Travel & Hotspots

These 8 books you must sorry ARE allowed to take on vacation

I'm going on vacation next week and plan to finally read some books. Let's hope it works out. Otherwise, I'll have to try pills. However, there is a small obstacle: I currently have NO understanding of the hottest books. But! Fortunately, among my Facebook friends are very reliable book experts who were happy to help. See below: the harvest. I ordered them all because I couldn't choose, that's how much I need it. If you already get choice stress from which books you want to read, it's quite serious with you, I understood recently. Anyways, now I still have to decide which ones are actually going on vacation with me, because I am strong, but even strong people know a limit. And no, I don't have and don't want an e-reader.

1. The three Neapolitan novels by Elena Ferrante

Part 1: The brilliant friend, part 2: The new surname, part 3: Who flees and who stays.

This seems to be a beautiful, captivating, and moving quartet (there are currently three books out, the last part will be released in October) about two girls and their lifelong friendship: Lila and Elena. They grow up together in a lively Italian neighborhood in the fifties, but their lives unfold completely differently. The intelligent, charismatic but unsympathetic Lila is not allowed to ‘waste’ her time on things like school and studying: instead, she has to start working young. To escape her environment, she decides to marry young, but is that such a wise decision? Her best friend Elena is well-behaved and not too pretty. She is allowed to study, but that doesn't necessarily prove to be the key to success. A beautiful story (each part describes a different phase of life) about friendship, love, and rivalry. The New Yorker is enthusiastic, just like many in my FB circle. I am looking forward to it.

2. Many heavens above the seventh and Come here that I kiss you, both by Griet Op De Beeck

I've heard a lot about this already, but never had the time to read them! In any case: Griet seems to be a masterfully good writer. The book ‘Many Heavens Above the Seventh’ is about five people, connected to each other, who tell their story. About unexpected happiness, about intense secrets, about the art of being young – it's too beautiful and too much to cram into a small piece on this site. According to the Volkskrant, it all feels a bit like the lyrics of a Spinvis song, so that will be crying. Really, I'm already a fan in advance.

Her other book, ‘Come here that I kiss you’, also seems to be such a hit. It’s about broken people and how they unintentionally break others too. About parents and children. About responsibility, guilt, about saving yourself and of course about love. SIGH. I think I'm also a broken person, so bring on that misery.

3. A little life, by Hanya Hanagihara

Was on the shortlist for The Man Booker Prize. ‘A little life’ promises to be an impressive, moving, shocking story about four college friends in New York: a charming actor, an artist, an architect, and the main character of the story, Jude St. Francis. Who cannot free himself from various demons (child abuse) from the past, despite all the efforts of his loved ones. I think I really need to sit down for this, but hopefully, I can manage it this vacation.

4. The curious incident of the dog in the night-time, by Mark Haddon

A beautiful story about Christopher, an autistic fifteen-year-old boy. He knows a lot about math, little about people, is fascinated by lists, patterns, and the truth. Oh, and he doesn't like yellow and brown. Anyway: he pretends to be a detective for once when his neighbor's dog turns out to be murdered. And that while he had never gone further than the end of the street until then. What follows is a life-changing journey.

5. Flame in the snow, by Ingrid Jonker

A beautiful, incredibly intense – and true – years-long love correspondence between South African poet Ingrid Jonker and writer André Brink. Seems to be totally beautiful. And poignant too, because the two were miles apart. It’s not only about their love, but also about being young, doubts about writing, and their ideas about politics, faith, and literature.

6. The internet is not the answer, by Andrew Keen

This book is of a completely different order. But nonetheless an absolute must-have, because the book is about the internet (and all current social channels). And let me just say that I deal with that daily. Privately, but also professionally. Seems to me an impressive and even somewhat frightening book, because it discusses how the internet did not lead to more democracy and freedom, but rather to more division. We seem to have no eye for the severe negative effects that the internet has on our economy, psychology, and culture.

And I'm not even done yet, because I also need to read What is the water by Dave Eggers, Freedom by Jonathan Franzen, and The melts by Lize Spit. Maybe I should take an extra week of vacation?