• Home
  • About Me
  • Disclaimer + Privacy Policy
  • Resources I Use
  • Work with Me
  • Categories
    • Beauty
    • Books
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • University
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
a girl with a view

A Girl with a View

8 of The Best Books I’ve Read Recently

February 13, 2021

I must admit, this post has been sat in my drafts for quite a while but these books still remain some of the best books that I have read recently. Lockdown has been incredible for reading! During the summer I managed to work my way through a fair few of the many books sitting on my bookshelf. Being an English student means that I barely have any time to read the books I actually want to. However, lockdown has meant I have finished almost everything on my shelf and had to buy more books (and a Kindle) to keep myself busy!
books stacked up on a shelf with fairy lights in background

Daisy Jones and The Six

I have heard so many people rave about this book and I can see why! I devoured this book so quickly and absolutely loved the format. I still can’t get over how this band never existed as the novel is so authentic. Essentially the premise of the story tracks Daisy Jones and The Six through the beginning, their rise to fame and their demise. It’s all told in an interview-style which was refreshing and different but allowed you to gain a good insight into each of the characters thoughts and perspectives without the need for the author to explain what everyone was thinking. At first, I didn’t think I would be a fan of this format but it makes it such an interesting book to follow along with as you can carve out your own identities for each of the characters. It takes you back to the 60s and 70s effortlessly and touches on addiction, love, fame and music without being heavy. I highly recommend this – add it to your TBR pile immediately!

Never Let You Go

This novel follows the life of Lindsay after she has fled from her abusive husband Andrew, who ended up behind bars. It flits between past and present and is told both from the perspective of Lindsay and her daughter, Sophie. I always enjoy novels from multiple perspectives as it gives you a good chance to explore the dynamics and attitudes of both the characters towards Andrew. All is plain-sailing with Andrew behind bars until he gets released from prison; it is at this point that odd things start happening to Lindsay and she is convinced that it has to be Andrew out for revenge. One thing I will say is that I did not expect the ending – it escalates quickly and ended in a way that I did not see coming which is always good for a thriller!

The Prison Doctor

I was a big fan of This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay so something similar to that was always going to be right up my street. I read this in less than 2 days and it’s written in an incredibly accessible and easy to read style. Maybe this is just me, and whilst there are plenty of stories in there, I wanted to hear of even more gruesome or shocking stories. I found that a lot of the book was partly taken up by hearing the explanation as to why she switched jobs and I wanted more focus on the stories. Having said all that, I still devoured this book incredibly quickly and would highly recommend if you’d like to gain an insight into prison life! I devoured the second book too!

Juliet, Naked

This started off as a bit of a slow burner and I didn’t immediately find myself hooked but as I started to get further through it I enjoyed it more. It follows an email correspondence between Annie and Tucker, an old musician – they both feel lonely and unfulfilled in their lives and it is through these emails that a relationship forms. I loved the characters in this as I felt I really got to know them and their thought processes, and the inclusion of the emails and snippets of musical interpretations really bought the book to life too.

The Things We Left Unsaid

This story follows Rachel and Eleanor – a mother and daughter who have a rather strained relationship where they know very little about each other. When Eleanor dies suddenly, it is down to Rachel to re-trace the past and find out what she never knew about her mother and to uncover her past! This is the type of book that gets you to appreciate your family before its too late whilst also reminding you to to make the most of them and learn whatever you can. It’s an enjoyable read and I loved the dual time-frame it uses. It’s definitely quite a poignant one to read during lockdown too.

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird

I loved this book – I cannot express how much I adored this! I absolutely devoured it and read it incredibly quickly. The story follows Lydia after the loss of her fiance Freddie; they’d been together for years and she thought they’d grow old together, yet fate had other plans. In the depths of her grief, Lydia struggles to cope with the loss of Freddie and cannot find a way out. She starts to take sleeping pills that cause her to start having intense and vivid dreams of what could have been and their life together had he not been taken away. But can Lydia have the life she always wanted in the dreams or is life not quite as rosy as it seems? I cannot recommend this book enough, but the only thing I will say is I’m not sure how I felt on the ending! If you’ve read it, let me know your thoughts!

Normal People

Everyone and their pet dog loved the TV series (except me it seemed, I only got to about episode 4 and then stopped) so I felt like I had to read the book before watching the show. I read this in one sitting as it’s quite a short book that isn’t particularly complicated to read. The story follows Marianne and Connel through school and university and the relationship between the two. Not a lot really happens in the book, though I think that’s partly the point of it – it seems to highlight the mundanity of real-life and relationships, stressing how the two characters are just normal people with normal lives. It’s an enjoyable and quick read, but I don’t think it’s as hype-worthy as the TV show makes out – it’s essentially a sex-filled story about two teenagers as they progress into adulthood. But hey, sex sells.

