Talk About a Book You Read Recently IELTS Cue Card Topic
Talk about a book that you have read recently. Please say
What was its title?
Who is the author?
What did you learn from it?
And explain why you liked or disliked it.
OR
You should say:
- what the book is
- who wrote the book
- what the book is about
and explain how much you enjoyed reading this book.
Note: You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.
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Sample Answer 1:
Describe a book you have read recently – The Fortunate Pilgrim
The book I have recently finished and enjoyed so much is called “The Fortunate Pilgrim”, and I would like to talk about it for this topic.
It is a novel by Mario Puzo which was first published in the year 1965. The writer Mario Puzo is well-known for his famous mafia book “The Godfather”. He, nevertheless, received numerous positive reviews for his book “The Fortunate Pilgrim”. The writer had developed the story of this novel based on his mother’s immigration struggling for respectability in the United States. Mario Puzo himself considered this novel to be his finest though Godfather earned him much more fame and earning.
The novel tells the story of an immigrant family living in New York City. The mother of the family, Lucia Santa is the protagonist of it. It is her formidable will that steers the family members through the Great Depression and early years of World War II. The story, events, and the characters become so real that the readers can’t stop wondering about them even when they are not reading. The writer had been able to tell an ordinary story extraordinarily. It makes us feel and relate the characters, their happiness, sorrows and sufferings in our lives, and that’s why the characters and stories got the power to keep readers awake the whole night. Mario Puzo has shown literacy excellence in this story and it will keep on surprising readers in the coming decades.
I liked the book very much and finished it within 3 days. I have always been a great admirer of Puzo’s writing style, and “The Fortunate Pilgrim” was a bit different from his famous mafia books. It touches the reader’s mind, keeps them wondering and tells them an amazing story. So, I had every valid reason to enjoy this book to a great extent.
Sample Answer 2:
Describe a book you have read recently – The Wings of Fire
It is a well-known fact that books are best friends. Some people get motivated while reading books, and others read to drain the stress and anxiety. I am an avid reader, and out of all the books I’ve read, the one which I loved was ‘The Wings of Fire’ by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
My sister gifted me the book on my birthday as she knew that I was fond of reading autobiographies. And this book by Dr. Kalam had a great influence on me and still inspires me, and I began devouring it on the same day. The book explains how Kalam started his career and became the best rocket Engineer.
The book is about his journey, accomplishments, and about he managed to overcome his obstacles. He describes his presidential post as a piece of luck, and his achievement as a rocket Engineer was because of sheer hard work. Throughout the book, one thing that stands out is Kalam’s positive thinking and his secret to success hidden in his ability to ignore negative things. That is why he had contributed and accomplished a lot in his life.
Kalam’s journey in the book inspires us to achieve our dreams by beating all the odds. A fable in the book emphasizes the importance of family, relatives, and friends in helping accomplish each other’s goals and turning dreams into realities.
Also Check: Describe a situation when you were bored – IELTS Cue Card
Sample Answer 3:
A Book You Have Recently Read IELTS Cue Card – Rich Dad Poor Dad
I am not fond of reading many books apart from my textbooks. but during this pandemic time, I was free at home so I decided to read a book which my friend gifted me, and I read it all.
I found this book very exciting and motivating and would like to read it again. The book’s name is ‘Rich dad poor dad’. • Rich Dad Poor Dad is about Robert Kiyosaki and his two dads story, and the ways in which both men shaped his thoughts about money and investing • It was first published in 1997 and quickly became a must-read book for people who want to become rich with smart work. The book has been translated into dozens of languages, sold around the world, and has become the number 1 Personal Finance book of all time. Robert Kiyosaki tells the story of his two dads in his childhood. His own father and the father of his best friend. While he loved both, they were very different when it came to dealing with finances. starts with the idea that many of us are too afraid of being branded as a weirdo, 90% of people still stick to the outdated mantra “Go to school, go to college, get a job, play it safe.” when in reality no job is safe anymore. when your greed takes over, you might then spend the extra money on an improved lifestyle, like buying a car, and the payments eat up the money – this way you’re guaranteed to lose 100% But if you educate yourself financially, you can multiply it but take the right decisions I found it very useful for me.
I learned from this book how to use money as a tool for wealth development. if you are born poor it is not your fault but if you die poor it is totally your fault. Hard work is important, but with smart work, you can enhance the productivity of quality of life. If you take a risk you can win but if you do not take risks you definitely lose. This book I found useful, it guided me in my finance management and I recommend any of my friends to read this book
Sample Answer 4:
Describe a Book You Have Recently Read – Harry Potter
Well, the first book I can think of is definitely Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which is the seventh book, also the final novel, of the Harry Potter series. I became a fan of this fantasy story when I was still a child. So by the release of the final, I’d been obsessed with the series for almost ten years. You can imagine how thrilled I was when I could finally read the ending of this story.
