My Fave Summer Reads
Lockdown started for me on March 13th and I was so excited about all the books I would be reading. I ordered so many and was very motivated to just sit on my bed with lots of food and read all day. And would you believe it- NADA! I could not read one page in 100 days. My brain just couldn’t deal with reading, and I couldn’t find any motivation whatsoever to sit still and concentrate, so I stuck to Netflix and the non-intellectual activities while stuck #athome. Isn’t it weird how the brain reacts to certain situations...
Now that lockdown is over I’ve been enjoying reading again and it feels so gooood. I thought I’d share some of my favourite biographies of amazing women who have inspired me and still inspire me every day.
LESSONS: MY PATH TO A MEANINGFUL LIFE BY GISELE BUNDCHEN
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“I was never a huge Gisele fan but that totally changed after reading her book.”
I just finished the book by Gisele Bündchen’s autobiography. I was never a huge Gisele fan but that totally changed after reading her book. She describes her path in a very humble and easy way, and explains her journey in becoming a super model with all the difficulties and hurdles as a very young 14 year old teenager growing up in a family of 6 sisters. That’s a lot of estrogen in one place! It’s a beautiful guide to a healthier and meaningful life without giving lessons but rather sharing her experiences to becoming a healthier woman. She seems like a truly kind and loving soul. This is a really easy, fun read.
Helena Rubenstein: The Woman who Invented Beauty by Michele Fitoussi
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“Helena Rubinstein for sure has one of the most interesting ones to tell and I found it fascinating to read. I mean- I’m a beauty freak and she has become my super-hero! ”
I’m quite a fan of biographies, learning about other people’s stories and experiences. Helena Rubinstein for sure has one of the most interesting ones to tell and I found it fascinating to read. I mean- I’m a beauty freak and she has become my super-hero! An amazing business woman who built an empire in times where women were not supposed to be self-made. Inspiring!
I couldn’t put it down when I first read it, and after reading it a second time, I think it is the most inspiring book I have ever read.
In Pieces by Sally Field
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I was shocked by Sally Field’s “In Pieces” autobiography. What courage it must have taken her to get out there in such an honest way describing her terribly difficult childhood with a very unstable mother and an abusive stepfather. I still often think of this book and her story shook me in many ways, especially in a time where the #metoo movement is so important to acknowledge. A must-read ! I’m a total fan of Sally Field since I saw the series Brothers & Sisters.
STOLEN LIVES: TWENTY YEARS IN A DESERT JAIL BY MALIKA OUFKIR AND MICHELE FITOUSSI
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“It’s surreal to read that these stories actually happen.”
“Stolen Lives” by Malika Oufkir has never left my mind since I read this book. Having spent her teenage years as the daughter of General Mohamad Oufkir and adoptive daughter of the Moroccan King Hassan II, she lived like a princess without actually being one. Her father was executed during the coup d’état in Morocco and she and her five siblings, mother, and two maids, were political prisoners for 20 years in the most inhumane circumstances until they finally managed to escape. It’s surreal to read that these stories actually happen. This autobiography is fascinating, shocking, sad and unbelievable !
Without My Mum by Leigh Van Der Horst
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I lost my mum in 2013 to Alzheimer’s disease and she was only 70 years old. It was so traumatising to lose my beloved mum in my arms and accompany her on this journey. Grief has been by far the hardest experience in my life and being a mum without a mum has not been easy at all. This book “Without my Mum” by Leigh Van Der Horst has given me so much strength and hope: I most definitely recommend it to any mum out there struggling with the loss of her mother.
Even Silence Has An End by Ingrid Betancourt
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Ingrid Betancourt’s autobiography “Even Silence has an End” has also got to be on my top favourite books ever. Ingrid, who was a political figure in Columbia, was captured by the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces Columbia) and survived 6 years in the jungle before she could escape. Perhaps you had heard of her on the TV news at the time but reading her story is just absolutely fascinating and teaching us so much about willpower, strength and survival as a woman.
I hope you all will enjoy maybe one of the above and would love to hear your feedback. Wishing you all a lovely Summer ️ !