Which books have we read in the past year that have stuck with us the most? We share the favorites of the Flow editorial team. This time it’s the top 3 from our online editor, Bente.
Becoming, by Michelle Obama
“I never actually read biographies, but I had heard so many good stories about this book that it piqued my curiosity. And I’m so glad it did—I loved reading it. It’s so special to be able to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of such an intense presidency and the fact that we are reading this story from the perspective of the first colored First Lady makes the book even more special. It was also lovely to read about her personal life and the lessons she learned from it.I have nothing but awe for Michelle Obama.”
Alone in the World (aka Nobody’s Boy), by Hector Malot
“I read Alone in the World while walking an 800-km pilgrimage through Spain to Santiago de Compostela. In this classic children’s book, eight-year-old orphan Rémi is sold by his stepparents to a street musician called Vitalis. And so begins a long journey through nineteenth-century France, where after the death of Vitalis, Remi finds himself entirely alone. There were a lot of similarities in Rémi’s and my own travels, and that is why this book touched me so during my walk. I read it every night in my sleeping bag, often with a flashlight because the light had already been turned off in the dormitory. If I had had a hard day, I would find comfort in it. On the lighter days, it made me even more grateful for everything I had experienced that day.”
Bird Cottage, by Eva Meijer
“In this book, Eva Meijer tells the story of British naturalist and musician Len Howard (1894-1973) who spent the second half of her life in a small, remote cottage in the English countryside, where she studied birds and wrote two international bestsellers. She observed the birds on the basis of trust, building a bond with the small creatures, and I found it interesting not only to discover how special birds really are, and especially how inquisitive, but also how completely relaxing the whole experience was. It left me wanting a cottage in the countryside just like Len’s.”
- Read more about books here.
Text Bente van de Wouw Translation Julia Gorodecky Photography Clay Banks/Unsplash.com
