My Must-Read Recommendations

Brave New World (1932) by Aldous Huxley

Science Fiction | Classics

Brave New World depicts a dystopian world where humans are genetically modified through reproductive technology and your social status is based on intelligence. Written 90 years ago, Aldous Huxley will blow you away with his ability to predict elements of the future and remain contemporary. Once I started Brave New World, I could not put it down – it is a timeless classic not to be missed!

I Am the Central Park Jogger (2002) by Trisha Meili

Non-Fiction | Autobiography | True Crime

On the night of April 19, 1989, Trisha Meili was brutally assaulted and raped while jogging in New York City’s Central Park, becoming known as the Central Park Jogger while she lay comatose in the hospital for nearly two weeks. In her book, Trisha recounts the mesmerizing, inspiring, and gut-wrenching story of human strength and transcendent recovery. Trisha’s story is not always easy to digest, yet her story is remarkable, and her eloquent writing makes you want to keep turning the page.

A Gentleman in Moscow (2016) by Amor Towles

Historical Fiction | Book Club

After being deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal in 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Count Rostov must live in the hotel’s attic while critical years in Russia’s history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. This is a great book to recommend to your book club!

Tuesdays with Morrie (1997) by Mitch Albom

Nonfiction | Memoir | Philosophy

No matter what stage of life you are in, you’ve had or will find someone older and wiser that serves as a mentor or role model. Mitch Albom describes his college professor, Morrie Schwartz as his mentor when he was young and searching for advice in his young adulthood. After losing touch for nearly 20 years, Mitch rediscovers Morrie during the last few months of the older man’s life and rekindles their relationship by learning the last few lessons of life. Tuesdays with Morrie will provoke you to think about life and show the beauty of friendships across all ages.

The Painted Girls (2012) by Cathie Marie Buchanan

Historical Fiction | Canadian

In 1878 Paris, Marie and Antoinette van Goethem face the troubles of losing their father, a drunken mother, and extreme poverty. As the sisters must work to pay for their lodgings, Marie throws herself into dancing and later modelling while Antoinette must choose between honest labour and more profitable means of “work” for a young woman. Weaving between the sisters’ stories, The Painted Girls addresses the darker side of “civilized society.”

Read Along With Me

Every summer, I challenge myself to read certain books and host book clubs with my family and friends. These are a few I plan to read this summer, so read along with me!