I read Junky by William S. Burroughs as part of my obsession with the Beat Generation in my late teens. Burroughs is better known for his novel Naked Lunch, but Junky is worth reading as well. What I liked about the Beats’ works was the depiction of their completely unstructured lifestyle: sex, drugs and transience are dominating features. Junky being about heroin addiction. In the ’50s. Suffice it to say that the book wasn’t considered mainstream literature at the time! Time doing its work, Junky is now considered worthy of a 50th anniversary edition featuring the original, unedited texts, and a new cover! I quite like it… How about you? Have you ever read any books by the Beats?

Get the book: Junky by William S. Burroughs

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Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry plunges the reader into an intergalactic fairytale featuring a little prince from another planet who questions life and human nature. “On ne voit bien qu’avec le cœur. L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux,” says the little prince (“One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye”). It is hands down the most beautiful book I’ve ever read.  I read it as a kid, then as an adult – and certainly will read it with my own kids.

Get the book: The Little Prince by Antoine de St-Exupéry

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The Old Man and The Sea by Hemingway is one of his classic works. It’s a novella about not giving up. I read this many years ago and it’s still one of my favourite books. It tells the story of Santiago, an old fisherman, who has gone 84 days without a catch. Basically he’s the hasbeen of the fishing community. On the 85th day, Santiago heads out to sea and enters into a epic battle of wills with a gigantic marlin that lasts for days. Santiago is determined to make this the catch of his life, to prove himself and regain his self-respect.

The cover below was designed by Paul Sahre. I pictured the outfit as what a fashionista would wear if she was on the boat with Santiago.

Would you wear this outfit?

Get the book: The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Get the look: Helmut Lang tank top, RBG nail polish, In God We Trust anchor necklace, Chinti and Parker cashmere track pants, Paola Belle wayfarers, Toms shoes, JF & Son canvas bag,

Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld is one of the most engaging books I’ve read in recent years. It follows main character Lee Fiora, a teenager who wins a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school, leaving her comfortable Indiana existence for a world in which she is the outsider, in more ways than one. It is a coming-of-age novel among the best I’ve read. Lee is one of those characters that you love from page one and are truly sad to let go on the last page.

Get the book: Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld

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