Anyway, I read it as soon as it was published. Even though this was about twelve years ago, I remember the release like it was yesterday. I waited for hours in front of a bookstore in a hundred-meter line full of excited Hany Potter fans like me, mostly teens, of course, just to get the book on the day of its release. And once I started reading it, I literally couldn’t put it down.
The final Harry Potter book really blew my mind. I mean, it has a happy ending as I expected. Like Hany has to die once and comes back to life so he can defeat the villain, Voldemort. I finished the book with an overwhelmed feeling that was a mix of excitement, happiness and some loss.
Honestly, I’ve reread this novel ton of times. I’ve even written some glowing reviews of the book on social media, which I’ve never done for other books. It’s a really exciting book that left a mark on me.
Sample Answer 5:
IELTS Cue Card Talk About a Book You Read Recently – The Secret
I like to read books not just from my prescribed course, but also additional ones according to my own interest. I personally gain a lot from reading books, as they improve my intellect and make me learn about new concepts. The book that I’m going to talk about is ‘The Secret’ by Rhonda Bryne.
I read this book almost a year ago for the first time. I knew about it before but I really never got the chance to read it. I finally looked for it online and bought it.
‘The Secret’ by Rhonda Bryne is a self-help motivational book that shows readers positive aspects of life, and also encourages them to strive for success. The book discusses the law of attraction and how to use it in almost every aspect of life.
The book beautifully explains how thoughts influence your actions and in turn, the experiences that you have in your life. It focuses on setting a goal in the mind and then believing in yourself to achieve that goal. The law of attraction is linked to every walk of life like possessions, dreams, goals, success, and even health. The logic is quite simple, that if ambition is clearly visualized in the mind, then the motivation will attract everything you want.
The Secret is a powerful yet simple book that encouraged my visualization and boosted my motivation. It made me realize that we are the creators of our own reality in a very practical manner. It gave me immense positivity, and the confidence to succeed in work and relationships. It basically gave me the key to being happy.
Sample Answer 6:
Book IELTS Cue Card – How to Stop Worrying and Start Living
Last year due to Corona Pandemic, my country was in a state of lockdown. Since I did not have much to do while sitting at home, I went into depression.
I tried many things to come out of it, but all my efforts went in vain. During that time, one of my friends gifted a book to me, written by a renowned self-improvement writer Mr. Dale Carnegie. The name of the book was “How to stop worrying and start living“.
It is a self-improvement book that teaches you the perfect ways to get rid of stress in your life.
This book is about handling depression in our lives. According to the writer of this book, when we have stress regarding something, we find it difficult to focus on work. And due to that, our productivity at work goes for a toss. So just worrying about anything doesn’t do any good to us rather it leads us towards a wrong trajectory.
Moreover, according to him, there is no point in having worries concerning the past or future. We should live our lives in the present. Our past is good for us if we use it as a medium to learn from it. However, if we keep on thinking about our past, we would ultimately become depressed.
As far as the future is concerned, there is no harm in having plans for it. But, one shouldn’t service the present for having a worthwhile life in the future.
I find this book exciting because excitement in our lives thrives primarily on having fewer worries and more enjoyment. This book adds to our joys by bringing a paradigm shift in our thinking process.
It helped me to come out of boredom and depression. Due to its valuable inputs, I have started enjoying my life to the full extent. Whenever I have conflicts in my life, I handle them adroitly.
It is a must-read book for people from all walks of life.
Sample Answer 7:
A Book You Read IELTS Cue Card – Atomic Habits
Being a voracious reader, I love to read books. Although I have read many exciting books in my life, there is one book that has caught my attention.
Last month I had to go for a job interview in the capital city. Since the journey was too long, I decided to utilize my time productively by reading a book.
Before boarding the train, I purchased a book by the name of “Atomic Habits“.
This book is so exciting and addictive. During the journey, most of the time, I remained involved in reading this masterpiece.
This book is a self-improvement book.
The central focus of this book is on the habits of people. It says that we can bring a paradigm shift in our lives by replacing our bad habits with good habits.
Whether we have to improve our skills by working on this. By making a tiny improvement of one percent every day, we can improve our performance by thirty-seven percent at the end of the year.
This book is exciting because, after reading it, you can handle all the conflicts in your life adroitly.
There is no denying this conviction that most people work tremendously hard to gain success in their lives.
This book has explained the process of attaining success in a consummate manner.
