IELTS CUE CARD: Describe a book you recently read

July 28, 2026 Acharya Shruti

IELTS CUE CARD: Describe a book you recently read.

You should say:

What the book is
What it is about
Why you decided to read it
Explain how you felt about it

Sample Answer:
Reading has always been my favourite pastime. I would like to take this opportunity to talk about a book that I read recently.
The title of the book is “The Alchemist”. It’s written by Paulo Coelho. It’s a fictional novel based in Egypt. The main character is a young boy named Santiago who is a shepherd. In the story, he travels from Spain to Egypt in search of a treasure. The novel focuses on Santiago’s journey and how he learns about life along the way.
I decided to read this book because a colleague recommended it to me. He kept saying how this has completely changed his perception of life. That really sparked my curiosity, and I decided to give it a chance. The storyline was so interesting that I ended up finishing it in just a few days.

The story follows Santiago as he leaves his family to follow a recurring dream about a treasure near the Egyptian Pyramids. Along the way he meets several people who teach him valuable lessons about life, people and the consequences of actions.

What I found most interesting was the way the author used simple language to teach such intricate things about life. There’s a line in this book about how the universe conspires to help you when you truly want something, and that particular idea really touched me.

In the end, I would just like to say that I felt genuinely inspired after reading this book. It reminded me that it’s important to keep working towards our goals, and no matter how many obstacles come in the way, we will achieve them. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fictional stories with deep meaning.

(287 words)

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