In lieu of a podcast this month...😅

In December I shared my non-fiction list of “books that changed me”. This month, in the absence of a new podcast, I thought I’d share some of the novels I’ve loved recently in case you discover something new you can get lost in this week✨ 

I don’t profess to be an expert, I don’t read half as much fiction as most of my friends, but as with all things, I try it and I just enjoy whatever I do get out of it! I have even been a member of a book club here in Madrid and made lasting friendships out of it.

I alternate between fiction and nonfiction: I’m a marketeer at heart and ever since I can remember have lived in between creativity and facts - studying languages, Maths and Geography at A Level sums me up perfectly😂 

But it’s true, sometimes all we need is a story - fictional lives and adventures to whisk us away from reality and switch us off from our day to day lives.

So let’s dive in shall we?!💜

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Okay so we’re starting off very strong with this one, but whenever I think of fiction books I’ve read this one is burnt in my brain. I read it a few years ago and was hooked: it is devastating, beautiful, poignant and an emotional rollercoaster.

The novel is set in New York and follows the lives of four friends who meet in college and how their relationships evolve over time.

“Yanagihara has fashioned a tragic and transcendent hymn to brotherly love, a masterful depiction of heartbreak, and a dark examination of the tyranny of memory and the limits of human endurance.” Frankly, I can’t think of a better summary.

Before the Coffee gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

My sister recommended this one to me and I’m so glad she did. I’d never have picked it up otherwise. The book is an adaptation of a play and is split into short stories about different characters who come into this mystical coffee shop in a small back alley in Tokyo.

An unusual coffee shop, here you can travel back in time. However, there are lots of rules which means you really have to know what you want and why.

In each of the stories we explore different types of relationships and “Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s beautiful, moving story explores the age-old question: what would you change if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time?”, thank you goodreads.

The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne

You might recognise John Boyne as the author of the Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, but I recently read this one and LOVED IT. This book tells the life story of a little boy born as an orphan in 1940s in Dublin and how he lives with his sexuality in a time and place where it was illegal to be gay.

The novel touches on difficult topics: sexuality, love, parents, your career, but with a beautiful sense of humour. Another book I couldn’t put down, I kept going back just because I wanted to know what Cyril got up to next and what hilarious thing he was going to say.

“Cyril decides to embark on a quest to find his place in the world. Sometimes misguided and often in the wrong place at the wrong time, life has dealt him a difficult hand but Cyril is resolute that he can change things, and find the courage to be himself.”

If you’ve read Shuggie Bain (another one I loved), think of this book as Shuggie Bain’s charming brother.

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

I was on a bit of a japanese hype last year and after What I talk about when I talk about running, I knew I needed to explore more of Murakami. I’m noticing a trend, I like books about relationships, they’re the ones that impact me the most. And this one follows Toru, a student in Tokyo, and how he copes with just living life and being himself after his best friend tragically dies young and he falls in love with his girlfriend.

“A magnificent blending of the music, the mood, and the ethos that was the sixties with the story of one college student's romantic coming of age, Norwegian Wood brilliantly recaptures a young man's first, hopeless, and heroic love.” Again, thank you goodreads, you’re better at this than I am😂 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Alright, I’ll give you something a little lighter! Why was I hooked on this one? I couldn’t tell you. I think it’s the Hollywood glamour? The plot twist? The love stories? And seven of them?

Whatever it is, Taylor Jenkins Reid knows how to right a contemporary romance novel to keep you entertained. This one follows a young journalist who for some reason has been chosen by the mega movie star Evelyn Hugo to write her life story. Why here and what is the life story Evelyn wants to tell? You’ll find out!

Much like Malibu Rising, this one is perfect for the beach, before bed, Sunday chilling - harmless entertainment that you’ll most definitely get lost in💖

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If you read this newsletter, tag me and let me know in your stories on IG which book you’d add to this list – I’d love to know your favourites!

Thanks for your patience with the podcast, with the move and life happening❤️‍🩹, I’ve not got myself together, but I’m getting back at it and will make sure to have exciting guests coming up for you.

Love, Amy x