It’s sometimes hard to find the time to read anything for fun when you have a stack of school books on your desk just waiting to be cracked open. And when you do find the time, the choice might be tough: what on earth should you read? We here at Her Campus at Helsinki compiled some of our latest reads to help you with this dilemma.
Pinja recently read Robert Gailbraith’s Silkworm, the second Cormoran Strike novel penned under a pseudonym by J.K. Rowling. The story follows Cormoran, who is hired to track down a missing novelist. All is not as it seems, however, as Cormoran finds out when the man is found murdered under strange circumstances. Plenty of people had a motive – but who did it? This captivating murder mystery will surely thrill all its readers! And if you haven’t read the first novel, be sure to give that a chance as well (though the books can be read as stand-alones).
Aino ploughed through Sarah Knight‘s book with a mouthful of a name: The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck: How to Stop Spending Time You Don’t Have with People You Don’t Like Doing Things You Don’t Want to Do. The book is a parody of the popular guide called The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Knight has written a hilarious, yet truthful account on how to let go of unnecessary guilt about not being perfect, but rather just being happy.This is something we all need in our lives from time to time!
Ari’s current reading includes the popular thriller Gone Girl, penned by Gillian Flynn. The story has already found its way to the big screen but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read the source book. Nick and Amy, a seemingly perfect couple, reveal their inner selves more and more as the story goes on. And they’re not even close perfect. When Amy goes missing, the question on everyone’s minds is: Did he do it? Nick’s cold and distant personality does not help his case as he tries to convince everyone of his innocence. This novel is another thrilling mystery that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat.
Laura started re-reading Harry Potters but also found the time to read The Book of Lies, a supernatural thriller by the YA author Teri Terry. The novel begins with the unexpected meeting of identical twins who have never before met each other. Both of them harbor a dark secret that could destroy the other. How did their mother really die and what will happen to them now? We can promise lots of excitement and mystery (yes, even more excitement!), should you add this one to your to-be-read pile.
Lyra finished Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s The Thing Around Your Neck, a story about the collision of two vastly different cultures. We’re steering away from a clear theme with this one. The short stories contained in this book develop important themes from oppression and loss to poverty. The highly poignant writing will surely keep you engrossed from the very first lines and show a point of view that is fresh and relevant.
Katri is currently reading the fourth installment of the Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski, having naturally started from the first one. This fantasy series gave rise to the popular video game of the same name. Again, the original books are definitely worth the read. The combination of Slavic mythology and high fantasy will surely appeal to fans of Tolkien, Martin, Jordan, and co. And as this series is centered around a mutant monster-hunter, it’ll definitely be action-packed. What more could you want? The series begins with two short story collections, but if short stories are not your thing, the following parts are full-blown novels.
Hopefully one or more of these titles catches your fancy and maybe you’ll join us at our official Goodreads book club!