The Day We Met

I cannot express how much I adored this book! I picked it up on a whim in Aldi (don’t you just love Aldi) and I am so glad I did. Jamie and Stephanie meet at an art weekend and have instant chemistry, the issue is that both of them are in other relationships and realise that they cannot do anything about this connection so they agree to meet up once a year as friends. The chemistry between them is undeniable but as their lives and respective marriages move in different directions they cannot deny what they have or their feelings for each other. This book made me such a mess! I have never cried so much at a book in all my life, it was the type of book that I thought about for days afterwards and still shed tears over it – I cannot recommend it enough! It’s both a heartwarming and heartbreaking story that I will continue to recommend to every single person I meet. It. Is. So. So. Good!!!!
Those are a selection of some of the best books that I’ve read in recent months. If you’re looking for any more recommendations these are some of my favourite books of 2020!

Have you read any of these? What did you think? I’m always open to recommendations too!

in book, books # best books, favourite books

Reader Interactions

you may also like
The Best Books I’ve Read Since Finishing University
The Best Classic Novels to Make you Love Classics
5 Best Books of 2020

Comments

  1. Katy says

    February 13, 2021 at 8:03 am

    Love this, I’ve saved for later! One of my goals for 2021 is to read more, so always looking for recommendations.

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 14, 2021 at 7:50 pm

      Hope you find something you enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Steph Hannam says

    February 13, 2021 at 8:16 am

    I need to get back into reading this year. I recently watch Bridgeton and became obsessed so I’ve decided I’m going to read the books x

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 14, 2021 at 7:51 pm

      Yes, I want to read them too!

      Reply
  3. Ms. Tee says

    February 13, 2021 at 9:23 am

    You made me want ALL of these!!! I’m a reader as well, but lately I haven’t even been able to finish a book! I’m going to blame mommy duties, haha! Love your reviews on each of them!

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 14, 2021 at 7:53 pm

      Thank you, hope you find something you enjoy!

      Reply
  4. Alice Myles says

    February 13, 2021 at 10:26 am

    I absolutely adored Daisy Jones and The Six, it was definitely one of my top reads of the year too! I haven’t picked up any of the others though but they all sound great!!

    Reply
  5. Eleanor Jones says

    February 13, 2021 at 10:32 am

    I’ve heard really good things about Daisy Jones and The Six so I’d definitely like to try that one soon 🙂 thanks for sharing x

    Reply
  6. Aaliyah says

    February 13, 2021 at 10:46 am

    These all sounds like really great books! I recently put together a list of books that I’m going to try and read this year and I think I’m also going to add Daisy Jones and the six! X

    Reply
    • Sejal says

      February 16, 2021 at 5:27 pm

      Great post! I’m always looking for books to add to my tbr. I haven’t read any of these, but they look like great reads. Thanks for sharing these book reccommendations!

      Reply
      • agirlwithaview says

        February 17, 2021 at 8:24 pm

        Thank you for reading!

        Reply
  7. Della Driscoll says

    February 13, 2021 at 11:21 am

    I love these types of round-up posts! A lot of these books sound right up my street – Some books I’ve loved recently are A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Guilty Feminist and Vox is incredible xx

    Reply
  8. Hannah Louise says

    February 13, 2021 at 11:32 am

    I’ve got the Prison Doctor sat on my kindle waiting to be read, I loved this is going to hurt too so sounds like this will be up my street, glad you enjoyed it too and love that it’s a relatively easy read!

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 14, 2021 at 7:53 pm

      Yes, I definitely recommend!

      Reply
  9. Faye says

    February 13, 2021 at 12:57 pm

    I definitely need to get myself a copy of Daisy Jones And The Six – everyone seems to be obsessed with it! Personally I was a huge fan of both the book and TV series of Normal People, so it was really interesting to read your thoughts on them both. X

    https://www.femaleoriginal.com

    Reply
  10. Cristina Rosano says

    February 13, 2021 at 2:15 pm

    This was such a great list! I haven’t read any of them but ‘Never Let you go’ and ‘The day we met’ are going straight on my list! I heard still mixing review of Normal People, so not sure it would be my kind of read. Thanks for sharing x

    Reply
  11. Niobe says

    February 13, 2021 at 2:21 pm

    Normal People is one of my all time faves, but the rest sound interesting, including some I haven’t heard of before! Thanks for sharing! 🙂

    Reply
  12. Clarissa Zhu says

    February 13, 2021 at 3:10 pm

    I actually never finished Normal People let alone watched the show. Now that I’ve lowered my expectations, I better finish off the book soon haha I want to read Daisy Jones and the Six one day.

    http://thesydneysider.com/

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 14, 2021 at 7:54 pm

      Daisy Jones is such a great book! And yes, I’m with you about normal people!