It adds excitement to your life by giving you hope.
Such was the impact of this book that, I achieved my most awaited goals, in just six months after reading this book.
In nutshell, this book can add fun and excitement to your life by leading you towards an impressive growth trajectory.
Sample Answer 8:
IELTS Cue Card Topic A Book You Read – Wonder
Today I am going to talk about “Wonder”, the book that left me with lots of thoughts and emotions after I finished it.
I don’t remember exactly when but there was one time my favorite Youtuber said that “Wonder” was the most engaging book she had ever read. Not long after that, I decided to purchase the book online. And she was right, when I finished “Wonder”, I could not stop thinking about how it inspired and refreshed me.
“Wonder” tells an incredibly moving and inspiring story of a little boy named August, who was born with an extreme facial deformity. When August turned 10, he decided to attend school for the first time. During his school days, though August was harassed and mocked for his “alien” look, he was still lucky enough to have some nice friends as companions. Things got worse when August and his schoolmates went camping for three days. On the second night, August encountered a group of older kids who tried to bully him. Luckily, he was rescued by three boys who were usually mean to him at school. After this incident, August and his friends won a special award for their courage and kindness.
“Wonder” is truly a fast-moving and gripping book that I could hardly put it down. All I could feel after reading this story was the sense of love and goodness. I was also infused with inspiration and appreciation for good things and kind people. I think I would always remember this saying: “When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind”.
Sample Answer 9:
Describe a Book You Recently Read Cue Card Topic – Wings of Fire
I have not read many books apart from my textbooks. Here, I would like to talk about a book, which my friend gifted me, and I read it all.
I found this book very exciting and motivating and would like to read it again.
This book is ‘The Wings of Fire’ by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. My friend got this book as a prize when she participated in a declamation contest. It is Dr.Kalam’s autobiography. It was first published in 1999. This book became popular only after Dr. Kalam became the President of India. He was sworn in as the president of India on 25th July 2002. Mr. Arun Tiwari helped Dr. Kalam in writing the book.
In this book, Dr. Kalam says why he wrote his autobiography. This book is very motivating.
From this book, I came to know all about the life and achievements of Dr. A.P.J.Abdul Kalam. Dr. Kalam was born in a very poor family in the southern parts of India at Rameshwaram. The reason why I admire him is that his life shows how & ordinary boy from a deprived class (poor family) could reach the highest level of the nation. He became not only the best rocket engineer but also the first citizen of the nation. It is true that he described his post as the President as a piece of luck, but his achievement as a rocket engineer was because of sheer hard work. He is a role model for one and all.
The success of Dr. Kalam depended on the fact that he was willing to grow daily. He learned everything that come to him and was always looking for things to learn. The real success of Dr.Kalam is in his application of the discipline, what he learned, in other fields also.
That is why he could contribute to the making of artificial limbs of lesser weight. In him, we find a person with an insatiable quest for knowledge & great love for suffering fellow beings.
Unfortunately, we don’t have Dr. Kalam with us today, but he will live in the hearts of all Indians. I would like to read this book again, because it is a very motivating book.
Sample Answer 10:
Describe a Book that You Enjoyed Reading Cue Card Topic – Filipino Cuisine
I’d like to talk about a cookbook that was given to me by my best friend several years ago.
The title of the book is ”Filipino Cuisine” and what’s inside is a compilation of the Philippines’s mouth-watering dishes such as the Adobo and Kare-Kare. Adobo’s main ingredient is pork or chicken stewed in vinegar, garlic, soy sauce, bay leaves, and peppercorns while Kare-Kare is an oxtail stew and is always best to eat with steamed rice and shrimp paste. They’re actually a perfect pair.
Cookbooks or recipe books belong to non-fiction category since it consists of factual information and a step-by-step guide in cooking. It also includes the name of the author and a short introduction about its content.
Actually, I’m not so fond of non-fiction type of books, however, once in my life, I got interested in cooking and I have always told my best friend about it. We both know that I’m a terrible cook at that time and so that must be the reason why she bought me that book.
When I started reading it, I realized that cooking is not really that complicated as it seemed to me before. Through it, I’ve learned to prepare different Filipino dishes from the main course to desserts. Each time I was able to cook a recipe perfectly, I always felt a sense of achievement. This recipe book is very useful for me because firstly, it taught me the do’s and dont’s in the kitchen. Another one is, it helped me develop another essential life skill which is cooking and now finally, I can prepare scrumptious and healthy meals for my family. I probably would like to read it over and over again because I haven’t memorized yet some of the recipes and reading it again will refresh my memory once more.
