Professional tennis has officially wrapped up for the year, and it seems they've all gone to the Maldives. I only have a few matches left for my leagues, and then tennis is done for me until next year!
Although I start to miss tennis after a while, I really enjoy the break, and try to make time for the other things I enjoy, but don't always have time for. Aside from tennis, reading is one of my favorite things. I love sharing good book recommendations with fellow book nerds. As winter rolls in, I'm dreaming of curling up by the fire with some hot tea, and a good book. Here are some of my favorite authors. I hope they will inspire you to make time for yourself this holiday season.
The best way to travel to far and away places are through the pages of a good book.
Janice Y.K. Lee was born in Hong Kong, the daughter of Korean expatriates. Her debut novel is The Piano Teacher.
I read the Piano Teacher years ago, and loved it so much. I knew when I finished, it would be a book I'd read more than once. It will always have a place on my bookshelf. The writing is so lovely, and intelligent. It's a story of love and betrayal in war torn Hong Kong. I learned a lot about the relationships between China, Japan, and Great Britain during WWII, in the most beautiful way.
I think the idea of living abroad would be such an incredible experience. My brother-in-law and his wife lived in Singapore when his company required it. I loved hearing about their lives there. In her novel The Expatriates, Janice writes about three American women living in Hong Kong in a small expat community.
If you're a fan of JK Rowling, you should check out the Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith. Why? Because JK Rowling wrote this series under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith! I love this series and I literally get embarrassingly excited when a new book comes out. It's a detective series based in London. Each book is so interesting, exciting and suspenseful. The newest book is The Ink Black Heart, and I'm reading it now. The first book in the series is The Cuckoos Calling- the story of a gorgeous model found dead on the sidewalk outside her London apartment.
I've mentioned Ruta Sepetys before, and I'll continue to share what an incredible author she is. I read Salt to the Sea years ago when I hosted a bookclub. It was so good, and everyone loved it! Her books are very well researched and I always learn so much about the location of the novels. The Fountains of Silence is set in Madrid during the Franco era. I read it before a trip to Spain and it gave me a much better understanding of what the Spanish people have been through. Her books are filled with historical knowledge and she manages to create complex, and interesting characters that you grow attached to.
Prodigal Summer was one of the first books I read as an adult that I really loved. I have it on my bookshelf and would love to read it again. Another incredibly talented, intelligent author with loads of knowledge. The story of the Luna moths has stayed with me ever since I first read this over 10 years ago. Love in its simplest form, without words, finding each other in the dark. I read The Poisonwood Bible shortly after finishing Prodigal Summer and loved it as well. Unfortunately, her more recent books have not been my favorites, but these two I assure you are very good.
Books have always been a wonderful escape for me. There's nothing like getting lost in the pages of a good book. I hope this inspired you to make time to relax, disconnect, and get lost this holiday season.
XOXO,
Val
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