Books are one of my loves in life, as they give me one thing in the world that not many things can do…
They give me a sense of escapism.
I can transport and get lost in a whole new world and life, leaving my worries and stresses behind (or at least until I put down the book!).
Reading is one of my hobbies; it has such a positive impact on my mental health and my mood, which is why I will always be a book worm!
I love nothing more than curling up with a good book – brew included!
Being the book worm that I am and it being World Book Day, I wanted to share some of my favourite books that I’ve read recently over the past 12 months. And ones that gave me a different outlook on life!
3 books I highly recommend
1. A thousand boy kisses – Tillie Cole
I’m not one for a romantic book, not reallyyyy, but my boyfriend’s sister has slowly but surely tried to sway my opinion and convert me.
This was one of her faves so I went in with high expectations, and I can confirm it did not disappoint!
The emotions in this book were raw and they hit HARD! I’ve never cried at a book before, but this one had me crying in a coffee shop – twice!
I almost had to do a Joey from F.R.I.E.N.D.S and put the book in the freezer, as my empathetic heart couldn’t take much more.
It is an extremely emotional love story, so you will definitely need tissues with you! Some parts of the story I could resonate with from life experiences, so I understood the pain and I truly felt it through Tillie Cole’s words.
The love is so pure and strong within this book it gave me goosebumps, and it made me so grateful for the people I love, especially my boyfriend. It makes you realise just how much you need to cherish the loved ones in your life and always, always tell them you love them!
A strong 4.5/5 stars from me!
2. Who I am, my story – Mel C
Spice Girls is and always will be my most favourite girl band and sporty definitely was my favourite.
So when Mel C brought out this book, it was a no brainer that I needed to read it. Especially after I heard her speaking about her book on Steven Bartlett’s The Diary of a CEO podcast.
Whilst it was great to learn about Mel C’s background and how the Spice Girls officially began – did you know Baby Spice wasn’t originally picked? Yes, neither did I. It was also quite eye opening to see the struggles this group of girls endured. I think we forget just how young they were when they first found fame.
The silent struggles Mel C battled was actually deeply upsetting. Knowing she was putting on this front to the world got to me, and naturally I could relate too as I’m sure many could.
You really don’t know what goes on in life behind closed doors, do you?!
I would highly recommend if you’re a Spice Girls fan and have been through your own struggles in life and have hidden them from the world. It will hopefully make you feel less alone.
Being able to stand up and share her story as one of the most influential girl group members from the 90s, I felt was incredibly brave. Girl power indeed!
I’d give this a 3.5/5 stars for this!
3. The Housemaid – Freida McFadden
If you’ve never heard of this book before, then where have you been? (Obviously away from social media and from TikTok in particular!)
Now I absolutely love a thriller, mystery or crime style book so this one was definitely up my street, and it did not disappoint!
The mystery of the characters, the sinister situations that occur within the book always kept me guessing. I was being pushed and pulled in two different directions as to how I thought this book would end and the mystery behind the main character and their past.
It’s safe to say the twist unravelled and was executed in a great way. Usually twists in books fall a little flat as the execution isn’t as impactful as it could have been, but it’s safe to say I think the twist was delivered brilliantly. I was shook!
This book didn’t give me a different outlook on life compared to the other two books for obvious reasons, but I did thoroughly enjoy it!
It’s definitely a strong 4.5/5 stars from me.
I enjoyed it so much I’ve read the second one this year, so if that isn’t a recommendation – I don’t know what is?!
There are many more books on my list that I’ve read, and ones I NEED to read, but these 3 are really standout ones that I read last year.
If you plan to read them, I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
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