Sample Answer 11:
Book IELTS Cue Card – The life of loneliness
Thanks for giving me such an interesting topic. Well, books are a prominent source of information, feelings, and inspiration. There are lots of books available nowadays related to emotions, history, poetry, inspiration. I read many books. But now, I have to ask to talk about a that I recently read. I am feeling glad to share that recently I read the book named “The life of loneliness ” written by Dr. Narinder Singh Kapoor.
I heard about this from my friend. He said this book is full of inspiration. Then, I wanted to buy that. But I didn’t find this book in the market. So, my friend gave it to me for some time. When I read this book, I really felt awesome because this book was full of thoughts that described a persons’ thinking, views over different things. After reading this book, I felt that this book did not even contain any poetry, story but contained single-single line thoughts with a number of stories. As the name of the book describes, The life of loneliness means a single sentence containing a particular story about a person.
This book was 330 pages and approximately contained 1071 sentences or we can say 1071 stories about human beings. All the thoughts described a child, younger, older, women, and men’s thinking and views. I must say, this book helps you to understand a person’s thoughts that you meet daily.
I am happy after reading that book and always grateful to my friend who had suggested me to read this book. And I also want to read this book again and again.
IELTS Speaking Part 3 :
Describe a Book You Recently Read – Follow up Questions
Here are some examples of follow-up questions that you may get during your speaking part 3 by the examiner related to cue card “Describe a Book You Recently Read”.
1. Do people in your country like to read books?
Yes, people in my country like to read books. There are bookshops in most towns and cities, which are all doing good business.
2. What kinds of books are most popular in your country?
All types of books are very popular. India is a diverse country. People have diverse tastes in everything, including reading.
3. Do you think reading is important?
Yes, reading is very important. It develops imagination and also develops language skills.
4. Do you think electronic books will eventually replace paper books?
Not completely, but to a large extent yes. E-books have a lot of advantages
Benefits of e-books over traditional books
Easy to carry while traveling – eBooks allow you to bring a whole library with you wherever you go. You can switch between titles with ease and the weight is lighter than a standard ieltsxpress paperback.
Need less storage space– Those who own a lot of books know how much space they can take up, but with a reader, your bookshelf is located on a small handheld device, your computer, or on both.
Less costly– eBooks are often cheaper in the long run because there are no printing fees associated with them. In fact, you can often find free eBooks online, whereas physical books almost always cost you something. However, you have to spend one time on a reader, such as a kindle or any other tablet.
Immediate purchase – When you buy an eBook, your reward is instantaneous.Whereas if you order a book online you have to wait for it to arrive before the fun begins. You can do font adjustments. With an eBook, you can instantly change the darkness of the lettering or the size of your font. You can do night reading. If you read in bed, an eBook may be a good option as many readers come with built-in reading lights.ieltsxpress
5. Some people like to collect books. Why do you think they do this?
They do so because they love books. They treat books as collectibles and are proud of their collection.
6. Is compulsory reading (in school) is a good idea?
Yes, definitely. In order for students to achieve in math, science, English, history, geography, and other subjects, reading skills must be developed to the point that most of them are automatic. Students cannot struggle with word recognition when they should be reading quickly for comprehension of a text. But the ability to read and write develops with careful planning and instruction. Children need regular and active interactions with print.
7. What books do children read and what do adults read?
Children read fantasy, fiction, and books on supernatural characters like Barbie, Superman, and Shaktiman. Adults read biographies, fiction, and religious and spiritual books.ieltsxpress
8. Why do men and women prefer different books?
This is because they have different tastes.
9. Why did some books become internationally popular?
This is perhaps because these receive a lot of publicity.
10. What type of books do children read nowadays? What type of books did children like reading in the past and what do you think they will read in the future?
Nowadays, generally speaking, the reading habit of children is on the decline. Whatever books they read are based on fantasy, fiction and supernatural characters like Barbie, superman, and Shaktiman.
50 years ago – Children read a lot. They read moral and spiritual books. They read animal stories.
After 50 years – I do not think they will do any reading. All the time will be spent in front of computers.
11. Do you think children have lost their interest in stories?
No, I don’t think that children have lost their interest in stories. However, the stories they read today are very different from those in the past.
12. Can storybooks be an ideal gift for children?
Yes, definitely! Storybooks can be an ideal gift for children. They can help the child imagine the characters in the mind, which is the first step to creativity. Another important benefit is that we can impart the knowledge of culture, tradition, moral values, and religion in the mind of the child. This forms the basis of the child’s personality. Finally, storybooks enhance the curiosity of the child and enhance their mental growth.ieltsxpress
13. What can be done to encourage the habit of reading among children?
A lot can be done to encourage the habit of reading among children. The first and foremost step would be to make books available. There should be good libraries in the schools as well as in neighborhoods. Storytelling competitions could be organized. If children have to take part in these competitions, then naturally, they would be encouraged to read books. Finally, books could be made more interesting by adding graphics.
