Summer is in full swing, and many are looking forward to a vacation, a trip to the sea or a vacation at the dacha. Some novels seem to have been written specifically to be read in the wild mountains, on a hot beach, in a cozy European cafe or in a shady garden. Read the RIAMO selection of books to take with you on the road to have a great time.
The Last Romantic by Elizabeth Gilbert
A true story about a man who ran away from his parents and began to live in a wigwam, earning food by hunting, without using any of the benefits of civilization. And Eustace Conway didn’t stop there: he decided to set up a nature reserve-camp, where anyone can feel like a kind of “Robinson”. Elizabeth Gilbert's book is not just a biography, but almost a textbook on psychology. Mental traumas of childhood, complexes, inability to build relationships, an idea bordering on fanaticism - all this awaits readers on the pages of “The Last Romantic.”
"Blackberry Wine" by Joanne Harris
Dedicated to all lovers of homemade wine and gardening. A novel that spreads warm bliss throughout the body, an atmospheric story that touches the soul. Childhood memories, old mistakes, family secrets, choosing a Path - Joanne Harris couldn't have it any other way. Anyone who has read “Chocolate” will be glad to meet old acquaintances and stroll around the town of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes again.
“Lavender Room” Nina Gheorghe
Nina Gheorghe is a first-class psychologist and expert on souls. Each character is written so well that... a short time becomes family. These are not perfect romantic characters embarking on a boat trip on the Seine, but ordinary people, at some point lost themselves. People with their fears, grievances, self-doubt, anger, despondency, shame. It is impossible not to feel sympathy for the main character Jean Egaret - a literary pharmacist who prescribes books as medicine for emotional distress. The scenery of the events is the beautiful landscapes of Provence - another argument in favor of the book.
"Tuareg" Alberto Vazquez-Figueroa
If you plan to fly to hot countries with hot deserts, be sure to take a Touareg with you. A measured, drawn-out narrative takes you to places where there is no place to an ordinary person- these are the possessions of the proud and great Imohag warriors. Revenge should be feared by strangers who violated the main commandment of the Tuaregs: your guest is under your protection. A man of honor, Tuareg Gasel Sayyah, will not leave such blasphemy unpunished. And the reader can only follow him, feeling the omnipresent sand and heat of the desert on his body.
“Medea and Her Children” Lyudmila Ulitskaya
Genre: family saga
This book should be given out along with tickets to Crimea - it is so imbued with the atmosphere of the peninsula. The plot revolves easily and unobtrusively around the Crimean Greek woman Medea Sinopli and her many relatives. In the hot summer, her house comes to life and is filled with stories and resort passions, which are pleasant to follow page after page to the sound of the surf.
"Who would have thought! How the brain makes us do stupid things" Asya Kazantseva
Asya Kazantseva wrote an excellent book in the non-fiction style, the purpose of which is to popularize medicine and psychology. There are no boring quotes or incomprehensible numbers here; all issues are covered extremely simply, clearly and with a dose of healthy humor. An excellent option for reading on vacation, which allows you to “in a relaxed mode” get acquainted with the features of our main organ - the brain.
"Possess" by Antonia Byatt
If long reading is the number one item on your holiday to-do list, then this voluminous volume will come in handy. The novel is centered on two lines: the first is the story of two fictional poets of the Victorian era, Randolph Henry and Christabel La Motte, the second is the story of modern scientists and literary critics Roland Mitchell and Maud Bailey. This amazing book intertwines different worlds, genres and heroes. Imagine a mixture of a detective story, a women's gothic novel, a poetry collection about love and a knightly ballad - that's all about Possess.
"House of Lost Dreams" by Graham Joyce
Genre: magical realism
On a small Greek island, where the most beautiful sunsets and the warmest and cleanest seas are, unusual events begin to happen to a young English couple. The island seems to be talking to them, telling a story, reviving myths Ancient Greece, stands as a witness to modern mysteries. Magical realism against the backdrop of a paradise landscape - this book is not just pleasant to read, you want to live in it.
