Books - Currently reading & read

I am back into reading regularly again and I wish I never stopped! I feel like I have so many books to catch up on. I have always enjoyed imagining the different characters and worlds. I find it the best distraction, tonic and form of escapism for when feeling stressed or sad.

It's the little things! 

One of my favourite things to do is sitting in a cosy cafe, drinking coffee, eating cake, reading a good book. My weekend Fika!

Like many others, I read more when I was younger. 

But then started to get red lines between the text (quite a few years later this was diagnosed as Visual Stress/Irlens Syndrome*). 

My favourite book back then was Enid Blyton The Far Away Tree! 

These are my most recent reads above, my favourites being:

If you could go Anywhere by Paige Toon

 I adored how Angie's friends grouped together to turn something so sad (her grandmother dying) into an adventure for her that ended perfectly. 

and the complete opposite: The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

 I found this book so moving, extremely sad and thought provoking. A rollercoaster of emotions. 

 I wasn't much of a listener in my History lessons at school. I do remember feeling extremely sad, and rightly so, when watching the 'The Boy In the striped Pyjamas'. 

This book was the Tattooists' account of similar experiences. It made feel so terribly sad for all of those that lost their lives, families and futures in such a cruel way. 

However the book also made me smile from the little things like smuggling small pieces of chocolate in the camps to give to the girl he loved. And the hope they had that the future was going to be much better. I feel that everyone could do with being reminded of that every now and then.  

This book reminded me to read Anne Frank - The Diary of a Young Girl. I am slowly making my way through it. If you haven't visited the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam I would recommend.  One of the most moving places I have ever been to.

Below is my 'To Read' book stack, that keeps getting bigger every time I visit a charity shop.
A friend from work also lends me books to read which helps as then I won't hoard them. I do seem to get attached to ones I love, but like with the vases, I am going to run out of room eventually! 

If you haven't already got a Goodreads account I would suggest getting one. They make it much easier to track which books you have read, and then recommend others too. Unless you  are easily influenced into reading like me, and then you might end up with 61 books in your 'want to reads'... That is more than one a day for over a year (aka not going to happen) but I shall keep chipping away! 

I would love more book recommendations so please feel free to comment below! 

*a problem with the brain’s ability to process visual information, This means sometimes I have to re-read full pages to take it in, although the more I read the easier it seems.