Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (book review) – Dystopia on genetically engineered humans and animals

Oryx and Crake is a cautionary tale about genetic engineering that touches on very contemporary topics. There's even a pandemic in the story, and some quotes seem taken from today's newspapers. Quite impressive, taking into account the story was written 20+ years ago.

We Are All Birds of Uganda by Hafsa Zayyan (book review) – a self-discovery journey of young and old

We Are All Birds of Uganda was the first book I read about Uganda and its culture. It is story that will take you far away, both in time and geography. You will certainly empathize with Sameer and his journey of self-discovery, and you will get a glimpse into the 1970s Uganda by following the journey of his grandfather.

The Living Sea of Waking Dreams by Richard Flanagan (book review) – Australia’s bushfires, anger, grief, and a vanishing world

The Living Sea of Waking Dreams is about grief, anger, and a vanishing world. A slow but sure collapse. It is one of the most anchored to reality books I read in a while, and also one of the most touching stories.

The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker (book review) – how we meet and why it matters

The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker is an amazing educational book about how to upgrade the way you organize any types of gatherings of people. From family barbeques with a twist to teambuilding with C-level executives and global dinner parties ... if you're curious, just google “Dîner en Blanc” 🙂

The Hollow by Agatha Christie #ReadChristie2021 (book review) – weekend get-together gone wrong

The Hollow is an entertaining murder mystery novel. The complex relationships among the characters and the dynamics of the story will keep you hooked until you reach the final page, when justice is made (or maybe not?!)

The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste (book review) – the untold stories of Ethiopian women at war

A very intriguing and immersive story, The Shadow King will bring fear, goose bumps, pity and sadness, but also excitement and awe. This book surely joins my "must recommend to everyone" book list, as it is a masterpiece from so many perspectives!

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman (book review) – the tales of Nordic gods, giants, elves and other beings

The Norse Mythology is a collections of stories of Nordic gods, giants, elves and other beings. According to the myths, all beings live in Nine Worlds that are centered around the tree Yggdrasil. With so many worlds and types of beings, you can only imagine there's a lot happening in Yggdrasil 🙂

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (book review) – back to Gilead, the land of Handmaids and Aunts

If you enjoyed The Handmaid's Tale, then The Testaments is definitely a must-read. And if you haven't read The Handmaid's Tale, maybe it is time to read both books and see for yourself how Atwood build a frightening world using puzzle pieces collected from the reality around us.

Swing Time by Zadie Smith (book review) – about race, roots, and celebrity humanitarianism

This year, the weird 2020, I started to consciously look for books written by black authors. After reading Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi and Girl, Women, Other by Bernardine Evaristo, I wanted to read a story by Zadie Smith. Swing Time was the book I found at the local English bookshop, Nautilus, so Swing Time was … Continue reading Swing Time by Zadie Smith (book review) – about race, roots, and celebrity humanitarianism