Life: Favourite Books I've Read In The Past Year

Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing well. 

Today I wanted to talk about books. I have loved reading ever since I was a child, and unlike many of the kids in my primary school class, I always looked forward to reading sessions and getting my nose stuck into a new book. Now, as an almost- 20 - year old. I am still very much the same (although the likes of Jacqueline Wilson is no longer at the forefront of all my reading haha). Reading is my happy place and books are an adventure to me, there are not many activities I like more than curling under my duvet after a long day with a cup of tea and getting completely lost in the world of a book. In this post I am going to share with you some of my favourites that I have read in the past year. Whether you're a book nerd like me or you are wanting to get more into reading, I hope that this list will have something for you.

1) An Abundance Of Katherine's by John Green

I'm going to start the list with a nice and easy read. With the season of summer holidays and laying by the pool with a good read well and truly here, and this is definitely one you should read. It follows the story of a former child prodigy, who wants nothing more in life than to be remembered for doing something amazing. He tries to explain his relationships with a theorem. His adventures over the summer teach him valuable lessons about life and love with lots of funny and emotional twists along the way. I love how this one is relatable as it's about teenagers in high school who want different things from life, yet how they can still be friends. John Green is a pro at pulling at the old heart strings (The Fault In Our Stars, Paper Towns anyone?) and this one is no different at all.

2) The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern 

If you want to get completely lost in a world unlike the one you live in, this is the book for you. Everything about this book is absolutely gorgeous. It follows the stories of two children who are trained in magic and a mysterious night circus which is beyond the imagination of anyone. This book, set in the 1800's is perfect for escapism, keeping you interested with switching of setting and the characters it follows so as a reader you can piece the puzzle together and feel a part of the story.I loved this book so much and it is one that I would probably read again. 

3) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

If you want a more thought provoking, and intellectual story, I would highly recommend this book. Originally I was asked to read this for my English Literature A Level coursework, which immediately made me think that it would be extremely... dull. Oh how wrong I was, I absolutely adored this story for many reasons (which definitely shows as I got an A* in that piece of coursework). This is a feminist novel set in the future, exploring a dystopian world where women are property of men and treated miserably in many different ways. Offred, the main character is a handmaid to a rich family and follows how she copes with this lifestyle. This book is amazing at making you think, because as you get further into the book, you realise that this dystopia life is actually a reality for some women in the world, and really makes you realise how lucky many of us women have it in developed society. It is a strong reminder that feminism IS needed desperately in the 21st century. 

4) Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

I finished reading this book a couple of months before the film came out. If you haven't seen the film yet I would strongly recommed reading this first as it is such a wonderfully written story. It tells the tale of a young women who becomes a carer for a disabled man. It isn't your typical girly novel although it does certainly have elements of it, but it is more a book to help you see positively and see the good things in life in spite of the bad things that may have happened. I am very excited to read the sequel as soon as I can.

Thank you so much for reading! Have you read any of these books? What recommendations do you have that I read next?

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Love, Yasmin xxx