      Reply
  13. Amanda says

    February 13, 2021 at 3:50 pm

    Daisy Jones and The Six is one of my favorites! I loved it so much. I’ll have to read Never Let You Go! Sounds right up my alley as well. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  14. Lucy says

    February 13, 2021 at 4:02 pm

    Normal People was a book I read last year and didn’t enjoy it at all, I just couldn’t get into it and I hated the lack of speech marks in the conversations and I kept getting confused who was speaking to who! I liked the Prison Doctor, I thought that was a good read and I agree, I think it did focus quite a lot on her reasons for her career change etc x

    Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk

    Reply
  15. Giulia says

    February 13, 2021 at 4:07 pm

    Wow, so many interesting books! I am adding some to my pile of tbr lol

    Reply
  16. Emily says

    February 13, 2021 at 4:25 pm

    These all seem right up my street!

    https://www.emilyclareskinner.com

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 14, 2021 at 7:54 pm

      Hope you find something you enjoy!

      Reply
  17. Nicci says

    February 13, 2021 at 4:26 pm

    The Two Lives of Lydia Bird sounds really good! I love the concept for it, gonna add that one to my reading list! I am so glad I’ve finally found someone else who didn’t like normal people. I haven’t read the book but I just didn’t enjoy the tv show at all and didn’t really understand the hype around it!

    Reply
  18. Jaya Avendel says

    February 13, 2021 at 9:47 pm

    Juliet, Naked sounds like an enthralling and beautiful read. People who handle the lives of the people we think we know through old writing and history and change them into new renditions of themselves are gifted writers. I think there is a lot said in the name and a book that may be slow but is enjoyed is a book worth mentioning. 🙂

    Reply
  19. Aimsy says

    February 14, 2021 at 9:23 am

    Oo I have soem new books to put onto my list now! I love thriller type books, so a few on here sound right up my street!
    Thanks for sharing!
    Aimsy xoxo
    Aimsy’s Antics

    Reply
  20. Loïne says

    February 14, 2021 at 9:24 am

    I have read normal people and I absolutely adored it! The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is on my TBR and Daisy Jones and The Six is on my wishlist! Great post!

    Reply
  21. Katy Stephenson says

    February 14, 2021 at 9:24 am

    I really enjoyed the film Juliet, Naked so I might give the book a go as well!

    Katy | http://www.katystephenson.com

    Reply
  22. Jenny in Neverland says

    February 14, 2021 at 10:29 am

    Thanks for these recommendations! I’m alwayssss looking for new books to read. I really want to grab The Prison Doctor! x

    Reply
  23. Serena says

    February 14, 2021 at 11:01 am

    Daisy Jones & the Six is on my list – I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’m intrigued by the interview format!

    Reply
  24. Lindsey says

    February 14, 2021 at 11:10 am

    I’ve heard so much about Daisy Jones but still haven’t got around to reading it yet! What a great list – the rest of them are new to me – looks like my TBR might have just got a bit bigger… Great post.

    Reply
  25. Caroline says

    February 14, 2021 at 12:28 pm

    I love reading book recommendation posts! There are so many books here that sound amazing, I’ve added lots to my to-read list ❤. The thing we left unsaid and the day we met are the ones I’m most looking forward to reading xx

    Reply
  26. Jodie | That Happy Reader says

    February 14, 2021 at 2:40 pm

    I’ve read several of these books (Daisy Jones, Normal People and Lydia Bird) and I agree with all your comments for these books. Thanks for the book recommendations! Great reviews!

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 14, 2021 at 7:56 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  27. Bex says

    February 14, 2021 at 3:58 pm

    Some great books in this list! Have a few on my tbr already but may have to add a couple more. Especially The day we met!

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 14, 2021 at 7:56 pm

      I loved the day we met! I highly recommend!!

      Reply
  28. Katie May says

    February 14, 2021 at 5:16 pm

    This is such a good list! Normal People was one of my favourite books I read last year! And Never Let Me Go is such a heartbreaking classic! Really enjoyed reading your thoughts on these!