"Garden Enchantment" Sarah Addison Allen
Genre: family saga
The plot about a strange family and their house is not new, but it is still nice to read about magic in everyday life. Sisters Cindy and Claire not only successfully arrange their personal lives, but also find each other and restore warm relationships from scratch. And even though in reality a cupcake with candied pansies will not help solve problems, we still want to believe that our happiness is in our hands. This stylish and light book leaves a pleasant aftertaste.
"Italy. Wine, Food, Love by Michael Tucker
Genre: travel notes
Very appetizing literally The words of the book are contraindicated on an empty stomach. Former actor Michael Tucker tells how he managed to buy a house in Umbria. This turned out to be a real miracle for him: together with his wife, he fell in love with this region, with its leisurely inhabitants, with the atmosphere of peace and contentment, with incredibly tasty Italian food. It is recommended to read while sitting in a wicker chair and with a glass of wine in hand.
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Summer passed as if it had never happened. But if, like Oleg Dahl’s hero in the film of the same name, you have a vacation in September (October, November), the authors of the best telegram channels about books, at the request of Sobaka.Ru, recommended publications with which you can spend a great weekend. And weekdays too, by the way.
Ekaterina Aksenova
On vacation, it’s good to take something that is both fascinating and respectable (so that you can answer the question “what are you reading”) and memorable without hesitation. If the book also provides food for discussion over long, lazy breakfasts, that’s great!
In 2018, excellent candidates for a joint trip to distant countries were:
Andrey Zhuravlev “Creation of the Earth. How living organisms created our world"
This is fresh domestic science-pop that effectively explodes the reader’s consciousness. And if the warm sea and alien sky put you in a philosophical mood, it’s time to read a story stretched over four billion years, in which funny lumps of protoplasm successfully transform a piece of stone into our cozy world. And they create all the major minerals, and raise mountains, and change the climate, and periodically arrange a complete apocalypse. The book is not easy, but when, if not on vacation, should we remember that the brain is not only for budgets and reports?
Amanda Hendricks, Charles Wohlforth "Beyond Earth. Looking for a new home in the solar system"
After reading it, you get the complete feeling that you are ready to build the first space colony on distant Titan. You can see people from another world floating in the orange sky above the icy cliffs. The book successfully combines a fantastic line that describes possible development colonies, information from astronomy and space medicine, and also a story about the structure of the current half-crazy projects for the development of other planets. Bonus: with the knowledge you gain, you can shake the imagination of any child from four to ten years old, because their encyclopedias don’t write anything like that about space.
Valery Shabashov
On vacation, you need to take either very interesting books, or those that you haven’t gotten around to and you can’t get away from them on the beach, since there is no other alternative in your suitcase.
Alexey Ivanov “The Gold of Rebellion”
Take with you “The Gold of Rebellion” by Alexey Ivanov. This book will allow you to move from under the scorching sun into the harsh Ural expanses of a mining civilization that is gone forever. Where the treasury of Emelyan Pugachev and his associates disappeared is known only to the raftsmen - the captains of primitive navigation on the rebellious Chusovaya River. While reading this book, I did not notice how I flew from Heraklion to Moscow.
Donato Carrisi "Lost Girls of Rome"
If you love action-packed detective stories and Italy, pick up Donato Carrisi's novel The Lost Girls of Rome. The Vatican's secret police have been fighting the most insidious criminals from century to century, but the villain who opposes them in the 21st century is not so easy to neutralize. This detective reveals the most sinister secrets of the “eternal city”.
Maria Burova
book reviewer, creator of the “Woman Writes” telegram channel
JK Rowling "Very a good life»
So JK Rowling's modest "The Very Good Life" is perfect in this case. Inside this pocket edition is a beautifully illustrated speech the English writer gave to Harvard students ten years ago. Its main message is the value of imagination and the positive impact of failure on us. For Potter fans, this book will be another valuable copy in the collection, and for everyone else, it will be an opportunity to decide to make changes in their own lives.
Maya Lunde "The Story of Bees"
“The History of Bees” is a completely new and topical book. The author of the novel, Norwegian Maja Lunde, is very concerned about the global and irreversible changes that man makes to the world around him. Its three heroes live in different time, but their fates are somehow connected with bees. In 1852, amateur naturalist William Savage tries to create a new type of hive. Two centuries later, hereditary beekeeper George Savage witnesses a mass exodus of these insects. At the end of the 21st century, the Chinese woman Theo herself is forced to be like a bee, manually pollinating trees every day for the sake of starving humanity. The book is read quickly: unexpected turns, moralizing thoughts and sentimental transitions - everything is distributed evenly.
