Every summer since Georgie was born, Papa and I take three days off parent duty and spend time with friends while he spends some time with his grandparents. It’s an exciting time for me because I always feel that this is MY time, a time to do what one cannot normally do with kids. Like get a long massage, drink a cocktail or two before sunset, leave the room with nothing but a towel and a book, lounge by the pool and read said book continuously, without looking up once. Even blaring music through headphones! Daring stuff. All of which I am anxiously waiting to do.
I already know what I’ll be reading this summer. Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot. Mind’s been made up. I know there are tons of amazing new books out there like this and this, but I always seem to be drawn to oldies, classics, the sort of appreciated penmanship of storytellers of our time. Plus I think I may be on a Stephen King kick.
Also I am almost set on a playlist with new favourite tunes, which I may just dare to share. We’ll see.
If you have a few days or even just moments to yourself this summer and fancy a good read, I recommend autobiographies/biographies/memoirs, which I read more than any other type of book. These are just a few of my favourites. All are paperbacks therefore easy to stuff in a bag and go.
Just Kids / Patti Smith: The 50s, 60s and 70s absolutely fascinate me, especially anything involving the American music scene of the time. So without a doubt in my mind I knew Patti Smith’s memoir of her days in New York as a struggling poet and artist alongside Robert Mapplethorpe would be immensely satisfying. Also I recently learned that Smith has announced a sequel to Just Kids. Good stuff!
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings / Maya Angelou: I am deeply ashamed to admit that only last year after Angelou died did I begin to read her autobiographies. Her poems I have loved for years and now her storytelling has captured me too. This is the first of six autobiography books she wrote. It is a gripping story of life in the South, a painful detailed insight of life as a little black girl in the 30s.
Marilyn Monroe: The Biography / Donald Spoto: This biography, of one of Hollywood’s most iconic personas, is a complete eye-opener. Hardcore facts, presented by Spoto, make it possible to believe that this book has finally put to rest many of the myths surrounding Marilyn Monroe including the horrifying reality of her death and the Kennedy scandal.
Battle Hymn of The Tiger Mother / Amy Chua: A brutally honest memoir by a mother of two, battling the cultural differences between Chinese and Western parenting which are, of course, opposites. After reading Chua’s words, in 2013 I wrote a short piece about parenting choices which you can read here.
Elvis and Me / Priscilla Beaulieu Presley: I have been an Elvis fan since the age of 13 (yes, I was and still am a slight weirdo) but only recently did I read Priscilla’s take on the other American iconic persona. Unlike most biographies or memoirs on The King this one is highly personal. There are moments when I would cringe when faced with too much sexual information (if you ever wanted to know how Elvis was in bed). As a fan it was hard to read about the sad reality of this man’s extraordinary life. In this book it portrays Elvis as a son, a husband and a deeply troubled man.