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 14, 2021 at 7:54 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  29. Molly @ Transatlantic Notes says

    February 14, 2021 at 6:42 pm

    I think that ‘The Things We Left Unsaid’ sounds like I’d enjoy it — thanks for sharing these, I’ll make a note of them!

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 14, 2021 at 7:56 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  30. BR says

    February 14, 2021 at 7:19 pm

    These all sounds like really great books! I migth buy a few
    Thanks for sharing
    https://uncuaderno4cero.wordpress.com/

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 14, 2021 at 7:55 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  31. Antonia says

    February 15, 2021 at 8:11 am

    You’ve read some interesting books. I must say that I haven’t read any of them. I’ll definitely put some of them on my reading list.

    Antonia || Sweet Passions

    Reply
  32. Lorna Liza says

    February 15, 2021 at 10:18 am

    Great recommendations. I have just finished a book that completely messed with my emotions so I’m spending today choosing my next read carefully. This has arrived at a perfect time!

    Reply
  33. Under flowery sky says

    February 15, 2021 at 11:24 am

    Awesome collection. The way we met is my favourite.
    Thanks for recommending..

    Reply
  34. Meg says

    February 15, 2021 at 12:48 pm

    You write so beautifully. Definitely going to come back when I need some more fiction books to read.

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 16, 2021 at 2:55 pm

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
  35. A Cup of Wonderland says

    February 15, 2021 at 2:56 pm

    Really liked this post and interestingly I’ve only read one book from it and that was Daisy Jones and the Six! I’m intrigued by Juliet, Naked and Never Let You Go.

    Reply
  36. BR says

    February 15, 2021 at 3:35 pm

    Great collection, some of them seem interesting 💜
    Thanks for sharing
    https://uncuaderno4cero.wordpress.com

    Reply
  37. Sarah says

    February 15, 2021 at 5:21 pm

    I always love hearing about people’s favorite books, as it often allows to me find books I hadn’t heard of before. That is the case with this list, as all of these are new to me books. These all sound quite interesting. I will have to add some of them to my TBR and check them out.

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 16, 2021 at 2:55 pm

      Thank you! I hope you find one that you enjoy!

      Reply
  38. Gemma Lynsey says

    February 15, 2021 at 5:34 pm

    Some really great sounding stories here which I will definitely add to my Wishlist – all but the prison doctor and normal people. I really didn’t like the tv adaptation of normal people, I felt a bit similar to you but I always wondered about the book so I’m glad I’ve read this and I’m not really missing out.

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 16, 2021 at 2:54 pm

      Yeah, it’s an enjoyable book but not one of my faves!

      Reply
  39. Sue Berk Koch says

    February 15, 2021 at 6:55 pm

    I’ll give Daisy Jones and the Six a go. I haven’t read any of these titles, thanks for the review. Funny, but my new post degues into yours. Reading improves intelligence! (link below!)

    Sue
    https://susanberkkoch.com/blog/best-way-to-keep-your-brain-sharp/

    Reply
  40. Monique says

    February 16, 2021 at 4:06 am

    Wow! It looks like you’ve been really productive about reading. Haven’t read any of these books but they look promising! Hopefully, you’ll provide reviews! Thanks for sharing

    http://www.lifebeginsattwenty.com

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 16, 2021 at 2:53 pm

      Thank you – yes, I’ll try and do some more reviews!

      Reply
  41. Claire Lomax says

    February 16, 2021 at 11:15 am

    I have not read any of these books but some I do have already so I will have to have a re-jiggle of my TBR list as they sound great.

    I am so glad that I fell in love with reading again, it is the perfect distraction right now x

    Reply
  42. Rosie Ireland says

    February 16, 2021 at 11:37 am

    I devoured Normal People in an afternoon! If the other books in this list are as good as that one, I’ll be buying them all!

    Rosie

    Reply
  43. Rebecca Sweeney says

    February 16, 2021 at 11:54 am

    Love this post. Daisy Jones and the Six is one of my all-time faves!

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 16, 2021 at 2:53 pm

      Yes, it’s such a good book!

      Reply
  44. Katie says

    February 16, 2021 at 2:22 pm

    OMG thank you! I was in desperate need of a new book for my wishlist and these all sound great!

    Katie | katieemmabeauty.com

    Reply
  45. Chloe Chats says

    February 16, 2021 at 5:22 pm

    I’m always on the look out for some new books to read. I’m pretty intrigued to read The two lives of Lydia bird, it sounds absolutely heart breaking though, but really interesting! Especially as you loved it so much as well, sounds like a great read. xx

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 17, 2021 at 8:22 pm

      I cannot recommend it enough!

