Reading on the road #5

I've read some great books lately. Books that I couldn't put down and whose words have stayed with me. My reading list is getting bigger and bigger, so expect another instalment soon.

Dept. of Speculation

The author wrote this book with the intention to say as little as possible. Over a number of years she shares snippets of conversations, day-to-day observations and quotes that end up giving a really full picture of the life of a writer and new mother living in Brooklyn. It's a short book broken up into unconnected paragraphs – unusual, but I loved it.

When Breath Becomes Air

I first heard about Paul Kalanithi on the Cup of Jo blog, and his popular New York Times essay. He was a 36-year-old neurosurgeon in his last year of residency when he found out he had terminal lung cancer. This is his memoir about the relationship between life and death. It's brilliantly written and somehow both devastating and inspiring.

Sidewalks

Sidewalks is a collection of essays by an author from Mexico City. I particularly liked the one about cycling through Colonia Roma (our favourite area that I'll be writing about next week). The essays all deal with navigating cities, ones that are familiar and ones that are new. Through these urban adventures, the author weaves explorations of language, nostalgia and melancholy.

All The Light We Cannot See

An epic novel that won a Pulitzer Prize last year, this book tells the story of two teenagers, a blind Parisian girl and an orphaned German boy, who's paths collide during World War II. It's beautifully written, switching between 1934 and 1944, building tension along the way about what's going to happen to these two characters who are trying to do good in the most difficult circumstances.

For more book recommendations, have a look at my other reading on the road posts. And I'd love to know what you've been reading lately, too!