For many of us summer is a season meant for reading––probably as a result of those summer reading lists we had as homework during school! And it's definitely nice to read a good book while you're resting at the poolside, hearing the ocean waves hit land on a beach, or in bed before going to sleep. Books are also great companions during flights, especially if you can't sleep and don't feel like watching the movies available.
I'm usually an avid reader––not only during the summer––and, although I tend to read academic texts more than anything else, I've had the chance to read some good books lately, I would recommend to anyone who wants to find a good book to read these days. I'm pretty sure you can find better reviews out there––and I recommend you to read them––so I will just mention what I liked about the books –which usually tends to be related to emotions and not feeling bored!
Susannah tells the story of how she suffered of a mental illness and finally managed to go out of it. It's really interesting because you can actually understand how confused she felt, how troubled she was, and how hard she had to fight. She manages to combine some very serious scientific findings with her personal experience in her book without any trouble, and you can live her journey with her thanks to her exquisite way of writing.
I actually read this one a while ago, but it was amazing how easily Murakami can mix the real world with a fantastic realm, where dogs talk and fish rain from the skies. I got easily lost in this book, thanks to Murakami's way of describing Japan's landscapes –both real and unreal at the same time––and his way of surprising you with every chapter you read. You definitely won't get bored with this one!
I read this book in around three days. Ironmonger somehow manages to get you so into this book that you just can't stop reading. It's a sort of love story, but your heart is constantly skipping a beat. It's full of surprises. I loved it!
While reading this book, I felt like I was taken to Pakistan. If I said you couldn't stop reading coincidence, this one is even worse––I read it overnight! I cried several times, only to break up into laughter afterwards. I felt love, pain, hatred, and love again––all in one night! This might be one of the best books I've read in my entire life!
I'm currently working on this one––so I can't actually tell you what it was like to read the whole book––but until now, it has been a perfect book for summer, especially if you went to summer camps during your childhood! More than anything, it has made me laugh, and remember of what life in a cabin is like. It also reminds me––for some reason?––what feeling an outsider in your teens feels like. And friends. All those friends you meet for just some weeks every year but that feel even closer than your brothers and sisters!
Happy reading!
Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio
