Holiday Reads

I mentioned in my last post that reading was a big part of being on holiday for me, and from the comments and questions I often get about good book suggestions, I’m thinking it is for you guys too. There really is nothing better than being glued to a book morning, noon and night while horizontal on a sun lounger….

So, while I’m trawling through the thousands of photos we took in Morocco ahead of posting all of its amazingness on here, I thought I’d share what I read this holiday in case anyone needs a little inspiration for a poolside getaway or otherwise….

Beautiful Ruins, Jess Walter | This was the first book I tucked into and it was my favourite by far. Weaving multiple narratives together to reach one, cohesive ending, it’s about love, loss, duty, redemption and the human pre-occuption with chasing dreams. Set in 1960s Italy and 21st century L.A and the Midwest to name a few, it’s ultimately the love story at it’s heart that will win you over. One of those books you don’t want to end because you simply don’t want to stop living in the character’s lives. Apparently there’s a movie in the works too….

Where’d You Go, Bernadette?, Maria Semple | This has intrigued me for ages, mainly because of it’s mysterious synopsis and comparisons to my all-time favourite read A Visit From The Goon Squad. Outspoken, fearless, cynical Bernadette is loved by her family, hated by the school gate mothers, revered by her contemporaries… Then she disappears into thin air. The book is her 15 year old daughter Bee’s attempt to find her by trawling through emails, letters and transcripts ahead of her mother’s disappearance to unearth the truth. Life-affirming, laugh-out-loud, heart-warming and every other optimistic cliche, this was the perfect holiday read. I devoured it in a day.

Music for Torching, A.M Homes | After reading the first two, this was a a bit of a struggle. A stark contrast to the warmth of Beautiful Ruins and Where’d You Go, Bernadette, this is dark, cold, distant and at times unhinged. If you’ve read any of Homes’ work before, you’ll know what I’m getting at! This focuses on a pair of middle class, suburbanites  who are drowning in their own Stepford-wife breed of normality and desperately trying to escape monotony. It takes a little while to engage with as the dialogue can often read quite flat and soulless (all part of conveying the characters’ futility if we were to get super analytical here)… But bear with it; the ending is so disarming, it’s worth pushing on for this alone. Uncomfortable reading but it’s a real thinker and will have you lying in shock for a few minutes after you’ve finished it.

Have you read any of these too?  Would love to know if you agree if so….

All photos taken at Baoussala in Essaouira, Morocco, organised via i-escape.com