5 Brilliant Books You Have To Read This Summer! – Hand Luggage Only

Summer just always strikes me as the best time to catch up on reading. The weather is usually fantastic and great for either heading out for a sunny holiday or just taking a walk to the park, armed with a good book to while away the time and get lost in the words… The best part about books I think is that they allow you to build a world partly assisted by the write but wholly created by your imagination which somehow makes the whole story telling process seem a lot more vivid and definitely more personal. These selection of books are some of my old favourites and a new one too. Chances are you’ve not heard or read of one or two on the list and although they may not be the most ‘fashionable’ books to read, they’re some of the best out there! Let’s jump right in shall we…

1.) Roots by Alex Haley

You’ll need all summer to read this one. No, seriously, I’m not even kidding – this is a huge book! I think I read it about 15 years ago and it is quite a tale! The author, Alex Haley, traces his lineage back across 6 generations starting with a young teenager called Kunta Kinte in Africa. The tales then follow the slave trade of Kunta Kinte, the experiences of his offsprings right through to ‘present day’ Alex Haley. It is a fantastic book and although it seems like a tough read, the way it is written and the stories themselves will captivate you from the first page right through to the last one. It’s a very easy book to get into and one that you’ll find yourself hard to tear yourself away from. (Available here UK | US)

2.) The Voyage of The Beagle by Charles Darwin

Follow the journey of Charles Darwin across the world as this original traveller tells you takes of his discovery in his trip across the world. It’s another fascinating book about travel and is definitely one I’d recommend to everyone and anyone interested in travel. It’s also an easy read as it’s a shortened version of Charles Darwin’s journals and packs quite a punch. 🙂 (Available here UK | US)

3.) Bossypants by Tina Fey

This book make me laugh so much – as one would expect I guess from a book written by Tina Fey! I love her writing style and her sense of humour (always have) but what I really like about this book is how un-airbrushed some of her views are. She makes some really good points in this books and does them in such a comic way that it’s such a fantastic book to read and one that will leave you…