Olesya Skopinskaya
Gerald Durrell "My Family and Other Animals"
An autobiographical and very witty story by little Jerry Darrell about five years spent with the whole family on the flowering island of Corfu. Fascinated by natural history, he spent days studying the insects and animals lurking in the gardens of their villa. Some even managed to become household members. For example, the turtle Achilles and the dove Quasimodo, who gave everyone a surprise by turning out to be a dove. Such comical situations dilute the heated discussions of family members about the future and raising children. For me, this book is an endless summer with olive groves, myrtle thickets and a childish thirst for discovery.
Ted Chiang "The Story of Your Life"
Ted Chiang's collection is one of the most awarded in the history of science fiction. Each of the stories contains a sharp social subtext that is relevant for our time, be it a rethinking of the myth of the Tower of Babel or the purpose of the golem. Chan's science shows a truly obstinate character, destroying people's illusions about its role in the future of progress.
Chan did not hide the fact that he was inspired by the works of Sartre, his fine-tuning in the perception of the world. Therefore, it raises questions from the desire to see meaning in everything to the victory over discrimination based on appearance. Chan does not hesitate to exaggerate reality, wanting to reach a generation. Maybe it's worth listening?
Evgenia Lisitsyna
Collection “What happiness!”
But if we average and simplify, then on vacation with a pure heart, every second person can take, for example, the recent collection of stories “What Happiness!” from the “Editorial team of Elena Shubina”. Stories are generally a good choice for holidays. If the resort wind blows the contents of the previous text out of your head, then you can always take on a new one without a doubt. And if you don’t like one view of happiness, then the other will certainly hook you.
Summer is in full swing, and you need to spend time with benefit not only for the soul and body, but also for the brain. The best food for the mind is books. Only, mind you, real ones - paper ones! Take them with you to the beach, open them in the evenings in outdoor cafes, read them in bed while the rain sounds, and don’t forget to put them in your suitcase when you go on a trip. Reading will become not only fashionable for you, but also a truly useful habit if you use our list of 11 books that you should definitely read this summer!
Robin Sharma, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari
We have all heard stories about how a successful and successful entrepreneur or employee gave up everything, sold his property and went to some distant land in search of spiritual truth. Robin Sharma's work, which has been recognized more than once as a bestseller, tells the story of one of these characters: a very wealthy lawyer, experiencing a spiritual crisis, leaves his former life for the sake of immersion in ancient culture, in order, thanks to Eastern wisdom, to awaken his soul and overcome the melancholy that has settled in it. . Let's see what he can learn!
Alice Munro, "More Than Life"
Canadian writer, who received in 2013 Nobel Prize in literature, she is considered a continuer of the traditions of A.P. Chekhov for her simplicity, purity and, of course, brevity. “More expensive than life itself” is literally Munro’s last work: according to the writer, she does not plan to continue her literary works. The book is a collection short stories, telling about the life stories and destinies of the heroes. If you like descriptions of subtle inner world characters - this book is definitely for you!
Ray Bradbury, Dandelion Wine
For some, this summer will not be complete without a magnificent book by the famous writer, which makes you think about the transience of time, kindness, and fleeting moments of happiness that need to be noticed. Full of warm and sunny memories, this work will help you enjoy the nostalgia of childhood and feel every moment associated with the most beautiful time of the year. If you haven’t read this book yet, it’s time to rectify the situation!
Marcus Buckingham, Kurt Coffman, "First Break All the Rules"
If your summer is spent in the stuffy confines of the office, it's time to give yourself a break and have some fun interesting book, which will convince you that “the best managers in the world do things differently.” Tens of thousands of interviews that the authors conducted with the most effective managers of our time reveal the secrets of success and productivity: it turns out that sometimes you just have to break the rules. Try!
