Falling Back In Love With Reading

With half of the world taking a digital detox of some description or another (no hate, I think this is actually a good idea) it seems that reading has had somewhat of a resurgence. Or maybe more accurately it’s had a resurgence for me. When I was younger I was always being found with my head in a book. I was the child who'd max out her library card on every school holiday and always be in trouble for saying up way past my bedtime reading. But then I got a bit older, spent my time at uni reading constantly for my degree and quite frankly preferred going out and nursing hangovers with Netflix than a book I just stopped reading for fun.

Recently the idea of reading more started to feel a bit more appealing though. If you listen to the podcast you'll know that sometimes I can find the whole idea of reading a bit intimidating. I have no clue what to pick, I'm not the quickest reader and like everything else in life it seems that the Internet has turned reading into some crazy fast-paced goal setting activity. That combined with the pressure to be constantly reading books that challenge your views of the world and that often have heavier topics, it's just not appealed to me. Of course, reading should broaden your horizons and teach you something new but you don't have to be reading War & Peace every month for it to be worth while.

Over the past few months I've been on the hunt to start finding some books that feel a bit more 'me'. Some are fiction, some non-fiction, some have taught me more than I expected and made me question things, others have just been the pure escapism I've needed at the end of the day,. Whatever it is, I've been actively making sure I make the time for reading each evening and it's made a massive difference. (and its helping me to reach my new years resolution of reading more). So what have I been reading? Well it's nothing highly groundbreaking as far as a list goes. Most are bestsellers (in fact maybe they all are) but they're all more than worthy of the title and have been the perfect way for me to dip my toes back into the book-pool.

Crazy Rich Asians: Yes, I bought into the hype and I can honestly say it's worth every ounce of it. I finished this in under a week which literally never happens, I couldnt tell you the last book I finished that quickly. Its light-hearted, full of twists and has me itching to book flights back to Singapore ASAP. I was over the moon to discover it was a trilogy so I'm now working my way through the rest of the series... I'll report back on Instagram.

The F Word: Talking about friendship is something that I always find fascinating, so it's no wonder than Lily's book has been one I've been thoroughly enjoying. She covers it all, from childhood best friends to making friends as adults, from long distance friendships to how dynamics change when one of you enters a relationship. It's an insightful look at modern female friendships, how they shape us and how truly valuable good friends are.

Feminists Don't Wear Pink (and other lies) : A book I'd typically sit in more of a serious/heavy topic area but actually found, in places, to be the perfect evening read. The way Scarlet has set out the book and curated essays from such a wide range of women means that you learn something new with each chapter in a bitrsize and accessible way. But what I love is that it doesn't feel 'watered-down' (or at least it didn't to me). It was refreshing to hear from some different voices within the space. Kiera Knightly’s contribution is one that has really stayed with me, along with The Catastrophisers Alphabet.

Everything I Know About Love: OK so this is one I actually read last year but I couldn't not mention it. It was my number 1 book from last year and I recommend/loan/buy it for everyone, hence why it isn't actually on my bedside table currently. Dolly has a way of saying what I'm thinking or feeling but in a far more eloquent and interesting fashion. I'm not really a cryer, especially when it comes to books, but this one literally had me laughing one minute, crying the next and laughing again straight after. I actually leant it to a friend and instantly regretted it because I was so desperate to read it again.

Milk and Honey: This was quite the Instagram sensation a few years ago and one that I still like to dip back into from time to time. The way Rupi Kaur writes is so powerful and I really think it is a must-read for any woman. Again, I’ve bought it for countless people over the past few years and it remains to hold some of the most beautiful poems. Poetry is something that can seem a little inaccessible and I think has a bad wrap, at least for me, thanks to my English Literature GCSE but Milk & Honey very much modernises the image of poetry and delivers some truly powerful pieces of work.

The Pieces: A love story between a woman and a merman, it’s as unbelievable as it sounds but also as fascinating. Despite the fact that the main protaginist falls in love with a mythical creature there is so much of her and her story that still feels relatable. It’s not too heavy and is the perfect book to work our way through on a Sunday afternoon plus it has a very satisfying ending.