I feel like I begin every ‘book related’ post on The Art of Being Holly with some sort of rambling, elaborate tale about falling in & out of love with reading, but you will be surprised to know that that isn’t what’s going to happen – not this time. I have such an exciting pile of books sat in front of me that I think it would be a minor miracle if I fell out of love with reading ever again. There are some real beauties here, from collaborative social masterpieces to the art-lovers dream books. It really is a decent selection and to say I can’t wait to share them with you… well that would be an understatement. Enjoy!
Useless Magic Lyrics & Poetry by Florence Welch
A compilation of songs, poetry, sketches and general magical goodness from the queen that is Florence & The Machine. I think this is one of the most beautiful books that I have ever owned and surely it is a must-read for any Florence fan. From what I have read so far, I am in awe of the level of creativity that this book has allowed and it reminds me a bit of Alexa Chung’s book ‘It’. Both of these books break the norm of what books generally conform to, bursting into hand-drawn notes or polaroids from times gone by without a hint of warning. This book is beautifully curated & I can’t wait to see where it takes me.
Feminists Don’t Wear Pink and other Lies. Curated by Scarlett Curtis
This book may look familiar, and not only because I featured it in my October Book Wishlist. ‘Feminists Don’t Wear Pink and Other Lies’, a book curated by Scarlett Curtis, was THE book to have in the last quarter of 2018 and for good reason. A collection of essays by tens of amazing, influential women on what feminism means to them. This is such a special book, offering so many unique perspectives on the role of women in pretty much all aspects of society. So far I have read the contributions by Saoirse Ronan, Evanna Lynch & Zoe Sugg, and I can’t wait to get stuck into the rest.
Modernists & Mavericks by Martin Gayford
Ever an art lover, any book on the subject always catches my attention and so I was delighted to receive this surprise for Christmas. This book, by art critic Martin Gayford, follows the story of how painting developed in London and how the web of artists within the city were interlinked. It looks like a fascinating look into the art world of the 1940s, 50s & 60s, and I can’t wait to dive into its pages; a mixture of text & artistic images.
Rookie Yearbook Four. Edited by Tavi Gevinson
A bittersweet inclusion, the Rookie Yearbook Four (of five) was something that I had to get my hands on before it was too late. A compilation of the very best articles, comics, playlists, poetry and photography from a year of my favourite ever website, this book is part of a series & website that has shaped my teenage years more than any other media. Regrettably, Rookie founder Tavi Gevinson recently published Rookie’s last web article bringing the magic to a close, with the website now standing as an archive of seven awesome years of creation.
The Rookie Yearbooks are a treat for the eyes, but alongside this are jam packed with thoughtful, insightful & helpful articles that cover every topic imaginable. I’m so glad I’ve got these books to help keep Rookie going and I know they will be a staple of my bookshelves for years to come.
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding
I am so excited to get stuck into this, after only recently reading the first few Bridget Jones books. Helen Fielding’s writing is pure genius and I think Bridget Jones definitely goes down as one of my favourite fictional characters of all time – bloody marvellous! This book follows Bridget as she muddles through life as a single mum and I can’t wait to see how she copes!
This Modern Love by Will Darbyshire
Another collaborative book, this incredible collection of submissions about love, curated by youtuber & filmmaker Will Darbyshire, is one of the most open hearted books I have ever owned. It has submissions from people of all ages and from all corners of the world, which answer 6 questions with letters, words & images. Any hopeless romantics out there will love this and I for one can already tell that I’m going to adore it.
As you can see, I’ve got a lot of book to be reading over the current months, but I don’t think I’ve ever had a pile of books to read that is as exciting and varied and I can’t wait to get reading.
What’s on your reading list for this year?
