5 Books You Should Be Reading this Spring
It has been a while since my last book recommendation and as so many of you have asked me about what I was reading the past couple of weeks. Therefore, I decided to put together this list with my five must reads this spring.
1. Inside Vogue: My Diary of Vogue’s 100th Year
Alexandra Shulmer, editor-in-chief of Vogue UK, gives you a glimpse into her everyday life. In my opinion, it is not only a great read for all those of you who aspire to work in the fashion industry but also for all the fashionistas who are interested in some behind-the-scenes stories. I really enjoyed Shulmer’s personal writing style. Sometimes, it was a bit tough not to get confused with all the names in the book – even though I am very interested in the fashion business in general, I am no expert of the UK fashion world. Therefore, it would have needed a brief explanation in brackets for non-UK readers in some cases. But apart from that minor detail, I really enjoyed reading about the daily life of one of the most influential personalities in fashion.
2. Crazy Rich Asians
I heard so much about this book but for a very long time, I refused to buy it because I thought it was another book spreading stereotypes about Asia. However, when I was in the taxi in Singapore one day and heard that Hollywood is now planning a movie production, I decided to finally give it a try. And I have to admit, I absolutely loved it and finished it in two days. I did some research on the Author Kevin Kwan and according to him, the fictional story is “loosely based” on his own life growing up in Singapore. However, it is written with so much detail that sometimes I got the impression that he might have met some characters in real life. But we do not know. The story mainly takes place in Singapore but also in Hong Kong and Shanghai and I loved to be taken back to my two former “hometowns” and will definitely track down some locations of the book in the future.
3. A World Gone Mad: The Diaries of Astrid Lindgren, 1939-45
Astrid Lindgren was my favourite author when I was a child. I grew up with Pippi Longstocking, Madita, Lotta, Karlsson and Michel and one of my biggest travel wishes is to go to Sweden to the area where Astrid Lindgren used to live. I have read a couple of books about the author, but this diary offered a very unique view of Astrid Lindgren. Judging from her books, you would assume that this woman led a life just like in a picture book. However, you will get to know Astrid Lindgren very differently. Her views on the Second World War which marks the start of her but. But also very private moments of her marriage. I have to admit, I had to read the book in small bits every day because some entries where really depressing and sad. But overall, it is a book I highly recommend even if you do not know Astrid Lindgren’s works too well because you will gain an insight into the life in Sweden during the Second World War, which was a new perspective to me.
4. Ladies Who Launch in Hong Kong
I have read this book a while ago, actually before I started my own business. The book tells you the personal stories of 12 female founders in Hong Kong – some of them are very famous even outside of Hong Kong (e.g. the founder of Kotur bags). It was very insightful to read about why and how these ladies became entrepreneurs. I was just starting my job as a corporate finance professional but since I read these stories, I could not stop thinking about doing my own thing and hopefully in Hong Kong as well. Some anecdotes are very special for Hong Kong but I think a lot of their experiences are also applicable to (female) founders in many other countries. If you are looking for a book to encourage you to finally take the step of founding your own business or if you would just like to read about women who lean, this is the perfect book for you.
5. Ist das Kunst oder kann das weg? (Only in German)
Unfortunately, I could only find a German version of this book about contemporary art. The authors discuss the current state of contemporary art, also with a view to the big players in the “market” – the Biennales, curators, art dealers, galeries, etc. Who decides on what is called art? Who determines the up-and-coming artists? In the beginning, I had the feeling that it was a bit too extreme – it sounded a bit as if the two had already given up their hopes but I really liked the second part of the book where they go into more details about the key players of the art world. If you speak German and would like to get new food for thought on contemporary art, I would highly recommend this book for you.
I hope you enjoy these recommendations! What are you currently reading or have you read some of these books? Please let me know what you thought about them!