I make reading lists throughout the year, but I especially like making them around this time of year as we are all prepping for summer travel, vacations and staycations. In case you are looking for book list inspiration, I thought I’d share my latest seasonal reading list and my thoughts on some recent reads. Of course, these are just my recommendations. You could always consider looking for an online book club to give you some suggestions too. That would ensure that you find a range of different genres for your travels. Hopefully, you’ll be able to find some new books either way.
My Paris Kitchen – Paris is still very much on my mind after visiting the beautiful city earlier this year. I’d happily pack a bag and go back again RIGHT NOW if I had the opportunity. But since that’s not happening, I’ll be content to read about the city’s great food in this cookbook and maybe try to make a few recipes along the way as well.
#GirlBoss – I love reading about inspiring entrepreneurs. I hope to be an entrepreneur in my own right in some capacity some day. So of course I added #GirlBoss book to my reading list. Even if I hadn’t heard about #GirlBoss both online and offline, the title alone would inspire me to pick it up.
Every Day is for the Thief – This is a book I noticed while perusing a bookstore recently. After reading the front flap, I added Every Day is for the Thief to my reading list. I admit that sometimes a cover and a book title are all it takes to compel me to read a novel.
Here are my thoughts on what I’ve read lately:
The Goldfinch – I’d seen The Goldfinch mentioned in several places around the web and heard about the accolades it has received. The story revolves around 13-year-old Theo Decker, a NYC teen who survives an incident that kills his mother. Theo’s mother was his sole guardian at that point and they were quite close. Theo’s life takes several dramatic turns after the death of his mother which I won’t go into detail about here in case you haven’t yet read the book. But I will say that one decision Theo makes greatly impacts his life. So this story is sad, and I alternately went from rooting for Theo to being disappointed in his decisions. But overall the book was worth reading because of the way the author Donna Tartt has with words and the novel’s compelling plot.
Adé: A Love Story – Like most of the books I read these days, I heard about this book first on social media (Twitter to be specific). The book revolves around “Farida” a young woman who meets a young Swahili man named Adé and falls in love with him while traveling through Africa with her friend Miriam. Farida and her new love quickly become enamored with each other despite cultural differences. But certain events occur that test the commitment of the two young lovers.
My thoughts on the book: I enjoy a (well told) love story as much as the next person, but to be quite honest, Adé did not resonate with me as much as I thought it would. A lot of my mixed feelings on this story had to do with the length of the novel. Adé was a very short read; I wanted more time with the characters and for the plot to develop. To be clear, I don’t think the measure of a great novel is its work count. But while I think that Adé would have been a great addition to an anthology or a book of loosely tied together short stories (btw Junot Diaz does this very well), for me it just didn’t stand strong enough on its own as a novel.
When She Makes More: 10 Rules for Breadwinning Women – These days young many women are given advice such as to “Be bossy!” to “Not be bossy” to “Lean in!” and to “Make sure your pay is equal to men!” But once you get to the point where you are earning a salary and benefits equal to your male peers or you are an entrepreneur crushing your career goals, what then? How do you reconcile your career and competitive earning power if you are the breadwinner in your family? Tricky… When She Makes More tries to address these issues.
I’m not married, so while I can’t yet practically apply the advice laid out in this book, I think that in general, all women should learn the basics (and beyond!) about managing money and interpersonal relationships. I say give this book a read to form your own opinion, but the advice presented seemed to make sense to me. Because I’m all about personal finance these days, I will now definitely go back and read the author, Farnoosh Torabi’s previous books.
What have you read lately? Or what’s on your to-read list?
