Book Club

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page”

The luxury of getting lost in a good book is something I’ve been happily able to indulge in recently. I survive on recommendations so thought I’d share and hopefully get some more to add to the list in return.

Here’s what I’ve been reading so far, I’ll keep updating it along the way:

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

I’ve been meaning to read this for a while. I still haven’t seen the film and I’m so glad I waited. It’s an old cliche but I could not put this down. It’s such an inspiring story of Cheryl’s strength, determination and bravery in overcoming not only the huge physical challenge of walked the Pacific Crest Trail but her navigation of the crippling grief she felt after her mother’s death. It’s a journey full of wonderful characters and totally made me want to head off on a solo adventure. Her descriptions and detail are so in-depth I had an amazing vivid picture in my mind the whole way through. Excited to watch the movie and see how they brought it all to life.

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

I heard Oprah talking about this book a while ago with Elizabeth Gilbert on Supersoul Conversations. And luckily my sister just ordered in on our shared Kindle account so I could read it while I was away! It’s SUCH a beautiful book, full of beautiful people and set in my all time favourite beautiful city, New York. Vivien, now 95 and finally telling her story, shares with us her wild life in the world of theatre and her adventures in the city. She starts in 1940 and takes us right up to the present day. It’s “about a young woman discovering that you don't have to be a good girl to be a good person.” I will say no more, a must read.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

I read this really quickly. It was an easy read. There were parts I loved and other parts I found a bit cheesy. It’s an emotional story about friendship and young love centred around Mia and her family who are in a car crash with only Mia left behind. It’s also been made into a film which I can only imagine as being a bit Nicholas Sparks-style but not in an epic Notebook kind of way…It’s a sweet story, probably a good beach read. I’d be keen to know what anyone else thought about it!

Everywoman by Jess Phillips

This was a birthday present from a wonderful friend and a totally inspiring read. Jess is a Labour MP and speaks to all women with words of encouragement and demands for us to speak up, voice our views and shout from the rooftops. She shares her story of how she came to be sitting in the Houses of Parliament and gives examples of ways we can uplift, support and help the women around us to make the changes we all need. Perfect if you’re in need of a feminist boost!

Departures: A Guide to Letting Go, One Adventure at a Time by Anna Hart

My sister recommended this one with a serious warning that it would spark even more desire to travel the world. Anna is a travel journalist and has explored many places, meeting wonderful characters and learning valuable life lessons along the way. She writes in beautiful detail about the places she’s been and shares relatable thoughts and feelings about trying to find a place to call home while holding onto a sense of wanderlust. A woman after my own heart!

This Is Going To Hurt: by Adam Kay

I loved this. incredible insight into the world of a Junior Doctor working for the NHS. It’s a tear-jerker and laugh out loud funny (Adam Kay is now a stand-up comedian so makes sense…). A lot of what he writes about it totally unimaginable for us mere patients and probably almost all working adults in any other industry. I think the work the NHS does is amazing but if there’s ever any doubt, read this!

Period Power by Maisie Hill

I’ve been dipping into this on and off over the last couple of months after my sister and a close friend demanded I get a copy. Every woman with a period should absolutely read this. And then read select extracts to the supportive men in your life... It gives all kinds of advice about how to fully understand your own body, what’s happening at each stage of your cycle throughout the entire month and and how to work with it so you can feel your best, even when you feel your worst. She teaches you to view your cycle as having four seasons; Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. This part alone has been huge for me. I only wish I’d had this to read when I was younger!

She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey

This is an incredible piece of investigative journalism detailing accounts from countless women who suffered at the hands of Harvey Weinstein. It’s shocking and quite a complicated read with so many names, places and dates to keep track of. But it’s amazing. A hugely important part of the Me Too movement; its publication opened a Pandora's box of sexual harassment allegations and investigations across the world. It talks through various layers of the issues, the women directly involved as well as the enablers who were around at the time. A must read.

Heartburn by Nora Ephron

This book is a novel about the marriage and heartbreak of a woman called Rachel Samstat. It’s funny in quite a dry, dark way and the storyline is interrupted in parts for the heroine to share some of her favourite recipes (an added bonus!) This was a bit of a random choice but it’s funny and a nice, easy read.