My All Time Favourite Books

I love books and I love talking about them. Nothing fills me with more joy and excitement as when one of my friends asks me for a book reccomendation and even though I find it hard to choose between my babies there are a few standout works that I would call my favourites. I'm not saying that I have any qualification to reccomend books (apart from majoring in literature), I just find it really interesting to hear about peoples favourite books and I thought why not share mine?

Non-Fiction

Bloom by Estée Lalonde

Before I go on about the hilarious genius that is Estée can we just talk about the aesthetic of this book for a brief moment? I have never owned a more beautiful book in my entire life and I make sure it's on display at all times because it makes me so happy just looking at it. If you're subscribed to Estée on YouTube you will know that the beauty of this book did not come as a suprise as Estée and her boyfriend Aslan are aesthetic geniuses with the most amazing taste in all things interior, fashion and art. Which did come as a suprise though was the content. Estée is one of those people I could listen to for hours and hours even if she's talking about the most mundane things and I thouroghly enjoy all her content online. When she announced that she would share things in Bloom that she never talked about before I was sold because I was honestly intrigued about the human behind cheery and hilarious YouTube Estée and her views and thoughts on more serious issues. And she didn't dissapoint. In the book she talks about mental health, moving across the world, growing up, body image, family, bullying but also fashion, beauty and travel with a lot of wit but also with a really insightful and clever narrative. It's just the perfect combination of a light read coffeetable book and a thought-provoking memoir. I know I'm fangirling over this book and Estée way too much but just read it and tell me it isn't an amazing book! Well done, Estée!

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

Elizabeth Gilbert is the author of Eat, Pray, Love if you didn't know and I don't even care how basic you think the following statement is but Eat, Pray, Love is one of my favourite films. So I was intrigued by her newest piece of work and I also find myself drawn to pretty books (look at that cover!) The book is about living your life in an unapolegetically creative way and making the most of your dreams and talents while stop doubting yourself. I wouldn't neccesarily call it a self-help book but I have to say that I highlighted the crap out of this book. I thought numerous times: 'Oh my god that is so me!' while reading it and when that happens I know a book is a gooden. But this not only makes you wonder since when Elizabeth Gilbert is living in your brain but also explains the reasons for certain thought proccesses and solutions for them. If you desire to make a living off of being creative you should defenietly read this book. It's brilliant. 

Bossy Pants by Tina Fey

Well, I've already talked about this one on my blog but here we go again: Tina Fey is without doubt the funniest woman on this planet and everything she is involved in makes me cry with laughter. No suprise then that her book would be one of my favourites. I screamed at this. Well, a weird combination of screaming and laughing and a book that makes me actually physically laugh, not only think 'how funny' in my head is not only rare but also deserving of a special appreciation. But what's even more important is that I felt empowered after reading it and it's just a really clever feminist work covered in hilariousness. 

Don't worry, it gets worse by Alida Nugent

Everyone who is in their 20's will appreciate this book and so did I. It's a quick read but I loved it nonetheless. It's not a deep and brainy analysis on life and it doesn't deliver anwers to millenials in their quarter-life-crisis but it makes you feel less alone with it. It's more a diary than anything else and that's whats so charming about it because it's blunt and honest and funny. Alida describes her post-college struggles with becoming an adult and doing all the adult things that are not that fun after all when you're broke, unemployed and have no clue how to pay taxes. It's this cluelessness that makes me identify with this book so much and even though I'm still not done with university I am 100% sure I will soon come back to this book and will think: ' Ha! Good times when I thought this would't happen to me.' And that is very reassuring to know. 

It's all absolutely fine by Ruby Elliot

Even though there's also text in this book it's mostly illustrations and you will have come across Ruby and her work at least once on Instagram, I promise. This just hits home for me. Her drawings are just hitting my sense of humour and I mean who wouldn't be rolling on the floor with laughter (Yes, ROFL) at the sight of a jazzy lizzard coming out of a human shell? But what's even more astounding is that her drawings deal with a lot more serious issues than being a cracker eating lizard. She mostly talks and draws about mental health issues ranging from depression and anxiety to body dismorphia and body image and for anyone who dealt with any of those themselves this is a wonderful and hilarious take on the matter. Whenever I'm struggling with my mental health I pick this up and it never fails to make me laugh. 

Fiction

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

In recent years I haven't been loving that many fiction books and feel more entertained by essay collections, memoirs etc. so when a piece of fiction makes it into my favourites list you better believe it made me think or laugh or cry or all of the above (can you say that when the words aren't actually above?) My brilliant friend is the first part of a series by Elena Ferrante and is set in 1940's Naples. Not only did this book made me feel like I was sitting in a narrow, cobbled street in Naples, eating Pizza but it made me also think a lot about the realtionship with my best friend. I'm not much into love stories these days as I find them to be a bit overtold but a story where the friendship between two young women is the main focus is extremely refreshing and different. But it doesn't stop there. It's an HONEST depiction of friendship: jelousy and rivalry included. And anything that's honest I find frankly, brilliant. (See what I did there?)

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

I have a confession to make: I have never read a book where there wasn't a female narrative (Harry Potter excluded). I don't know if this is a very feminist thing of me or a very ignorant one but I promised to improve and so I decided to read a little life on reccomendation from Estée (there she goes again). First of all: this is one long ass book. Second of all: If you're looking for a book that will lift you up this is not the one but even though this book is devestating to read it is also utterly touching and a masterpiece of writing. I don't want o give too much away but the plot evolves around four men, who live in New York and go about their life. The main focus though lays on the character Jude who is battling with major physical and mental illness and an unspeakable of childhood that he tries to conceal from everyone around him. Throughout the book the reader learns not only about Judes childhood that is haunting his life but also learns a few lessons on love, friendship, mental health and kindness. It is also a good representation of how you never know what people have gone through, even if they're close to you and your heart and how we should look out for our friends and family more. This book made me cry more than once and I couldn't stop thinking about it even after I started a new one. A beautiful book but not for the faint hearted. 

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

I recently found out that this is being made into a movie and I am still excited about this news. I've read my fair share of YA novels in my time but now I feel like I've grown out of the teenage narrative. From time to time though, there are some special hidden treasures and Wonder is one of them. I don't even know why it's listed as a YA novel because it's told from different perspectives, most of which is the one of August a 10 year old boy. I think everyone should read this book, no matter what age. It taught me a valuable lesson about kindness and the facettes of love and I sobbed my eyes out at it. I love a book where I feel like I will never see things the same way after reading it and Wonder did that for me and I honestly believe that the world would be a better place if this was required reading in all schools. (Maybe that's why it's YA). It's a beautiful and heart-wrenching story and I couldn't reccomend it enough.

What are your all time favourite books and what's next on your reading list?

xx Laura