Staff Picks: Marie France Asia’a favourite books

When we’re not busy meddling with lipsticks and shopping for shoes online, the team at Marie France Asia loves to get cozy with a good book and a nice warm cuppa. From philosophical reads, mystery novels to going behind the scenes of the fashion industry to stories that provide an insight into war-torn regions, our selection of favourite books are definitely ones that you should be adding to your must-read list pronto.

Rana – Editor-in-Chief

Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder

“If I had not ended up working in fashion, teaching philosophy was probably one option I would have pursued. In fact, I did study philosophy at university hence my love for Sophie ‘s World which is like a crash course on the topic. This book never gets boring,  on the contrary, the more I read it, the more I discover new things and hidden meanings. And perhaps the best unsual question it asks is ‘what do philosophers and babies have in common?’ The answer is both eye opening and inspiring.“

Tarandip – Fashion & Beauty Writer

Deluxe by Dana Thomas

“As the resident bookworm in the family, along with all my siblings, we have books strewn everywhere, ranging from novels to classics to non fiction and art and design books. I love my novels, especially ones that jog the mind, however as a fashion writer, I’ve decided to pick a book on the fashion industry. Deluxe sees the author, Dana Thomas move from traditional French perfume laboratories to fancy shopping malls in Las Vegas to assembly-line factories in China, as she sews the various patches in what essentially makes up the fabric of the luxury fashion industry. Her witty and humourous bits of side stories and personality profiles – Miuccia Prada and Bernard Arnault amongst others – places the narrative at an impressive level. Sure to get you thinking about the inner workings of the industry. ”

Annabelle – Fashion & Beauty Writer

Looking for Alaska by John Green

“Maybe it’s the mysterious book cover, maybe it’s the endless typography of quotes from the book on tumblr or maybe it’s the sheer wit of John Green for conjuring up such a captivating plot and delivering it so beautifully – there’s just too many reasons why this book is my favourite of all time. The book was spot on in depicting the mischief, desires and struggles of teenagers which made it highly relatable and it was just pure joy reading it and envisioning my Greater Perhaps.”

Diya-Maya – Food, Health & Travel Writer

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

“This book is quite simply, pure magic. Garcia Marquez had an ability to tell stories in a way that very few authors have been able to and can do. He is, in my opinion, probably the greatest story teller of modern times. As a reader, despite how foreign the references to context were, I felt like I could completely relate to the characters much as if i were vicariously living through their lives in Macondo. Much like any mystical realism story, the plot is heavily loaded with themes of love, passion, tragedy, suffering, violence and political tension but each part of the story is so beautifully interwoven, which makes for a read quite like no other. It could almost be considered sacrilege not to read this book at least once in your lifetime.”

Lindsay – Fashion Tech & Lifestyle Writer/ Translator

Stratégies

“I don’t have any favorite book, but I do have a favorite magazine, called ‘Stratégies’. It’s a French magazine with very interesting content on marketing, innovation and advertising. I never get bored with it!”

Laetitia – Regional Account Manager 

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

“This is one of my favourite books. It is the story of 2 different women who were fighting for their lives in the early 20th century Afghanistan. In the same style as the ‘Kite Runner’ the story is very touching with endearing characters.”

Aline – Audience Product Manager

Bonjour Tristesse (‘Hello Sadness’) by Françoise Sagan

“Speaking about sadness does not tend to come naturally and people often run far away from this emotion. But, here, Françoise Sagan uses her words and vision of  the south of France to restore nobility to this unloved feeling. Moreover, once you start reading the book, your imagination will be stirred – you’ll hear crickets singing, feel the wind from the sea in your hair and the sun’s rays slide on you. That’s because you’ll be going on a ride with Cécile, the seventeen-year-old French girl  who spends her summer in a villa on the French Riviera with her father and his mistress.”