my life. The thought-provoking themes made me look at my own choices differently.

Describe an exciting book that you enjoy reading - Band 6

What book is it?

Books have the potential to transform people's outlook on life. It contains the author's perspective on different aspects of life which challenges our conceptions and opinions. The book I am going to talk about pushed me to rethink the way I am living my life. The book's name is “Scent of Time” by Byung Chul Han.

When you read it?

During my college life, I had deeper questions. I read books voraciously to seek answers. I came to know about this book as a result of my search. This book is a philosophical essay that impels us to think about our relationship with time. This book plotted out how our relationship with time evolves and changes. It presents a profound idea about how our perception of time shapes the way we live.

What is the book about?

The author of this book did an analysis on how the fragrance of time is destroyed. He says that we are overly valuing the vita activa and rejects the vita contemplativa. Vita activa concerns about labouring and working. Vita contemplativa puts an emphasis on thinking and reflecting. This book suggests that we should not subordinate leisure to work, like using leisure time as a relaxation period for working more. But, everybody must subordinate the work to leisure. It means that we need to work to have time for relaxation and leisure. This contrast creates an interesting dichotomy between productivity and contemplation.

Why do you think the book is exciting?

This book excited me because it altered my perception towards time, leisure and life. It proves to me that there are different ways to think and live. It also made me more introspective about how I spend my time and what I consider meaningful.

Vocabulary for Describe an exciting book that you enjoy reading IELTS Speaking Cue Card

Words	Meaning	Example
widely popular	liked by many people	It is a widely popular book.
guiding compass	something that gives direction	His values became my guiding compass.
inspiring	making you want to achieve something	Her story is truly inspiring.
transformative	causing a major change	The experience was transformative.
setbacks	problems that slow your progress	He overcame several setbacks.
compelling	very interesting or convincing	It has a compelling storyline.
perspective	a particular way of seeing something	It changed my perspective on life.
voracious reader	someone who reads a lot	My sister is a voracious reader.
captivating	extremely interesting	The story was captivating.
perseverance	continuing despite difficulties	Success requires perseverance.
thought-provoking	making you think deeply	It is a thought-provoking book.
outlook	your general view of life	It changed my outlook on life.
philosophical	related to deep ideas about life	It is a philosophical book.
profound	very deep or meaningful	It had a profound impact on me.
dichotomy	a strong contrast between two things	There is a dichotomy between work and leisure.

Describe an exciting book that you enjoy reading IELTS Speaking Part 3 Follow-up Questions

Once you complete the cue card part of the test, you’ll be asked a couple of follow-up questions on the same topic. Here are some of the follow-up questions for “Describe an exciting book that you enjoy reading” cue card.

1. Do you prefer books or movies?

I prefer books to movies. Movies are already created and our job is to just watch and enjoy it. In books, I can direct my own movie with imagination. It enables me to exercise my imagination and I find it more fulfilling and satisfying. 

2. Do you think it is important to read the book before watching the movie version of it?

There is no need for it. Both are different forms of medium of communication. It is an individual preference whether he wants to watch a movie or read a book. I don’t think it is essential to read a book before watching a movie version but it depends upon individual taste. 

3. Do boys and girls like the same kinds of books?

I think gender does not play a role in reading. Reading is based on individual preferences, taste and curiosity. So, there is a possibility that boys and girls would like the same books or different books. 

4. What kind of books do Indian people like to read?

Once again, reading doesn’t depend upon nationality. Indian people might prefer books which deal with topics related to India. For example, Indian History, Indian Philosophy etc., But, I don’t think all Indian people have a common preference on the genre of book.

Related Links

• Describe a place you would like to visit IELTS Cue Card
• Describe a famous person you are interested in IELTS Cue Card
• Describe an invention that has changed IELTS Cue Card
• Describe a piece of art you like IELTS Cue Card
• Describe an occasion when many people were smiling IELTS Cue Card