lou's library

I feel like this blog post is long overdue! I’ve written about my favourite political memoirs before and have recommended non-fiction books in other posts, but have never dedicated an entire post to this genre. But I love reading non-fiction books!! So, here are some of my favourite that I have read recently and would highly recommend (this list is by no means exhaustive, I might have to make a part two soon to include more of my favourite non-fiction).

Women Living Deliciously by Florence Given

I knew of Florence Given because of her Instagram account and had heard a lot of praise for her other book, Women Don’t Owe You Pretty. So, when I saw her latest book, Women Living Deliciously, in a book shop in Oxford, I instantly felt drawn to it and started reading it straight away. And my God, did it blow me away!! It made me emotional, empowered, proud to be a woman, sad about the injustices we have to face, and so motivated to start living deliciously myself. The concept is truly best described by Florence herself, but she basically advocates for women to stop catering towards men’s wishes or to accept that this is a world built for men we’re living in. She explains a lot of the injustices that are a result of the patriarchy, and how women can ensure to live the lives they want, despite all the hurdles. I’ve been on a mission to make all the women (and men, although that might be a bigger challenge) in my life read Women Living Deliciously, because it was so perspective-shifting for me. I totally can’t do it justice here, so you shall simply have to trust me and go read it!! Also, it has gorgeous illustrations and I promise it will make you feel bold and empowered!!

Wintering by Katherine May

I dearly wish there were more books like Wintering by Katherine May (if there are, please let me know!). Basically, this is a beautiful book all about accepting change and the sadness that comes with it, and embracing slowness and deliberately switching off. Katherine May experienced a difficult time in her life, during which she was forced to step back and accept that she couldn’t keep going at a million miles an hour. It’s a lesson a lot of us could do with in this capitalistic whirlwind of an existence. Wintering is a love letter to the difficult moments in our lives, for while they are painful, they also hold potential for us to be gentle with ourselves and in doing so learn more about ourselves and where we would like to be headed. It’s written beautifully, and Katherine May’s thoughts are wandering, trying to make sense of her situation, and all of it is so human that it left me feeling raw, but also moved and emboldened to slow down and trust that all is going according to plan, even if it does not feel like it at all.

The Body by Bill Bryson

I love Bill Bryson. So much so that I dedicated an entire blog post to him. He’s one of my favourite writers, because he has the unique gift of making every topic intriguing, even if I have no idea about it or school made me believe I wasn’t good at it. Case in point: The Body. You guessed it right, folks, it’s about the human body, and all of its many functions, what can go wrong and why we truly are miracles walking around on two legs. I was alright enough at biology in school, but reading The Body made me realise how little idea I actually have of what is going on inside of me. But our bodies are fascinating, and Bill Bryson proves that in the most entertaining and accessible way possible. You don’t need to have any basic knowledge in biology or medicine to be able to read this, and I promise you will have a great time, even if you’ve never felt the desire to read about the human body before. Plus, you will have an almost infinite amount of fun facts for your next party, which will make you sound very smart. What’s not to love?

This Is Shakespeare by Emma Smith

I truly believe that Shakespeare is for everyone, so every book with the goal of taking away some of the apprehensions a lot of people have about Shakespeare is a reason to celebrate for me. And Emma Smith does just that so very beautifully in This Is Shakespeare. It dedicates a chapter to each play and looks at it from an unusual perspective. But it does so in an approachable way, and would be suitable for academics, students and readers who have no academic background in reading Shakespeare. I found the essays to be endlessly enlightening and fascinating, and definitely helped me understand the themes of the plays better. I particularly loved that she does not shy away from pointing out plot holes and inconsistencies, because she understands that that does not have to take away from the enjoyment that thinking about Shakespeare’s work provides (and she does not deify him like so many other scholars). It’s such a readable and well-written book that is often funny and always incredibly well-researched. I couldn’t recommend this enough if you want to dip your toes into Shakespeare or are looking for some refreshing perspectives!

I hope you enjoyed these recommendations! I know it’s a wild mix, but every book deserves its spot on the list, and I hope you will find them entertaining and enlightening. In case you like Political Memoirs, here is my post full of recommendations for that.