Gregory David Roberts, Shantaram
One of the best books for the holidays - fascinating, exciting, and will not leave any reader indifferent. The novel, which broke many sales records, is a confessional tale of a hero who was forced to hide from the law for years. This book has everything you need normal people I would prefer never to encounter this in my life, but it’s so interesting to read about from my cozy and safe nest. Divorce, deprivation of parental rights, drug addiction, robbery, sentence - 19 years in a maximum security prison, escape, counterfeiters, smugglers, Indian mafia, struggle for love... In a word, everything that will not let you get bored this summer!
Anna Gavalda, “35 kilos of hope”
Another story French writer, this time written from the perspective of a 13-year-old boy who stubbornly hates school. But you shouldn’t think that the book is intended for the younger generation - it absolutely surprisingly resonates in the hearts of both older children and adults themselves. And if you have already acquired offspring, then this book is simply a must-read: thanks to it, you will remember your youth and learn to better understand growing children. “35 Kilos of Hope” is a reminder of how to be good parents, as well as the importance of not giving up and believing. Reading will take you no more than one or two hours, and we can say with confidence: your time will not be wasted!
Eckhart Tolle, Live Now!
This book will become your little friend and a real salvation if suddenly on a rainy summer evening you feel lonely, sad and, perhaps, a little anxious, if you are entering a new period of your life - by your own will or by chance. A great expert on wounded human souls, Eckhart Tolle will reveal to you the true state of affairs in your life, give you consolation, tell you how to find spiritual harmony and perspective, help you return to the “assemblage point” and pave the path own path so that the next morning you can enjoy the new day again!
Jojo Moyes, One Plus One
Touching and incredibly gripping until the last page is the story of Jess, a single mother who works two jobs and at the same time tries to guide her two children on the right path. Unexpectedly for the heroine, but expected for us, a man appears in her life who awakens to the desire to help Jess and her children. Modern and original, full of irony and positivity, this story ends as it should romance novels!
Jennifer L. Scott, Lessons from Madame Chic: 20 Style Secrets I Learned While Living in Paris
If you want to learn the traditions of French families, as well as the secrets of French women on how to look not just beautiful, but elegant in any situation, how to instill healthy habits in yourself, how not to deny yourself your favorite dishes and not gain weight, as in the ever-accelerating rhythm of life to preserve not only beauty, but also health, then this book is for you! The narration is told on behalf of the author - a purebred American woman who ended up in a French family through an exchange program and, willy-nilly, was forced to learn something...
Peter Mayle, France. A year in Provence"
You can travel while sitting without leaving the room: right in the office or at home, sitting comfortably between the sofa cushions. This book will take you to the sun-drenched province of Provence, which seems quite eccentric to any visitor. Main character Romana buys herself an old farmhouse to start here new life, trying to accept the local way of life and integrate into the environment. When you look from the window of your house at the traffic jams and concrete walls of high-rise buildings, what is happening in the novel seems like some unknown miracle that is located far in the world. parallel universe. And after reading the book, you begin to understand where you want to spend your next vacation...
Daphne Du Maurier, "Rebecca"
If you like a book that not only thrills your heart, but also excites your nerves, “Rebecca” is definitely for you! The novel, written in the first half of the last century, was included in the list of 110 best works according to the BBC. Four directors, each in his own time, did not disdain to film it, including A. Hitchcock himself. This is a work that came out largely from Jane Eyre and continued in the novels of Hesse and King. According to the plot of the novel, a young woman meets an aristocrat who is much higher in position than her, and is also the owner of the luxurious Manderley estate. After the imminent wedding, the main character moves to her husband’s estate, where his former wife Rebecca, now deceased, previously ruled. Very soon the new young wife begins to suffer from the fact that she cannot outshine her predecessor, who, it seems, even after her death continues to be the mistress of the situation. Or doesn’t it seem so?.. “Rebecca” will certainly become a decoration in your library and will remain in your memory for a long time. The narrative is so captivating that they say reading this book is like hypnosis. A must read!
When going on vacation, you want to take with you something to read that doesn’t require a lot of mental work and at the same time will help you take your mind off the routine and, perhaps, look at your life and the world from a new point of view. And the best stories for this are stories about travel that change our lives. RIAMO, together with the Read-Gorod bookstore chain, has chosen 10 new books that you can take with you on vacation.
