My current favourite books

I have always been a reader, ever since I was little there was something beautiful to be about books and their ability to transport you to another world by just reading. Obviously, we all have some extra time these days and I have been filling mine by reading. So I thought I would share some of my favourite books I have been loving lately.

Becoming by Michelle Obama

If the fact that its written by one of the most inspirational, funny, talented, hardworking women of all time is not enough for you to want to read this book I have no problem hyping it up, even though it doesn't need it! When I first heard that this book was coming out I was beyond excited, I am a sucker for an autobiography. I finally got ahold of the book and finished it in about a day.

I don't want to give it away because you all need to read it but I will talk about some of my favourite things about the book.

The first thing was I loved how raw and real the book was. Stories that she shared as a child, a college student, a graduate, a girlfriend, a wife, a mother, the 44th First Lady and in her new life after leaving the White House she is real and rare with the struggles and the success she experienced in her life.

Another thing I loved was how empowering the book is, without it becoming some sort of motivational book. The stories she told about not only herself but of her parents, Barack and even her daughters where all inspirational and motivational.

She truly is someone who inspires me to educate and work on myself every day.

We Can't Say We Didn't Know by Sophie McNeill

Not many books have made me cry in public before, but I can confirm that this book has, in fact, made me cry on a bus travelling to Canberra. Instead of having to summarise it (which would be impossible), I am going to get the description from Booktopia which I think explains it best.

"For more than 15 years, award-winning journalist Sophie McNeill has reported on some of the most war-ravaged and oppressive places on earth, including Syria, Gaza, Yemen, West Bank and Iraq.

In We Can't Say We Didn't Know, Sophie tells the human stories of devastation and hope behind the headlines - of children, families and refugees, of valiant doctors, steadfast dissidents and Saudi women seeking asylum. These innocent civilians bear the brunt of the lawlessness of the current age of impunity, where war crimes go unpunished and human rights are abused. Many risks everything they know to stand up for what they believe in and to be on the right side of history and their courage is extraordinary and inspiring,

McNeill also examines what happens when evidence and facts become subjective and debatable, and how and why disinformation, impunity and hypocrisy now reign supreme. We can't say we didn't know - the question now is, what are you going to do about it?"

This book truly has changed my life or at least changed the way that I look at my own life and the lives of people around me. I remember having a conversation with one of my friends and they were talking about something that was bothering her in her life and the first thing I thought of was of the beginning to a chapter in the book that talked about children getting blown up in Yemen. I can defiantly see a brighter glow around my own extremely privileged life of protection, food and family.

"The question now is, what are you going to do about it?" Really stuck with me, because once you know these stories you can never go without wondering what you can do as a human to help people who have to live through these events.

To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee

I think I may be the only person in year ten English class that actually read the entirety of this book and actually enjoyed it. And to this day it still sits on my bookshelf and has a special place in my heart for many reasons. One because it was one of the only books I found when I was on exchange that was in English and there was something about reading an English book that gave me so much comfort, maybe because it didn't require me to strain my brain translating it. Because of this whenever I read the book I go back to sitting on the beach in the Italian summer reading.

Another reason is because of the topics in the book seem still so real in our modern society. throughout the book prejudice, racism, justice and much more are addressed. Every time I read the book it brings that reality to life, that these are still very real, very hard, very detrimental too many communities.

Harry Potter Series by J.K.Rowling

I don't need to say much about these books, apart from I have read the series about twelve times and love it every time. There is something very nostalgic to me about these books and they are perfect if you are looking for a book that will transport you into another world.