I love reading and once I’m into a book I find it hard to put it down and hate it when a really good book finishes. Often when I am busy with work I forget just how relaxing it is to spend half an hour before bedtime reading, or a little bit of my train ride to London with my nose in a book. I was digging out some books to take with me to Israel from the stash of un-read ones and that got me thinking – what favourite books do I have in the hundreds upon hundreds in my study?
Without further thought I collected up my recent favourites (that I haven’t already written about here), put them on the windowsill in good light so you can see what they look like and here are some recommendations, and there’s some great variation in here that’s for sure!
The Storm Prophet – Hector Macdonald
Not one to read ahead of sailing offshore that’s for sure. There’s a Christmas race from Sydney to Hobart and the seas are notorious. This book is about one boat, the race organisers and a ‘prophet’ boy that sees disaster. It is a fascinating read.
The Secret Place – Tana French
School girl drama at its best. A murder, friends sticking together, odd goings on and things that happened many years ago as well as two very different police characters trying their best to work together. Definitely one of the better thrillers I have stumbled upon.
The Rosie Project – Graeme Simsion
Such a quirky book, this was something I saw so many people reading on the tube that I had to buy it too! A sweet love story of a scientists attempts at getting the illusive second date but gets caught out by actual feelings!
An Astronauts Guide to Life on Earth – Chris Hadfield
I just finished this a few weeks back and it is one of the best non-fiction books I have ever read. It is fascinating – hands up who didn’t want to be an astronaut at some point? Not many of us, a unique insight. But also what he writes is relevant to work and life and it’s obvious why.
Gold – Chris Cleave
This book shows us the best of sporting competition and camaraderie and also the pressure that high level sport puts people under. Different to my normal fiction – every day stuff packaged up into something that would put any of us under pressure.
The Light Between the Oceans – ML Stedman
I definitely wept through this one. Definitely a unique book – a couple live on an island looking after the lighthouse and a baby washes ashore with a dead body. They take a difficult decision and the rest of the book follows on. Don’t read it on the train!
Far from the Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy
My GCSE book and I hadn’t read it until April when my boss was reading it and I thought it was a good idea to revisit. What a marvellous book, the ultimate girl meets boy and boy and boy! I never realised what a little trouble maker Bathsheba was, a marvellous insight into days of old – although I’m not sure if Hardy intended it to be funny or naughty?
Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
I have the whole series of these books and love them as much now as when I first read them as a child. The ultimate sailing adventures in the Lake District (and further afield). Ransome appealed to everyone in these books – camping, staying away from parents, pirates, sailing, long summer holidays….
Skallagrigg – William Horwood
A love story of sorts, I found this in the school library years ago. It is also incredibly sad – a boy abandoned in a rotten hospital befriends a little girl also growing up with cerebral palsy. It is a beautiful story, another not to read on the train.
The Memory Keepers Daughter – Kim Edwards
The list of books not to read in public keeps coming! A heart-breaking story of a little girl with downs syndrome given away at birth by her father whilst her mother believes she died.
The Island – Victoria Hislop
A stunning read – set in Crete a young lady goes to find out about her family history and l has her eyes open to such drama and sadness her family had never told her about.
Us – David Nicholls
I loved One Day that he also wrote, but I think this is a better read. I couldn’t put it down. A family holiday before a teenage son moves out of home… followed by his mother! Funny and sad in equal measures, you’ll wince too at times I’m sure!
As the picture shows… however good the book, reading on holiday often causes dozing which often causes sunburn if Mr P doesn’t keep an eye on whether I am awake or not. For our trip this week I am only going to take two books (firstly to keep me awake and secondly as we want to explore and spend time with friends and thirdly because I just joined Amazon Prime and there are loads of freebies to download if I get desperate). I have high hopes for the books I am taking though, I just finished GB Stern’s Matriarch in time – there’s something about getting on the plane and opening page 1 of a new book that says I’m on holiday!
The Sunrise – Victoria Hislop
I really enjoy fiction that is based overseas and as above she had a great written style to I’m looking forward to another of her books – this time set in Cyprus in a time of conflict and invasion.
Everything I never told you – Celeste Ng
This is supposed to be a thrilling page-turner, death, guilt and intrigue and the youngest of the family only really knowing what is happening.
Who has recommendations for some other summer reading? I’m pretty open-minded to all sorts of styles and ages of book!
I loved The Rosie Experiement – and shall be giving a few of the rest a crack!
Author
Enjoy, and recommendations?