Virginie Grimaldi "The Day I Started to Live"
After 20 years of boring family life, full of gray days and continuous routine, Marie decides to start all over again. She leaves her husband and goes on a cruise around the world, which will change her destiny. Marie will make new friends, find her calling and meet true love! Together with her, you will understand what you really want and learn how to part with old attachments, get rid of empty fears and
Jean-Paul Didielorand "The Rest of My Life"
French writer Jean-Paul Didielorant, winner of a dozen prestigious awards, including twice the International Hemingway Prize for collections of short stories, gained real fame when he wrote his first novel, The Morning Reader (2014), at the age of 50. His second novel, The Rest of My Life, brilliantly confirmed his reputation as an inimitable storyteller.
The young thanatopractitioner Ambroise prepares the bodies of the dead for their last appearance in public. His carefree grandmother Beth bakes Breton pies every day and can’t wait for her grandson to finally find a life partner. Meanwhile, young social worker Manel brightens up old age for lonely people and with all her soul becomes attached to one of her charges, the kindest pastry chef Samuel. Fate brings all four together in the most unexpected way, and an incredible adventure begins, full of life-affirming humor.
Tami Oldham-Ashcraft "At the mercy of the elements"
Tami Oldham-Ashcraft's autobiographical book was first published in 1998 and achieved bestseller status. On September 22, 1983, Tami Oldham and her fiancé Richard Sharp left Tahiti on board a beautiful sailing yacht to head to the shores of California. Young, free, in love with the expanse of the ocean, they hoped that the 30-day passage to San Diego would become another romantic adventure for them. But suddenly the adventure turned into a test: on October 11, the yacht was overtaken by the devastating hurricane Raymond, one of the most powerful in history. So, by the will of fate, not only the future, but also the very lives of young people
Boris Akunin "Nut Buddha"
The novel “The Nut Buddha” describes the adventures of a sacred figurine, which, by chance, made a long journey from distant Japan to no less distant Muscovy. Buddha wanders through Rus', disturbed by Peter’s upheavals, illuminating souls with the light of satori and helping travelers find the way to themselves... “Run around Rus' alone, look for the wind in the field. No matter how inventive and dexterous a person may be, the state net is always grippy. Tsar Peter is great because he understood this truth: he decided to turn the disorganized, disorderly country into a harmonious bakufu, as the great Ieyasu did a hundred years ago in Japan. Of course, Russia is still far from Japanese order. There, from the most shining top to the most deaf bottom, rays of state supervision diverge, right down to each five-yard, over which its own observer watches.
Sarah Gio "Back to You"
Once upon a time, the public was shocked by the story of Charlotte, who was shipwrecked during her honeymoon and returned home only two years later. She spent a lot of time on the open sea, and then on a desert island in the company of an unsociable man named Gray, thanks to whom she was able to survive. Many years later, Charlotte finds a message in a bottle on the shore. This is incredible, but it follows that Gray is still waiting for her on the island, and, in his opinion, since the moment of their separation
Maureen Johnson "The Ellingham Affair"
Ellingham Academy is a prestigious boarding school known for its outstanding alumni. The school's founder, Albert Ellingham, selected exceptionally talented children to teach them on the principle that "learning is a wonderful game." In 1936, dark events take place within the walls of the academy: Ellingham’s wife and little daughter were kidnapped by a mysterious villain calling himself the Evil One. This kidnapping became one of the greatest unsolved crimes in history called the Ellingham Case. Stevie Bell enters Ellingham Academy with the ambitious goal of solving an 80-year-old crime. But as soon as she begins the investigation, the Evil One reappears at the school... And Stevie enters into a dangerous
Peter James "438 days at sea"
Peter James is the creator of the internationally acclaimed series of novels about Superintendent Roy Grace, the author of numerous New York Times and Sunday Times bestsellers, and the winner of several literary prizes. The unknown maniac did not just kill the young woman beautiful woman, but for some reason he put a gas mask on her before her death. Just the right puzzle for Roy Grace, a specialist in complicated cases. However, this time the superintendent will have to rack his brains over another problem: how to conduct an investigation and at the same time not miss the chance of a lifetime. The fact is that his wife showed up in another country,
Jean-Baptiste Del Amo "Salt"
If each family member has a thousand reasons to hate each other, and seemingly none to love, an ordinary dinner turns into an ancient tragedy. And we no longer see a mother with three adult children sitting at the table - the picture changes: painful memories, deep grievances, suppressed rage, regrets, ugly mental scars, unwillingness to forgive appear before us. The burden of the past is so heavy that it can crush the future. Before us is a portrait of a family,
Elena Favilli, Francesca Cavallo “Bedtime Stories for Young Rebels”
The stories told in this book are not quite fairy tales. “99 Inspiring Stories of Incredible Women” is an essay about the destinies of 100 real-life great women. Reading that may interest not only young, but also older rebels. The heroines of the book are completely different - ballerinas and astronauts, queens and designers, scientists and artists. Coco Chanel, Marie Curie, Queen Elizabeth and many others - all of them are united by the fact that they were not afraid to be the first, to discover new things and to achieve their own. Each of them achieved success in their business and helped many people gain faith in themselves - and all this
Anna Gavalda's new book includes 7 piercing, accurate, gentle stories about ordinary people and their lives.
