If you know me, you know that I love reading. I am constantly giving suggestions and forcing books down everyone’s throats. I’ve read so many great books this year that I struggled to determine which ones have impacted me the most. But thinking back, the three listed in this article changed my perspective on life; more specifically, my perspectives on ambition, love and gratitude.
Carrie Soto is Back – Taylor Jenkins Reid
With current social media trends glamorizing productivity, I was struggling during the beginning of the semester. I was already falling behind on readings, only two weeks in, and fell out of the gym routine I had built during the summer. Most of all, I struggled with determining what I wanted. I preordered Carrie Soto is Back a few months earlier, and it had been delivered at the perfect time.
Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of my favourite authors. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was one of the first books I read by her, and now I own every book she has written. Each book of hers has impacted me in a different way.
Carrie Soto is Back is centres around a retired tennis player who is determined to make a comeback after her record is nearly beaten. Carrie Soto was known for ruthlessly breaking records and had taken twenty Grand Slam titles before retiring. She worked hard; day and night, with her father who had been coaching her since the age of two. Now thirty-seven years old, Carrie Soto will stop at nothing to reclaim her record.
This book inspired me in so many ways – it taught me to go after what I wanted. Not only that, it taught me that it is okay to fail sometimes.
Wrong place, Wrong Time – Gillian McAllister
I struggle to get through romances; I’m a huge mystery reader. After reading Wrong Place, Wrong Time, I’m on a mission to read all of Gillian McAllister’s books. She seems to have perfected the kind of book I want: a mystery with a sprinkle of romance thrown in.
What would you do if you saw your son murder someone? Wrong Place, Wrong Time follows a mother, Jenn, who witnesses her 17-year-old son commit a murder. Her dorky, happy teenage son’s future is now ruined. When she falls asleep the night after the murder, she wakes up and it is yesterday. She continues to go back in the past to try and stop it before it happens.
I was not prepared for how emotional this book was. It may have just been my period, but I was sobbing through the end. A large part of the book is Jenn trying to figure out what she did wrong; how she raised a son who could murder someone. As she goes into the past, we see her reflect on her relationships with her son and her husband. Both are told in the most heartfelt ways and taught me not only about love between partners, but love between a parent and their child.
A Thousand Splendid Suns – Khaled Hosseini
I have been often warned about Khaled Hosseini’s books, having been told that they will break your heart into a million pieces. Unfortunately, I have to say that this book will do that to you. I have yet to pick up The Kite Runner.
A Thousand Splendid Suns is set during the time the Taliban took hold over Afghanistan; a time when people were in constant fear for their lives. It tells the story of Mariam, who is married at a young age to an unforgiving, older man. Twenty years later, she is joined by another young girl, Laila. They grow to love each other and provide the support they both need.
When reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, I learned to appreciate and practise gratitude for everything I had. Mariam and Laila struggled through their teenage years in different ways, opening my eyes to how lucky I am for things I take for granted. Not only did the story provide some perspective on the hardship and turmoil that people in Afghanistan went through at that time, but it also taught me to be grateful for things like a bed, education, and the freedom to work.
Those are the three books that changed my life and my perspectives on ambition, love, and gratitude. I love reading and I hope my suggestions have encouraged everyone who reads this article to pick up a book – it’s worth it.
If you’d like more book suggestions, you can follow my bookstagram @mqreads!