Holiday season is well and truly upon us now, folks! Everywhere I look people are packing up and heading to the sunshine. Even I’ve gotten in on the act and have just got back from four days in Paris.
Whilst I LOVE a city break and had the best time getting lost in the city of lights, (vlog coming soon!) I have to admit that there is nothing I enjoy more than a relaxing week spent on the beach or by the pool with a good book in one hand and a glass of something cold and bubbly (more likely to be Coke Zero than Champagne. Let’s be real) in the other.
So if your stocking up on travel minis and dusting off the passport but have no idea what books to take with you for some indulgent poolside reading then fret not sweet ones, your book fairy godmother is here to save the day.
One of the very best books I've read this year, if not ever, Daisy Jones & The Six is insane in its excellence. Told through a series of interviews with a band that is very obviously based on a Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac, DJ&TS is a nostalgic, addictive love story that had me racing through the pages in just under a day. Evocative, atmospheric, beautifully written and utterly captivating, this is a must-read for anyone who has even a passing interest in music. It also drove my obsession with the song Gold Dust Woman. Anyway, read it, it’s phenomenal!
Another of my favourite books from this year, The Flat Share is a completely original love story that follows Tiffy and Leon, who share a flat and a bed but have never even met. Communicating solely through post-it’s their stories unfold, and - spoiler alert - they fall massively in love. But will Tiffy’s emotionally abusive ex and Leon’s troubled home life get in the way?
Perfect poolside reading, The Flat Share is an addictive read. The story itself is lovely and fun and very romantic, interspersed with more serious moments dealing with topics like racism, prison and gas lighting. It’s beautifully done, O'Leary's writing is wonderful, she strikes the perfect balance between sweet, silly and serious. Strongly recommend this.
I’ve been a big fan of Zimmerman for a long time without realising it, as she's been writing under the name Stella Newman for years, and I bloody love Stella Newman novels! They're some of the best 'food fiction' - is that a thing? It should be! - that I've come across. They all follow a similar formula - without being formulaic, mind, its very clever - of women in their mid-30's/early-40's having some sort of romantic or work crisis, prompting a breakdown and a major life/career change with an ultimately satisfyingly happy ending, all with food playing a supporting role throughout.
The Woman Who Wanted More follows Kate, who, after having to move back in with her mother after her boyfriend Nick decides he wants a 'break', starts volunteering at a nursing home for 'remarkable' elderly women. There she meets Cecily, a razor-tongued and incredibly bored 97 year old. The two women strike up an unlikely friendship, and together they help bring each other back to life. The main takeaway from Zimmerman/Newman' books is that it's never too late to change your life, and I think that's such an amazing message. It's also an incredibly easy read. It's very funny and the writing is amazingly vivid with some incredible descriptions of food.
The Woman Who Wanted More follows Kate, who, after having to move back in with her mother after her boyfriend Nick decides he wants a 'break', starts volunteering at a nursing home for 'remarkable' elderly women. There she meets Cecily, a razor-tongued and incredibly bored 97 year old. The two women strike up an unlikely friendship, and together they help bring each other back to life. The main takeaway from Zimmerman/Newman' books is that it's never too late to change your life, and I think that's such an amazing message. It's also an incredibly easy read. It's very funny and the writing is amazingly vivid with some incredible descriptions of food.
Unsticky - Sarra Manning
Unsticky is one of the books I came across while listening to the Sentimental Garbage podcast - which is fucking brilliant by the way! - and it is such a good book. Unsticky is chick lit at its very finest. It's a completely addictive read all about Grace, an assistant fashion editor at Skirt magazine, who handles priceless couture everyday but is in thousands upon thousands of pounds of debt and can’t afford to feed herself. Then one day she meets the enigmatic Vaughn, a mysterious millionaire art dealer, who offers Grace a very indecent proposal. On accepting, Grace finds herself navigating the elite London art world but do her and Vaughn have something more than just an arrangement? This is perfect poolside reading, and I should know because that's exactly where I did read it. On a sun lounger in Cyprus with the sun beating down on me. It was heavenly!
Another book that I was completely OBSESSED with, reading it in just under a day. How Do You Like Me Now? is about Tory, a writer, influencer and motivational speaker, whose book, ‘Who The Fuck Am I?’, has led her to become something of a millennial Elizabeth Gilbert. But, here’s the twist, Tory hasn’t got a clue what she’s doing and is desperately unhappy. Stuck in a broken relationship with a man she’s desperate to leave and unable to come up with a new book idea Tory’s life is a sham, a performance that she plays out for other people. It's such a good book, funny in places, heartbreakingly sad in others, and a really interesting take on influencer culture. It's brilliant.
What books will you be taking away with you? Xx
.jpeg)
No comments:
Post a Comment