As I told you in my last post, I am spending a few days in our countryside home. And while it means that I am not my most productive self, it had turned out to be a fantastic time to read! I’ve set myself a reading challenge for this year of 40 books and I am nearly half way through it. I love to update my Goodreads profile as often as possible to keep you updated on my reading as well as to find new books to read, so do not hesitate to add me as a friend over there!
And I have to say that I’ve read some really fantastic books this summer, so let me walk you through my top 5 picks:
My life on the road – Gloria Steinem
I had purchased Gloria’s book back in January, as a recommendation from Emma Watson’s reading club, but it wasn’t until this summer that I really got into it. I’ve never heard of Gloria Steinem before, but a quick Google search taught me a lot about this incredible woman. Gloria is a writer, an activist and an all round girl boss. In her book My life on the road, she talks about her own journey, some of the incredible people that she met and some of her most valuable life lessons. I learned so many new things and felt more grown up after putting this book down so I can only recommend you to give it a shot!
In order to live – Yeonmi Park
When I picked this book up in Edinburgh, I haven’t heard anything about it but the subject really interested me. North Korea is a country that you hear everything and anything about and while it is often talked about on the news, I was eager to learn more, especially from a girl who escaped the country. It wasn’t until the end of the book that I realised that I actually knew Yeonmi already. A couple of years ago, I’ve watched her tearful speech about her home country but it took me more than 200 pages to realise that it was actually her book. I’ve discovered so much about North Korea, the oppression, the fear and the daily struggles of its people. I am not gonna lie, this book is a bit though to read at moments but I am very happy that I picked it up!
Wildflower – Drew Barrymore
I have to admit that I am always very skeptical about celebrities’ books. I often find them a bit too cheesy or filled with obvious life advice, but I decided to download Wildflower on my Kindle to read on the go. While I’ve never been a real fan of Drew Barrymore, after reading this I just dream of spending a day with her. In this book, which is a bit of a memoir, she talks about everything, from travelling to poor countries to adopting her beloved dogs to growing up in a troubled family. The book is very easy to read as everything is divided in short chapters and it’s easy to pick up where you left, even if you haven’t read it in weeks.
The girl on the train – Paula Hawkins
I am not one to pick up hyped books but I couldn’t resist getting The girl on the train which is so often compared to Gone girl. I practically never read thrillers but I am happy to report that this book made me want to read more of them. The story is fascinating and full of surprises. I could easily imagine all the characters and couldn’t put the book down for more than a few hours. I’ve heard that the film is coming out soon and while I am very curious to see it even if I think it won’t be as good as the book.
Fat chance – Nick Spalding
I’ve read Fat chance during our holidays in Greece earlier this summer and I simply loved it. This book follows the adventures of a couple who decide to lose weight together as part of a radio show. It was funny yet relatable and turned out to be the perfect beach read! I remember highlighting a few parts that were simply too good and I can’t wait to read more from this author!
Fat Chance sounds like a fun book. And Wildflower actually doesn’t sound bad either.
They are 🙂