With all this rain, it’s hard to tell, but it’s still summer. So if that little bit of water has spoiled your good time at the lake, there are still plenty of summery things to do.
First and foremost: reading. Admittedly, it doesn’t sound like the most appealing pastime, but there are places and experiences you can only get to by reading a book.
Everyone has their own favorite literary genre, but we can only recommend the Secret Media Network team’s favorite books. Here are five stories that will definitely entertain your summer days…
The man who mistook his wife for a hat – Oliver Sacks
A series of extraordinary clinical cases featuring:
- Patients who mistake their wives for hats.
- Who think one of their legs belongs to another person.
- Who think they have never used their hands.
Sacks offers us the most curious anecdotes from his clinical experience as a neurologist, describing the most diverse types of brain injury. The perfect book for anyone fascinated by the mysteries of the human mind. Or for anyone who enjoys reading funny anecdotes.
I spit on you: Account of a woman at point zero – Nawal El Saadawi
The life of Firdau, an Egyptian woman sentenced to death for the murder of a pimp of prostitutes. The famous Egyptian writer Nawal El Saadawi was able to interview her a few days before her execution and thus traces Firdaus’ life.
Determined by oppression, violence and humiliation, it shakes the reader to such an extent that it is impossible to remain indifferent, even if it seems a distant world. With this heartbreaking story, Nawal El Saadawi allows us to engage with uncomfortable realities of our world.
Eat, Pray, Love – Elizabeth Gilbert
Perhaps we all remember the movie starring the wonderful Julia Roberts, who goes on a quest to find herself. In the semi-autobiographical novel Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert tells of her life after divorce. Gilbert travels the world in search of happiness. An excellent book for anyone who wants to explore this topic in the red zone.
21 Lessons for the 21st Century – Yuval Noah Harari
The latest book by Yuval Noah Harari, author of the bestsellers Homo Sapiens and Homo Deus, looks at the major challenges we face as a society over the next 100 years. The book invites us to think about what kind of world we want to build. From the challenges of automation or big data management to terrorism and nationalism, no topic is left unaddressed. An important read.
Normal people – Sally Rooney
The name Sally Rooney is on everyone’s lips, and for good reason. Her second novel, Normal People, tells the tough love story of Marianne, a highly intelligent outsider from the upper class with Connell, a working class boy. The book is far from cliché. Rooney writes boldly and realistically and is not afraid to dive into a dangerous sea.