For me, autumn is the perfect time to cosy up inside with a fresh, new book and read. My favourite evenings are those without any commitments, some hot tea and a book I can get lost in. Preferably with the rain pouring down outside. Those evenings don’t happen too often, but when they do, I always cherish them.
Now that the colder part of autumn and the rest of the year is coming around, there’s no better time to stock up on some new books. After reading much non-fiction this summer, I’ve included some more fiction on my autumn reading list.
Some of you might know Trevor Noah as the really funny stand-up comedian who hosts the Daily Show. You probably don’t know (at least I didn’t) that he had a pretty rough childhood in South Africa before becoming a famous comedian. He grew up in the townships of Johannesburg to a white father and a black mother – at a time, when such a union was punishable by a couple of years in prison.
Trevor Noah tells the stories of being born a crime, living with a violent stepfather and actually going to prison one time. Between all the horrors and hardships, it is still a light-hearted book. I cannot recommend it enough, as it is such an enjoyable read and you actually learn more about the absurdities of the apartheid regime.
Reading Lagom is little less intense, but still extremely enjoyable. Are you a fan of hygge already? Well, lagom is the Swedish version of it. Roughly translated, it means, ‘not too little, not too much, just the right amount’. In this book, the author tells us how we can all have a little more lagom in our lives. There’s little tips on fashion and making a home, relationships and work.
I really enjoyed reading Lagom and think it’s perfect for this time of year. Autumn is a time, when we all stay home more often, make it cosy and let go of things we don’t need. Lagom is a gentle guide on how to do this, and I immensely enjoyed it.
What are you looking for in autumn reading? If gripping spy novels, a new perspective on history and exquisite writing are your thing, The Sympathizer is the right choice for you. The story is set in Vietnam in 1975 near the end of the Vietnam war. Its protagonist is a man who is part of the South Vietnamese army – and a spy. The novel tells his story.
To be honest, apart from the basic facts I don’t know too much about the Vietnam war. As I mentioned before, I love learning more about history through stories. This one tells about one aspect of this war. And if you’re still considering: Nguyen even one the Pulitzer price for this work, so it’s definitely worth your time.
If you haven’t read Thinking fast and slow yet, you should join me in finally going ahead and changing that. It has been on the bestseller list for ages, on my reading list for ages and it gets quoted almost everywhere. Time to get reading right? In the book, Kahneman uncovers how we make our decisions and what’s rational (or irrational) about them. He tells us about the difference of fast, intuitive decisions and slow, rational ones. Kahneman gives a lot of profound advice and some surprises along the way, so even if you aren’t normally into psychology/economics, you should check this one out.
That’s it, these are my books to read in the next few weeks. What’s on your autumn reading list? I’d love to get some more tips!
Hanna’s Places is a green lifestyle magazine written by Hanna Ulatowski. It’s all about slowing down in a fast-paced society and finding ways to live a more sustainable, simple lifestyle.