LIFE: 8 Amazing books you MUST read this Autumn

 I’ve always been a keen reader, but this summer I discovered a brand new way to read books – call me late to the party, but I’ve discovered the magical world of Audiobooks! The good thing about listening to a book is that I drive to work everyday and usually get stuck in the most horrendous traffic along the way (usually causing much flustering, stress and fist shaking). Having an audiobook playing in the car keeps my mind from the traffic and keeps me lost in words instead. I’ve even been so gripped to a book I’ve sat in my car for 20 minutes after arriving home (yes, just parked outside my house!) just to finish the end of the chapter.

So, with this in mind, I’ve put together a list of the books I’ve read over the last few months. As you’ll see I have an eclectic taste in books and always try and to pick different genres to mix things up. When I choose a book to read I always search for their editors. The editors in Canada are highly skilled and publish a story that is unique and interesting to the readers. All of the books below have touched me in some way, some of them have left me on the edge of my seat others are more classical with inspirational messages and some were just just for the giggles. I think there is something for everyone in the list below, hope you enjoy!

All the Light we Cannot See – Anthony Doerr –  a New York Times Bestseller about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II. This beautiful book just took my breath away; the story unfolds from two totally different perspectives, their stories eventually intertwining in the most amazing way. I normally find war stories heavy-going to read but this book is just so elegantly written it kept me thoroughly entertained throughout, I didn’t want it to end – (My rating 5/5)

You – Caroline Kepnes – You is a psychological thriller, based in the modern digital age. With help from the Internet and social Media Joe is able to lure Beck into believing he is her perfect partner, however is what he is saying really true, or is he just reading it all on her Twitter feed? What is going on behind the scenes? This is one of the most chillingly terrifying books I’ve read in a long time, especially with my life being on social media too. This book is fast paced, intelligent and will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. A must-read, especially for the social-media addicts amongst us! – (My rating 4/5)

The Martian -Andy Weir – This was a really different choice of book for me but I’m so glad I managed to read it before the movie comes out at the end of September. The Martian, astronaut Mark Whatney is left stranded on Mars after his teams mission fails and they believe him to be dead. When he comes round he finds himself alone on this desolate planet with only the bear minimum needed for survival. How will he cope? Will he ever make it back to earth? A book that’ll keep you rooting for Mark Whatney all the way, I couldn’t put it down. – (My rating 5/5)

The Rosie Project – Graeme Simsion – I’m not really one for romance novels, but I really loved this unconventional love story. Don Tillman, a brilliant yet socially inept professor of genetics, has decided it’s time he found a wife. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which Don approaches all things, he designs the Wife Project to find his perfect partner: a sixteen-page, scientifically valid survey to filter out the drinkers, the smokers, the late arrivers. I couldn’t help but see myself in quirky scientist Don Tilman (no I didn’t make an application form for Vee but in other ways!) This made me love this book and him as a character even more, but even if you don’t relate (or you are a Rosie) this is such a feel good book that’s bound to put a smile on anyones face. (My rating 4/5)

Girl on the Train – Paula Hawkins – Wow. Just wow, this book was amazing. It was the first audiobook I listened to and I was gripped from start to finish, there is a reason it’s the New York Times #1 Bestseller for 2015. Rachel is just an everyday normal girl, she takes the train every morning passing by the same row of cosy suburban houses and daydreams from her window. As she passes by she starts to fantasise about the lives of their occupants, dreaming of a perfect life in a house by the tracks – until one morning she sees something so shocking, everything changes in that moment. This is the book that kept me sitting in my car, long after I’d arrived at my house, I just couldn’t stop listening, a compulsive read you won’t put down until it’s finished! (My rating 5/5)

The Alchemist – Paul Coelho – This is a classic book, one I’ve read before but love so much I wanted to read it again, every time I read this story I see it from a different perspective and learn something new. The Alchemist is a tale of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. His quest will lead him to treasure far from the riches he ever imagined. Santiago’s journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, of recognising opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life’s path, the most important lesson is to follow our dreams.

Yes Please – Amy Poehler – This is my most recent “read”, the hilarious Amy Poehler’s book is a cross between modern day life guidance for women and her comedy one-liners. This book has been on my reading list for so long and doesn’t disappoint. I do find her slightly irratating and a bit over-confident, but putting all of that aside it’s still pretty enjoyable. If you are looking for advice on relationships, careers, or writing a book with two small children under six, this book is for you, or if you just want to laugh and feel like you are reading a persons innermost thoughts (the ones we probably wouldn’t normally share) with a comedy spin, then you’ll like this too. (My rating – 3/5)