A good book has a way of transporting you and your senses into world entirely unique to your own. This summer, Gafencu has picked up a fresh selection of new reads that will do just that. From academy award winning actress Viola Davis’s inspiring memoir to highly acclaimed author Emily Mandel’s recent dystopian novel, and a riveting tell-all on the British royal family, These are the books you won’t want to put down once you’ve started. Whether you’re whiling away a rainy day, packing your essentials for a day out by the pool or at the beach, or need a companion to keep you occupied on a long haul flight, these are the 2022 must-reads that will have you turning from cover to cover before the season ends.
Finding Me: A Memoir by Viola Davis (Memoir)
An intimate, raw account of how a little girl named Viola became one of the most respected Hollywood actresses today. The path to success is one that is tough but through the award-winning actresses’ telling, it is one that builds strength and self-love. The moving memoir is one of the most anticipated books this year and has already topped best sellers’ lists within a month of its release in April.
The Palace Papers by Tina Brown (Non-fiction)
A peek into the lives of Queen Elizabeth II and her household after the death of Princess Diana, from her majesty’s tightening grip to the desertion of Harry and Meghan from the royal family, this is a riveting inside story of the British royal family that you won’t be able to put down. From the best selling author of The Diana Chronicles, journalist Tina Brown tells all.
The Maid: A Novel by Nita Prose (Mystery)
Canadian author Nita Prose makes her debut with this quirky murder-mystery and has already landed Best Sellers’ lists. A page-turning thriller that will satisfy readers on multiple levels; from plot to setting to the intelligent oddball protagonist, Molly. Prose’s brilliant writing centers around the quirky Molly, a maid at a fancy urban hotel who has trouble picking up on social cues, and delicately touches on the importance of human connection.
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Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel (Sci-Fi)
Be captivated by the imaginative dystopian world created by number one bestselling author of The Glass Hotel and internationally acclaimed Station Eleven Emily St. John Mandel. The narrative begins in the year 1912 and jumps to present day and then to 200 years into the future. Absorbed in Mandel’s brilliant storytelling, readers will be steered into exploring the complexities of life’s cruel inevitability, loss, and meaning. The novel, has won the Arthur C Clarke award and has been widely praised as the new pandemic novel to pick up this summer.
Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown (Self-development)
American researcher, author and motivational speaker Brene Brown puts out yet another composition of her decades of research in understanding emotions and how our experiences define what it means to be human. Providing readers an “atlas” that maps out the necessary skills, language and actionable framework to build meaningful connections, better understand ourselves, our choices, and ultimately build, rebuild ourselves and what makes us us. Recently, the book has also been made into a five-part HBO Max docuseries.
Half Baked Harvest by Tieghan Gerard (Cookbook)
If there is one thing that the pandemic has granted us, it is more time at home, and more time in the kitchen. Here to fuel readers’ new-found culinary passion, famed food blogger and now cookbook author Tieghan Gerard publishes another collection of recipes to her Half baked Harvest series. Offering comforting yet balanced, healthy meals for the whole family. The book also features a bevy of plant-forward versions of much-loved favourites for the meatless eaters.
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