14. How does reading help a child?
Reading helps to improve concentration. It also helps to improve general knowledge. It also improves language skills and satisfies the curiosity of children on various things.
15. What sort of books can be suggested to children to read?
Children should be encouraged to read religious and historical books. They should also read biographies and autobiographies of famous people so that they get motivation from them. They should also be encouraged to read books on science and technology. However, these books should be made very interesting by adding pictures.
16. How much should a child read every day?
A child should read half to one hour daily.I think that would be enough considering that they have to go to school and do their homework as well.
17. What is the difference between the books sold in the past and the books sold nowadays?
In the past, books related to culture, tradition, religion, and history were sold. Nowadays, books are mostly based on fiction and fantasy. E-books have become very popular nowadays as compared to printed books.
Why do You think Reading is Important?
Reading is important because it helps in developing creativity and imagination. It will enable the reader to develop a better vocabulary and get a hold of the language. It will eventually lead to better speaking and listening skills as well since it will instill (meaning- firmly establish) confidence in the reader. Reading is a great way to learn and explore, and it surely improves the intellect of a person.
Can Storybooks be Ideal Gifts for Children?
Storybooks can definitely be very good gifts for children. They enable children to visualize characters in their minds, which is really helpful in developing creativity. Also, storybooks can impart the knowledge of moral values, culture, tradition, and religion in the mind of children. Also, children who read storybooks are curious and their mental growth is enhanced when they ask questions and get answers.
Which do you prefer paper books or e-books?
I prefer the latter as it is way more convenient than the former. Electronic books like Kindle from Amazon are really handy. I can take it anywhere and anytime. Also, I can purchase and download more digital books online if I want to without going to a bookstore. Yes, I cannot deny the fact that there are some downsides of using electronic books but since my priority is convenience, I cannot trade e-books for paper books.
Do you think people these days still read books?
Yes definitely! Even though we are now in the internet era, there are still many people who enjoy reading books since it provides plenty of benefits to them, such as, being able to exercise their mind through learning a new set of vocabulary or enhancing their comprehension skills. Also, through reading, people become well-informed and more creative since it does stir their imagination. In addition, according to science people whose first love is reading are less likely to get dementia because their brain becomes more alert.
With these great benefits, I am confident to say that reading is still a popular hobby among people amid this frontier technology generation. Reading is one of those activities that people can never be taken for granted.
How can we encourage children to read books?
Well, frankly speaking, it is more than a challenge these days to motivate children to read because of the existing entertainment distractions, such as playing computer games, socializing on social media platforms, and the like. However, I suppose we can make them love reading or influence them to read through modeling. If we adults show them that we enjoy reading, then it is highly likely that they will imitate us.
In reality, the love of reading starts at a very early age. When parents spend time reading bedtime stories to their children before going to sleep, their children will surely get used to reading and it will become a habit to them. However, if parents never practice that with their children, then it is just hard to make them love reading and as a result, they will surely have difficulty encouraging their children to read.
Do children need to learn how to read while they are still young?
In my opinion, children have to learn how to read as early as three to six years of age. (Explain) In the first six years, a child’s brain is like a sponge that can easily absorb information and make them easier to teach. (Example) For example, I have been teaching reading classes to graders and after talking to the parents, I figured out that the students who can effortlessly remember what I teach are those who started reading at a very young age.
Do you think there is a difference between reading habits in the past and in the present day?
Yes. There is a huge difference in the way people read before and now. (Explain) In the past, people tend to read paper books to gather information or to kill time. However, these days, people prefer reading articles, books, and other written material using electronic devices such as smartphones, computers, and tablets. They say that it’s more convenient to read using these gadgets since it is handy and pocket-friendly. (Example) For instance, if I want to read before sleeping, I don’t have to switch on the light in the bedroom to be able to read. All I have to do is adjust the brightness of my smartphone screen to read well.
What is the impact of e-books on reading habits?
In my opinion, the most significant impact of digital books in our reading habit is that it makes our every reading experience hassle-free. (Explain) As we all know, e-books can be accessed conveniently. We can actually read whenever and wherever we please. Therefore, more and more people have the opportunity to gather information and learn. (Example) For example, in the past, people need to buy books or borrow from the library in order to do their homework or to study but now, they can study without bothering to go to other places because all they need is their smartphone or tablet.
Also Check: Describe a situation when you were bored – IELTS Cue Card
