Journalist and Author Jo Carnegie (@jocarnegie1) shares the must reads of the Summer
‘The Happiness Equation’ by Mo Gawdat
I had to read this as research for another project and I’m so glad that I did. Happiness is something that’s talked about a lot (some might say it’s overkill) but Mo’s take on it really struck a chord with me. Mo used to be a bigwig at Google, before his beloved son Ali died tragically during an operation. The way Mo and his family approached grief and have made meaning of Ali’s life and death is really beautiful and inspiring and should give us all hope. ‘Happiness starts with a conscious choice’ says Mo. ‘Are you ready to make it?’
‘Where The Crawdads Sing’ by Delia Owens
I actually resisted buying this at the airport last year because I’m a bit of a weirdo who doesn’t like reading bestsellers that everyone else is reading (I shouldn’t really say that as a writer) but I was missing out! The story of the mysterious ‘Marsh Girl’ Kya is honestly one of the most evocative, coming of age stories I have read for years. It’s hard to believe that its author Delia Owen’s debut novel and the wildlife scientist’s descriptive prose is as rich and astonishing. Our relationship with the natural world is weaved in throughout the book, along with love, loneliness and a murder mystery.
‘Fairytale of New York’ by Zoë Folbigg
Zoë Folbigg (author of The Note, The 3 Loves of Sebastian Cooper & The Distance) is one of my favourite romance writers. She’s such an elegant storyteller and she has a real knack for transporting you into the world that she’s writing about. Her latest one is no different: London based Charlie Brown flies off to NYC to meet her fiancé for Christmas – what could be more romantic? Except that he never turns up to meet her at the airport! Where is he and will Charlie get her happy ending? Another absorbing read by Zoë Folbigg. And who doesn’t want to spend a holiday in New York?! Add this one to your Summer reading – out 28 August 2023.
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