This is one of those books that weaves you into its spell and has such interesting and dynamic characters that you are heartbroken when the story ends because you so badly want to continue to be a part of their lives.
Read MoreReads For The Road: "The Improbability of Love" by Hannah Rothschild
When Annie finds and purchases a small, dingy painting hiding in the corner of a junky antique shop, she has no idea that it is about to expose her to some of Europe's darkest secrets — if you are hunting for the perfect beach read that is smart, entertaining, and well-written I've found it!
Read MoreReads For The Road: "The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving A F#CK" by Sarah Knight
If the title of this book — The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F#ck — sounds vaguely familiar, that's because it is a hilarious parody of the bestselling The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.
The concept of this book is to teach you "how to stop spending time you don't have with people you don't like doing things you don't want to do" aka STOP PEOPLE PLEASING!!
Read MoreReads For The Road: "The Swerve — How The World Became Modern" by Stephen Greenblatt
While this is definitely not a read-before-bed book (it's fascinating, but the content requires a more alert mind), The Swerve is well worth the read. And that's not just my opinion — it is a National Book Winner, and won the Pulitzer Prize!
Read MoreReads For The Road: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
If you haven't read The Alchemist yet, then you need to get yourself to a bookstore immediately, and if you have read it, then you should probably read it again. Yup, it's that good. But, not only is it that good, I find that the message you take away from the book changes depending on the stage of life you happen to find yourself in.
You might read Paulo Coelho's story and realize that you need to pack your bags and go on an adventure immediately or come to the realization that you have everything that you want right in front of you, you just hadn't realized it yet!
“…when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it”
This enchanting story follows a shepherd boy named Santiago, who travels to the Pyramids of Egypt in search of buried treasure. Along the way, he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself a king, and an Alchemist who give him guidance on his journey.
What begins as a search for worldly goods, ends up turning into a meditation on the importance of listening to our hearts and the transforming power of giving in and letting destiny guide you to your dreams.
An absolute must-read.
“‘Why do you tend a flock of sheep?’
’Because I like to travel.’
The old man pointed to a baker standing in his shop window at one corner of the plaza. “When he was a child, that man wanted to travel, too. But he decided first to buy his bakery and put some money aside. When he’s an old man, he’s going to spend a month in Africa. He never realized that people are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.”
’He should have decided to become a shepherd’”
Reads For The Road: The World Without Us by Alan Weisman
Written by award-winning journalist Alan Weisman, The World Without Us is a fascinating book that examines all aspects of a simple question:
What would happen to the planet if human beings just disappeared?
Now, Weisman is quick to clarify that this disappearance would not be because of something violent like a natural disaster or nuclear war. No, he is examining what the result would be if all of us just suddenly vanished into thin air.
What would happen to the land, the cities, the ocean, the climate, our garbage, our art? How long — if ever — would it take for all human traces to disappear?
Weisman’s does a great job of approaching these questions from all angles and taking readers through his journey of discovery and research.
The New York Times Book Review called it “A fascinating eco-thriller…” and I couldn’t agree more — I couldn't put it down or stop talking about it with my friends and family (sorry guys).
