6 great books to get stuck into in 2021
During the longer winter nights, we’ve found ourselves curling up with a good read. Encompassing gripping novels, historical fiction and even some inspiration tales, our team have narrowed down six of the best books to get stuck into this year.
A Long Petal to the Sea by Isabel Allende: a fascinating historical fiction
Set during a tumultuous time for both South America and Europe in the mid to late 1900s, this novel is an eye opening insight into these times, based on a true story. The narrative perfectly intertwines the history of the Spanish Civil War, and a web of relationships across four generations of the Dalmau family who become political exiles from Spain, and then Chile. It follows both their physical and emotional journey of displacement from their homes and everything they know.
Running the World by Nick Butter: inspiration to keep fit in lockdown and plan an adventure
It was in the Sahara Desert that Nick Butter met fellow ultramarathon runner Kevin, as they ran across the scorching undulations, Kevin told Nick about his battle with prostate cancer. Inspired by their conversation, Nick set out to raise money by running a marathon in every country in the world. His witty narrative covers muggings, feral dogs, a drugs trafficker, and much much more.
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett: a gripping novel of two identities
A story of identical twin sisters born into a small, black community in the Deep South of America. Growing up the girls struggled with their identity, they had light skin and lived in a community where marriages were arranged to maintain their bloodlines. Feeling like they would never fit in, they ran away at the age of sixteen and went their separate ways, to see what else life has to offer. Ten years later, one of the sisters returns, and wonders what life her sister chose?
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides: a page-turning thriller
The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman's act of violence against her husband. It’s an accumulation of six years of silence, and a therapist determined to unlock her secrets. Theo Faber is the psychotherapist obsessed with uncovering the mystery behind her motives and her refusal to talk. As they sit in silence, the only clue he has is the very last painting she completed…
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig: a story about a second chance
Battling with depression and loneliness, Nora Seed decided to end it all. However, she ends up in The Midnight Library, the books here allow her to try different versions of her life. If she’d chosen a different path at any interval in her life, she would’ve followed a completely different route. Is there such a thing as a perfect life or a parallel universe? It’s a deep, interesting yet uplifting story into the futility of regrets and what happens when you wonder what could have been.
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries: inspiration to dive into a new project
2020 has undoubtedly been a difficult year for businesses of all sizes, after launching during the global pandemic hasn’t come without its challenges. The Lean Startup is a fantastic read on how to launch your product or service. It uses case studies across healthcare, government and retail to show how they’ve scaled their organisation and teams. All the while, ensuring to engage their customers, showing that it is possible to start from nothing.