      Reply
  46. lifestyleseason says

    February 16, 2021 at 5:45 pm

    Great post! Thank you for sharing this! I have been looking for book recommendations since I have reading more recently and this post is very helpful. I love the sound of a lot of these books and I’ll definitely be checking them out!

    Reply
  47. Savannah says

    February 16, 2021 at 7:35 pm

    Wonderful post! This is almost perfect timing as I need a list for my next trip to the library. I’m pinning this and adding all of these to my ever-growing Goodreads list. Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 17, 2021 at 8:24 pm

      Yay! Hope you find something you enjoy!

      Reply
  48. Kelly says

    February 17, 2021 at 8:30 am

    I’m obsessed with Normal People. Like a very NOT normal person I must have read it 30 times since the series came out.

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 17, 2021 at 8:25 pm

      Oh wow, that’s dedication, haha!

      Reply
  49. Iridescent Places says

    February 17, 2021 at 10:20 am

    I’ve read the prison doctor and my one thought was that it was just too short! I’ve got A Bit of a Stretch which you might find interesting, it’s diaries of a prisoner? Daisy Jones and the six is a fabulous read, I want to read her latest novel too! xx

    http://www.iridescentplaces.com

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 17, 2021 at 8:26 pm

      Oooh thank you for the recommendation – I’ll check that out!!

      Reply
  50. Alice Spake says

    February 17, 2021 at 8:20 pm

    Daisy Jones & The Six is such a brilliant book – I love the author so much! xx

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 17, 2021 at 8:25 pm

      Yes, I loved that book!

      Reply
  51. Ira says

    February 18, 2021 at 8:50 am

    Would love to check out The Two Lives of Lydia Bird and Never Let You Go! Currently am on a small break from internship and would like to finish the time with lovely readings♡︎ Thank you for this list!

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 22, 2021 at 4:16 pm

      Thank you for commenting and I hope you find something you enjoy!

      Reply
  52. Esmee Rodrigo says

    February 18, 2021 at 11:24 am

    I just started reading more books since Covid so this list is not an disappointment! Thank you!

    Reply
  53. Chloë says

    February 18, 2021 at 12:21 pm

    Oh I absolutely need to start reading more, these books all sound so exciting! Especially the Daisy Jones and The Six one really sounds like the type of book I’d like to read. Thank you for sharing! X

    Reply
  54. Natalie Barletta says

    February 18, 2021 at 4:05 pm

    I love Daisy Jones and the Six! I read it when it first came out and it was my first read from that author. So many good other choices — the Two Lives of Lydia Bird has been on my TBR also.

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 22, 2021 at 4:15 pm

      I really recommend the Two Lives of Lydia Bird – it’s one of my favourite books!

      Reply
  55. Dani says

    February 19, 2021 at 6:16 am

    I’ve recently gotten back into the habit of reading but have been looking for something new to read so this is very helpful! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 22, 2021 at 4:14 pm

      Thank you – hope you find a book you enjoy!

      Reply
  56. Fadima Mooneira says

    February 19, 2021 at 11:21 am

    Wow……you read a lot of good books recently. I should check out these eight books too. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 22, 2021 at 4:14 pm

      Thank you for commenting!

      Reply
  57. Jasmine | Poppies and Jasmine says

    February 19, 2021 at 12:39 pm

    Never Let You Go sounds amazing! I’ll have to add that to my reading list!

    Reply
    • agirlwithaview says

      February 22, 2021 at 4:13 pm

      It’s such a fab book!

      Reply
  58. Daniela says

    May 17, 2021 at 8:51 am

    I loved Daisy Jones! I’m currently getting through Taylor Jenkins Reid’s backlist and so far I’ve really enjoyed all of her books :- ) And yeah, I also can’t believe the band didn’t exist and I can’t listen to their music :- D

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hello!

22 year-old English graduate and lifestyle blogger. Welcome to A Girl with a View!
read more

Follow Me

Follow A Girl with a View on WordPress.com

Top Hits!

  • woman reading on bed with cup of tea cosy 8 of The Best Books I’ve Read Recently
  • Simple Bullet Journal Spread for Beginners
  • couple love sitting evening 4 TV Shows I Don’t Think Are Worth The Hype

Join our mailing list!

To receive my latest post straight to your inbox!

Featured

How to Gain that Summer Glow for 2022

2021 © A Girl with a View
made by soulmuse