8 Recent Reads
I'm so happy to say that I'm back aboard the reading train. I even joined the library. My annual summer slump is in full swing and all I want to do is bask in the sunspot that hits my bed in the afternoon and get lost in a good book. I've ploughed through quite a few recently and here are my thoughts on them.
TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS - CHERYL STRAYED: As you might have noticed this isn't photographed as it was borrowed from a friend. A collection of advice columns from Cheryl's online persona 'Sugar'. All based around the subject of love but not like any advice I've read before, it's honest and sometimes heartbreaking to read the stories in TBT. As I've grown up I find love a difficult emotion to explain, I used to wear my heart on my sleeve until too many bad experiences I shut my emotions off. The advice that Sugar gives even though it's not directed at you can hit a nerve with any of us. It's given me a total epiphany about the way I feel about certain situations and how I will approach things in the future.
HOW TO BE PARISIAN WHEREVER YOU ARE: We all know that I'm a little obsessed with anything remotely linked to Paris and Parisian style makes my heart flutter. It is what it says on the spine, it's a guide so not something to pick up if you want a book to sink your mind into. I read the entire thing, front to back in less than an hour, but it was an enjoyable 60 minutes. Some parts do come off as a little arrogant and if you're not somebody who throws dinner parties you can skip a few pages. There are plenty of beauty musings and the fashion pieces are particularly enjoyable if you're a believer of statement pieces like myself. My favourite pages are right at the very end, containing recommendations and 15 must know French phrases.
ANNE OF GREEN GABLES - L.M MONTGOMERY: A classic children's book that sadly I never read when I was younger. Even as a grow woman I still enjoyed reading this and you can still take something away from it. Anne is possibly one of the sweetest young girls I've ever read about and the tale of her coming from so little to coming out on top by the end is nothing but inspiring. It goes without saying that the edition that I've got this printed in is simply beautiful. The whole Rifle Paper Co x Penguin Classics Collection makes me go all heart eyed whenever I look at my bookcase.
GONE GIRL - GILLIAN FLYNN: I heard a lot of hype surrounding this book last year. At the time, I wasn't really back into reading so I gave it a miss. I picked it up on a whim during my weekly food shop, who doesn't love two books for £7? It took me a good few chapters to get immersed into the story but as soon as I did, I was hooked. I couldn't put this down, everyone was right when they said it's a book that you can't stop reading. I don't think the writing of the book is the greatest, but it's the story that makes it a best seller. Once you get to the big twist it becomes a totally different story. I'm excited to watch the film adaptation and see how the characters have been portrayed as I've got such a clear vision in my mind. The big question, though, whose side are you on? Nick or Amy?
YES PLEASE - AMY POEHLER: Parks and Recreation is one of my all time favourite shows, ever. So for that reason I've always wanted to read this book and not to mention Amy Poehler is a total boss in my books. I love that Yes Please incorporates brash parts of any woman's personal life and then talks about her many successes in a totally humble way. Learning more about the cast of Parks & Rec and her beautiful relationship with Tina Fey were highlights of the book for me. It's a total feel-good read and will leave you with a smile on your face once you get to the end. If you're a fan of Amy's work then I would highly recommend this and it's printed and designed in such an aesthetically pleasing way which makes it even better.
THE GREAT GATSBY - F.SCOTT FITZGERALD: One of my favourite films from the past 5 years and I felt like I was cheating myself by not reading the book. It's a short story but a powerful one. As I'm already familiar with the plot line it was interesting to see how well they'd adapted it into moving image. I loved getting to know the ins and outs of the story a little more and my love for Gatsby is still going strong. It was interesting to see how they'd changed Nicks character as in the book he is more of a bystander to the story as in the film he gets quite involved. If you've not read the story of Jay Gatsby set in the roaring and enticing 20's then I would recommend anybody to give it a read.
US - DAVID NICHOLLS: My first library borrow. It's been on my radar to read for my a while, but I wasn't fussed about buying it which is the beauty of libraries. I think is the perfect holiday read as it's enticing, but you can pick it up and put it down with ease. I feel no real passion towards this book, it's a nice read and I liked the story, but it didn't make me want to read anymore David Nicholls books and One Day is so highly praised. The one thing I did think was great about this book though was the format, I love how it skips from past to present as it ties the story together perfectly.
WHEN GOD WAS A RABBIT - SARAH WINMAN: A book that has been on my to-read list for what feels like years. I'd not done much research into this so wasn't quite sure what to expect from it. As I'm writing this post I'm only half way through but so far it's a great story. I love that Winman hasn't been afraid to talk about all the nitty gritty areas of life that we all go through at some point. I'm excited to get to the end this book and follow the tale of Elly & Joe further into adult life.
What have you been reading recently? Have you got any book recommendations?
R x
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