Reading can sometimes feel like a chore, especially when Netflix or Insta is calling your name.

However once you’ve dug your nose into a good book, you can’t help but realise how fun, relaxing, and useful reading can be. Books have the power to teach you new things, open your eyes to other perspectives, and provide you with life advice that your ‘rents would find a little awkward to articulate. 

Being proud bookworms ourselves, we’ve unearthed five reads from our younger years that you need to add to your bedside table immediately. 

For the budding fashionistas: 

It by Alexa Chung 

Before social media had the ability to introduce us to a new influencer every minute of the day, the creative muse of the fashion world was Alexa Chung.

A British model, television presenter, blogger, and fashion designer, Chung added author to her CV in 2013 with her book ‘It’, an unintentional guide to being the ultimate ‘it-girl’. Having been adored by names such as Karl Lagerfeld and Marc Jacobs, while adoring icons such as Jane Birkin and Mick Jagger (ask Mum and Dad about these legends), it is no wonder that this collection of Chung’s personal words, drawings, and photographs captivates the reader.

Despite her presence in the front row of fashion weeks, Chung’s extremely goofy and down-to-earth demeanour shines through in the book, allowing you to feel as if you are immersing yourself in the journal of a friend. 

For those wanting to understand a different culture: 

Muslim Girl: A Coming of Age by Amani Al-Khatahtbeh

Growing up in New Jersey post-9/11, Amani Al-Khatahtbeh knows the struggles of Muslim women in the modern world all too well.

Despite receiving her fair share of slurs, navigating a mountain of myths, and battling against rigid stereotypes, Amani harnessed her experience to educate others by founding the website ‘Muslim Girl’.

The Muslim Girl platform aims to improve the positioning of Muslim women in mainstream society in a fun yet informative way. To share her story in greater detail, Amani wrote her own book.

The biography not only provides an insight into Amani’s experiences as an American-Muslim young woman, but also kickstarts greater thinking and dialogue surrounding empathy and understanding of all religions. 

For those needing a little R&R:

Self-Care for the Real World: Practical Self-care Advice for Everyday Life by Katia Narain Phillips and Nadia Narain

Self-care shouldn’t have to involve making a viral video of your picture-perfect morning routine, or purchasing the most expensive and luxurious face-mask.

Sisters Katia and Nadia couldn’t agree more and have compiled their personal, top tier self-care know-how into a cute, blue book.

Avoiding all things preachy and patronising, this book is a blend of simple techniques, recipes, lists and anecdotes that help you to feel your best. Whether you’re needing to make a big decision, struggling to find your tribe, or wanting a shortcut to feeling calm, flicking through the pages of this pocket guide can offer you practical, understanding advice.

This wee beauty is a favourite in my household, so watch out for thieving sisters and mums if you leave it lying around.

For those who like things short and sweet: 

Rookie Yearbooks edited by Tavi Gevinson

Before Billie we had Rookie. Rookie was an online magazine for teenage girls curated by Tavi Gevinson, an über cool chick you might recognise from the 2021 Gossip Girl remake. Yup, that’s Kate Keller!

As a teen I pored over the Rookie site, delving into interviews with go-getting ‘girlbosses’, deciding which collages to adorn my walls with, and stumbling across articles that were way too relatable.

Although the website was archived in 2018, you can still introduce yourself to the world of Rookie with their yearbooks, which are essentially physical copies of their digital predecessor. Each page of the Rookie yearbooks is produced by and for teenage girls, meaning the content doesn’t miss when evaluating the good, bad, and ugly of your adolescent years.

For those with wanderlust: 

Wander Love by Aubrey Daquinag 

Think of all the dreamy travel pics you’ve saved on Instagram or pinned on Pinterest over the years.

This picture-perfect publication by Aubrey Daquinag is all of those photos in book form. Aubrey directs the lens behind ‘The Love Assembly’, a digi-destination where you will find an array of dreamy content from the world over.

If you weren’t already chomping at the bit to bounce overseas, her book’s pastel pages that take you everywhere from Morocco to Mexico will have your bucket list filling up fast.

Beyond all things aesthetically-pleasing, this in-depth travel guide also offers lessons in photography, assistance with itinerary planning, tips for stylish yet convenient journeys, and even an insight into how to travel solo. 

To get your hot little hands on these epic reads, ask your local bookstore to order them in or head down to your closest library!