The LuxeGirls’ Share Their Top Reads Of The Year
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HOW BEAUTIFUL WE WERE by Imbolo Mbue
Recommended By: Harriet Lovejoy, Content Manager
"Imbolo Mbue's book is set in the fictional African village of Kosawa. The village people live in fear of environmental degradation from an American oil company – pipeline spills have made farmlands infertile and children are dying from the toxic water. The people of Kosawa decide to fight back, but it comes at a steep price. It's a heart wrenching story about climate change and how we need to band together to protect vulnerable communities in the poorest countries.”
Available at Waterstones.com
IT STARTS WITH US by Colleen Hoover
Recommended By: Amrit Mann, Fashion Assistant
“I’ve been on a Colleen Hoover binge this year and the first book I read of hers was It Ends With Us, so, when I found out the sequel was due to land this year I pre-ordered it so quickly! This instalment dives deeper into Lily Bloom's first love – Atlas – and shares his side of their love story, including her jealous ex-husband. Emotional and a little steamy, if you haven't jumped on this bandwagon, you need to.”
Available at Waterstones.com
CONVERSATIONS IN LOVE by Natasha Lunn
Recommended By: Beatrice Beckett, Product Editor
“The vast research that went into this book by author and journalist Natasha Lunn is astonishing. Calling on various authors and experts, and of course also drawing on her personal experiences, she explores deeply-layered questions surrounding how we find love, how we sustain love and how we survive losing it. Although thought-provoking and deep, it also made me laugh out loud.”
Available at Waterstones.com
A VISIBLE MAN by Edward Enninful
Recommended By: Sapna Rao, Junior Fashion & Beauty Writer
“From his childhood in Ghana to his teenage years modelling in London, becoming the youngest-ever fashion director at i-D Magazine at 18 to his current role as Editor-in-Chief at British Vogue – Edward Enninful shares it all in this moving memoir. Following his journey, his struggles and the lessons he’s learned – and never shying away from the harsh realities of being black man working his way up the career ladder – it’s an inspirational and highly captivating read.”
Available at Waterstones.com
THE MAID by Nita Prose
Recommended By: Hattie Cotmore, Digital Designer
"Our narrator, 25-year-old 'Molly the Maid', struggles with social cues and etiquette. She’s also facing the loss of her grandmother, who has helped her interpret the world. Despite her personal hardships, she throws herself into her job as a maid at The Regency Grand Hotel, where she understands the rules and expectations set for her, and happily goes under the radar. This then changes one day when she finds the dead body of long-term guest Mr Black in his room, and she sets out in search of the truth. The Maid is an easy read but one that drew me in immediately thanks to an original heroine. A real page-turner that kept me guessing about the characters' fates until the end."
Available at waterstones.com
THE LITTLE BOOK OF ICK by Kitty Winks & Anna Burtt
Recommended By: Victoria Kong, Commercial Project Manager
"Everyone has their list of ‘icks’, and this book had me crying with laughter at what some people can find off-putting. Essentially a collection of 500 hilarious anecdotes, it’s the perfect light-hearted, quick and easy read that you can dip in and out of for some light relief."
Available at Waterstones.com
THE PARIS APARTMENT by Lucy Foley
Recommended By: Alexa Everaert, Digital Designer
“I don’t often go for the mystery-thriller genre, but this one had me hooked. A classic but at the same time not ‘whodunnit’, the story follows Jess who’s recently moved to Paris after leaving her job. Planning to crash with her brother, she’s shocked to find him missing on her arrival. Several suspects and secrets come to light as Jess tries to get to the bottom of what’s happened. Told in rotating points of view, I loved how suspenseful and unpredictable it was.”
Available at Waterstones.com
ONE ITALIAN SUMMER by Rebecca Serle
Recommended By: Lucielle Venasquez, Marketing Assistant
“I love a good holiday read, but this one really surprised me. I half-expected a clichéd love story but it’s much more about love and loss. Main character Kate loses her mother and is faced with the prospect of embarking on a trip-of-a-lifetime to the Amalfi Coast – which they were meant to go on together. Once there, she feels more herself than ever, when (without giving too much away) an unexplainable occurrence gives Kate a second chance at being with, and getting to know the mother she just lost.”
Available at Waterstones.com
ALL THIS COULD BE DIFFERENT by Sarah Thankam Mathews
Recommended By: Kate Pryor, Social Media Assistant
“Main character Sneha has her life together – the job, the apartment and her relationship. But then things suddenly go downhill. With her job veering off the rails and the threat of eviction looming – plus working through new feelings of being interested in women – I found this to be a refreshing read and incredibly relatable. With a couple twists, turns and surprising secrets revealed along the way, it’ll also keep you on your toes.”
Available at Waterstones.com
ARE YOU REALLY OK? by Roman Kemp
Recommended By: Daisy Reed, Social Media Manager
“If you're looking for an inspiring read, this is it. Brutally honest, raw and emotional, it’s also incredibly informative. As a young man, mental health is a tough subject to tackle and it’s something we don’t address enough. I can wholeheartedly say this book should be on everyone's radar.”
Available at Waterstones.com
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All products on this page have been selected by our editorial team, however we may make commission on some products.