Seeing as it's National Read a Book Day, we're giving you a little peak into NGO Zine's bookshelf. We know how much you love fashion, so we dedicated an entire section to it, along with some other must-haves. 

On the hunt for a killer coffee table book? We've got it, with some that not only look great but are actually worth a read. Revolutionary. 

Still waiting for your summer break? First of all, we're bitter and jealous. But more importantly, we've got the perfect poolside reads for you to squeeze into your suitcase.

For the rest of you who are back to work like we are, we've thrown in a few books to at least try and make the commute that little bit less painful than usual. Enjoy!

COFFEE TABLE ESSENTIALS

Kevyn Aucoin, Face Forward

Following the success of Kevyn’s first book, Making Faces, he’s back and ready to show how far makeup can really go. Buckle up and get ready for a serious lesson in beating your face.

Reasons to read:

  • Be two-faced in the best kinda way
  • Makeup can make you look like ANY celeb? Interesting...

NGO Rating: 💄💄💄💄

Gaz Oakley, Vegan 100

Who said vegans only eat broccoli and tofu? Meat-free Mondays never looked so good. Fried chicken, fillet steak wellington and chocolate tart, but make it vegan. Cravings = satisfied.  

 Reasons to read:

  • Gaz: The Holy Father of the Wagamama vegan egg.
  • A vegan mousse cake? Where?

NGO Rating: 🥑🥑🥑🥑

Danièle Bott, Chanel: Collections and Creations

PSA: Chanel’s archives are officially open. Be in the know from everything from clothes to accessories to models. Be ready to enter Mastermind with specialist subject: Chanel, and take home the trophy.

Reasons to read:

  • Gabrielle and Karl are basically fashion royalty
  • A little bit of Chanel trivia never hurt nobody

NGO Rating: 👡👡👡👡

Claire Wilcox & Circe Henestrosa, Frida Kahlo: Making Her Self Up 

If you missed the V&A Exhibition last year, this is sure to replace the hole in your heart. Know all there is to know about Frida the artist, feminist and icon.

Reasons to read:

  • Frida’s brows
  • Killer photography

NGO Rating: 🌺🌺🌺🌺

FASHION FAVES

Jean-Christophe Napias & Sandrine Gulbenkian, The World According to Karl 

Our Father, our modern master, our muse. 2019 is the year we celebrate Karl twice as much as usual in his honour. Match his level of confidence and sass every damn day.

Reasons to read:

  • The best white ponytail of them all
  • Live and die by his wit

NGO Rating: 🐱🐱🐱🐱 (Choupette approved)

Sophie Mas, Audrey Diwan, Anne Berest & Caroline de Maigret, How to be Parisian

Four Parisian women offer a lens into fashion, beauty, attitude and men. Don’t be fooled – snob intended.

Reasons to read:

  • Who doesn’t want to live like a Parisienne?
  • Myth-busting, light-hearted and all around fabulous

NGO Rating: 🥐🥐🥐🥐

 Various Authors, Vogue On... Series

Vogue have got our backs when it comes to designers. We’re ticking them off one at a time at a faster pace than ever… and just think about how sick your bookshelf is gonna look.

Reasons to read:

  • In Vogue we trust
  • Photography to die for

NGO Rating: 👗👗👗👗👗

Alexa Chung, It

It may be six years since its release, but this book still bangs. Alexa’s got you covered with fashion, wit, doodles, photography and a healthy dose of life inspo.

Reasons to read:

  • Be the next fashion icon
  • A lesson in how to perfect Alexa’s hair? Go on then

NGO Rating: 👁👁👁👁

SUMMER HOLIDAY

André Aciman, Call Me By Your Name

Elio and Oliver fall for each other in 1980’s Italy. Beautiful writing that may or may not make you leave your hotel on the hunt for a summer romance with an older exchange student.

Reasons to read:

  • The peach. If you know you know
  • Summer holiday romance GOALS

NGO Rating: 🍑🍑🍑🍑🍑

Jeanette Winterson, Frankissstein

A transgender doctor falls in love with a professor concerned with artificial intelligence and a newly divorced man launches a new gen of sex dolls. If that isn’t enough to intrigue you, I don’t know what will.  

Reasons to read:

  • Frankenstein with a twist
  • A Winterson novel at its finest

NGO Rating: 🧠🧠🧠🧠🧠

Diana Evans, Ordinary People

Follow two couples as they embark on a moment of reckoning. Unapologetically realistic every step of the way.

Reasons to read:

  • A realistic love story for once
  • Life isn’t all about sunshine and fairytales

NGO Rating: 🚕🚕🚕

Candice Carty-Williams, Queenie

A Jamaican woman living in London struggling to juggle both cultures and figure out who the hell she wants to be in this world. Wish we could say we can’t relate.

Reasons to read:

  • One for the Fleabag stans
  • Unapologetically real

NGO Rating: 🌻🌻🌻🌻

 FOR THE COMMUTE

Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl

Mix a little bit of crime, mystery, psychology and heartbreak together and you’ve got the recipe for this novel. In fear of spoilers we must say nothing other than: read this book.

Reasons to read:

  • The film is amaze too
  • Find joy in delays. Thank you TFL for letting us read on 

NGO Rating: 🤯🤯🤯🤯

Fearne Cotton, Happy

Fearne is here to hold your hand through anything. A gateway to zen and happiness is never going to be a waste of money.

Reasons to read:

  • An adult workbook
  • Fearne Cotton aka the happiness guru

NGO Rating: 🌈🌈🌈🌈

Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita

 

Ah, Humbert Humbert. A college professor, a pedophile and a lost soul. One of the only books in history that somehow makes you feel sympathy for an obsessive and invasive pervert.

 Reasons to read:

  • Humbert is an oddball to say the least.
  • The type of stepfather you’d expect to find terrorising the Baudelaire kids in A Series of Unfortunate Events 

NGO Rating: 🍭 🍭 🍭 🍭 🍭

Helen Fielding, Bridget Jones's Baby: The Diaries

Our favourite spinster is back with more diary entries about her crazy life. Days taken to read this book: 1, number of times put down: 0. The same wit we love with a new dilemma – the father of her unborn baby. Classic Bridge.

 Reasons to read:

  • The final book (so far) in the ICONIC Bridget Jones Series
  • Our queen is having a baby. Does that warrant another bank holiday?

NGO Rating: 👼 👼 👼 

What are your favourite books? Let us know by commenting below!