TOP READS TO GET YOU THROUGH ISO

MEET JORDAN TURNER aka @mrturner : ’A wannabe Parisian who co-owns a bookstore, reads a tonne, writes articles & creates nice things’

We sat down (virtually) with Jordan and asked him to share his top 4 ISO reads with us. #tennistimeapproved

There have been many books released recently where I’ve both lost and found myself in. Books where every word written has gripped me entirely, and made giant marks on my heart. Only there for me, so I can look at them later and remember where they came from.

As an owner of a bookstore, I’ve found that there have been a few books that have been unanimously loved, easy to pick-up and get lost in. If you’re looking to get back into the habit of reading, these are 4 books I recommend that will leave you wanting to read more.

NORMAL PEOPLE, SALLY ROONEY

A book you can’t put down, and one many may relate to. It follows a relationship between Marianne and Connell. One that navigates it’s way through themes of psychology, emotional manipulation, social class, and self-destruction. Yet the story revels in the electricity of first love, and the complex entanglements of family and friendship.

EDUCATED, TARA WESTOVER

A story I’ll never forget. Educated is an account of the struggle for self-invention. It is a tale of fierce family loyalty and the grief that comes with severing the closest of ties. This is a universal coming-of-age story that gets to the heart of what an education is and what it offers: the perspective to see one’s life through new eyes and the will to change it.

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING, DELIA OWENS

This is the most popular fiction book in our bookstore right now. Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking romance story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. It reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps. The film rights have been purchased by Reese Witherspoon. This is the book you need.

ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE, GAIL HONEYMAN

Eleanor Oliphant is a one-of-a-kind character I still think about months after finishing this book. She struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she’s thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully timetabled life of avoiding unnecessary human contact. This novel is smart, warm, uplifting. It is the story of an out-of-the-ordinary heroine whose deadpan weirdness and unconscious wit make for an irresistible journey as she realises the only way to survive is to open your heart.

“A good book is like a good friend. It will stay with you for the rest of your life. When you first get to know it, it will give you excitement and adventure, and years later it will provide you with comfort and familiarity. And best of all, you can share it with your children or your grandchildren or anyone you love enough to let into its secrets.” -- Charlie Lovett

MORE OF JORDAN
@mrturner
www.mrturner.com.au