I am guilty of having an endless to-be-read(TBR) list, but sometimes I just can’t help it. There are so many good books out there and 2019 has been an exceptional year in that regards. Here is a narrowed down list of my most recent purchases that I can’t wait to spend 2020 delving into!
1. THE GIVER OF STARS – Jojo Moyes
Reese Witherspoon’s book pick of the month! Jojo Moyes is also the author of Me Before You, the book is based on a true story of extraordinary women and their journey; a journey set in the depression era. Any book written by Jojo Moyes is known to be exceptional.
2. THE STARLESS SEA – Erin Morgenstern
The cover of this book is everything, the details are outstanding and that alone could make anyone feel the need to purchase the book based off of the beautiful cover. Even better, it is an exceptional read (or so I’ve heard). Zachary Rawlins comes across a book that’s hidden in the library at his university and we follow his journey in solving the puzzle of the book.
3. GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER – Bernardine Evaristo
The winner of the Booker Prize 2019!! I got myself a signed copy of this and I CANNOT WAIT to start reading it! Girl, Woman, Other is the story of twelve different women across Britain who navigate their way through life as strong black women, the reviews of this book are just irresistible!
4. OLIVE AGAIN – Elizabeth Strout
The loveable Olive Kitteridge is older now and discovering herself through the second half of her life. Olive adjusts to life with her second husband and life’s challenges with her estranged son. This is OPRAH’s book club pick of the month, and I trust in Oprah and her choices and I honestly cannot wait to start reading this!!
5. CELESTIAL BODIES – Jokha Al Harthi
Mayya, Asma & Khawla are three sisters who live in al-Awafi in Oman. Despite them being sisters, their stories are all so different yet equally relatable to any Middle Eastern woman. The book is the winner of Man Booker International Prize 2019!!
6. ORDINARY PEOPLE – Diana Evans
Ordinary People is the winner of The South Bank Sky Arts Award. Two couples find themselves at a moment of reckoning. Melissa just had a new baby and she refuses to let this change, change her. Damian just lost his dad and he refuses to let that change him. Micheal is still inlove with Melissa. Stephanie wants to live a normal life with Damian and their three children. The book is a true testament of identity, parenthood, sex, grief, aging & friendships.
7. I OWE YOU ONE – Sophie Kinsella
Fixie Farr is a straight-talking individual who lives up to her name. She constantly feels the need to put everything in place and fix everything; that’s how she got her nickname. Everything in her life is planned, until her long time teenage crush Ryan pops back into her life and she’s faced with the dilemma of her longing of Ryan and the stranger she met at the coffee shop.
8. BRIEF ANSWERS TO THE BIG QUESTIONS – Stephen Hawking
This is the last book written by the late and incredible Stephen Hawking. The book poses many questions about the past, present & future. The book delves into the possibility of there being life in another universe & who better to provide us with the answers (or almost answers) other than Thee Stephen Hawking.
9. IT’S NOT ABOUT THE BURQA – Edited by Mariam Khan
In 2015, Mariam Khan came across an article that David Cameron linked the radicalization of Muslim men to the submissiveness of Muslim women. It came to Mariam’s attention that this was only based off the assumptions that people made about Muslim women; those people not being Muslim themselves and not being familiar with the culture nor religion. The book discusses what it is exactly to be a Muslim woman in a Western world.
10. HIPPIE – Paulo Coelho
“If you want to learn about yourself, start by exploring the world around you” – Paulo Coelho. Hippie is the long-awaited book by all of Coelho’s fans, the book provides us an insight into his own journey in life and how he became the person he is now. Throughout Hippie we understand the story of Paulo; a young & skinny Brazilian who could only dream of becoming a writer and goes on a journey of self-discovery in the pursuit of deeper meaning in his life.
11. THE TESTAMENTS – Margret Atwood
If you loved the Handmaids Tale, you are bound to LOVE The Testaments. Margret Atwood is simply a genius. Her ability to see into the future and predict social problems that will arise in the near future is exceptional. I could only wish that a series will be based off this book too, or perhaps a continuation of the Handmaids Tale.
- REEM INK
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