About loneliness, the pain of loss, the magic of meetings and the power of love. The characters reveal themselves to the reader in difficult situations, when everything literally falls apart, and one must find the strength to start from scratch. A young man who has just attended his ex's wedding, a grieving truck driver who shares his grief with his dog, a bereaved businessman who plunders the minibar in a hotel room in Seoul, a father summoned to school by an angry headmistress, a girl who looking for love...
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10 books that will make your vacation perfect
Create a summer mood, kill time on the beach, lie in a hammock with a thoughtful look and a plump volume in your teeth - we have options here for every occasion.
"A Year in Provence" by Peter Mayle
Briton Peter, along with his wife and two dogs, fled from the lousy London weather to Provence, there he bought a dilapidated house surrounded by vineyards and began to gradually warm up. Mail's ironic notes are reminiscent of Jerome K. Jerome, they delight you like a good glass of red wine and cause an irresistible desire to run to the nearest Visa Center for Schengen.
One day, 29-year-old Alice wakes up and discovers that she is already 40, she is divorcing her rotten husband, she has three offspring in her arms, and she herself is a battered lady with a lousy character. Essentially, this book is about the female version of a midlife crisis. Read to prevent it.
Gill is an esthete, a curmudgeon, a brilliant journalist, a sworn friend of Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson and a man with a completely clear-eyed outlook. Gill travels across all continents and sarcastically points out what both enthusiastic guidebooks and no less enthusiastic tourists miss.
Libedinskaya is a person from another time and another world. And “The Green Lamp” is a leisurely journey through the world of mid-century Soviet bohemia. Lydia Borisovna had a talent for attracting extraordinary people - and writing about them subtly and with sympathy.
Lou loses his job in a cafe and, in order to quickly plug the hole in the family budget, gets a job as a nurse for a disabled person. Only this disabled person is smart and handsome. Well, the rest is clear. The book managed to become a bestseller, and very soon, in just a week, a film adaptation will be released starring Emilia “Daenerys” Clarke and Sam “Finnick” Claflin. But you still have time to read the source.
No, not about the Moomins. About love. Grandmothers - to a capricious granddaughter and to life, granddaughters - to a harmful cat and a short northern summer. It's a sad thing and not at all childish, but still - you turn the pages last page and it seems that the clouds have parted and somehow brightened up.
A very sweet, sentimental and funny book about the inhabitants of a godforsaken village somewhere in the mountains of Armenia. Lots of cilantro, magical realism, pomegranate seeds, love, miracles and out of nowhere nostalgia - even if you don’t have a drop of Armenian blood.
"Daisy Fay and the Miracles" by Fannie Flagg
Daisy lives somewhere in the American South sometime in the early 1950s. The family is poor, all the relatives are, to put it mildly, with a lot of money, life does not stroke her fur. But Daisy has a unique gift - not to perceive anything tragically. I wish everyone could do this. A very light and sunny book from the same Flagg who wrote “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Stop Station Cafe.”