Finding a Reading Rhythm and 5 Young Adult Favorites
Plus some sweet and cozy reading lists (FictionMatters #19)
Hey, readers!
I hope you’ve all been able to keep healthy and stay inside as much as possible. For those of you with essential jobs that require you to be out in the world during these scary times, thank you for all that you do.
This week was my spring break and my husband and I were supposed to be in London and Belgium. Friday was also my birthday so even though we have so much to be grateful for, I felt a bit down this week. However, there were quite a few silver linings. For my birthday, we ordered some incredibly good takeout (if you’re in Denver, check out Maine Shack and D Bar for some seriously decadent quarantine eats). We also had a virtual cocktail party with some of our friends…we all dressed up for the occasion which was fun and festive and left me feeling happier than I could have expected. I highly recommend setting up some virtual gatherings you can look forward to to help ward off the social isolation blues.
And, of course, I’ve been reading a lot. It took me several days into this new reality to be able to focus on anything (and I’m sure I’ll have some unfocused days in the near future) but once I finished one great book, I found myself on quite the roll.
This week I read…
Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. I loved everything about this book and I cannot recommend it highly enough. McQuiston has penned the ultimate escapist read: a smoldering romance set in the alternate reality we all wish we were living in. The book follows Alex—First Son of the United States—as he’s forced to play nice with his nemesis Prince Henry of England. This enemies to lovers romance is open door, but it’s a “new adult” book so it’s not overly descriptive. It is sweet and smart and funny and, quite honestly, the perfect book to read right now. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Weather by Jenny Offill. Offill’s book Dept. of Speculation is one of the most heart wrenching books I’ve ever read. But it’s also incredibly beautiful and phenomenally written. Weather is Offill’s newest book that delves into motherhood and contemporary anxiety about climate change and political strife (there’s a lot of doomsday prepping in this book, so be forewarned!). This book didn’t hit me with the same emotional gut-punch as Speculation, but the writing is brilliant and it’s very short so I still recommend it if you’re looking for something strange and artsy. ⭐⭐⭐✨
The Illness Lesson by Clare Beams. I think this book might have been written just for me. Set in nineteenth century New England, the book explores an experimental school that intends to educate girls in the same way that boys were educated (think languages, sciences, and literature as opposed to needlework and piano playing). While the school is successful in many ways, the girls eventually start behaving strangely, even frighteningly. This book explores mass hysteria, disturbing Victorian era treatments for hysteria, and—most importantly—what this world expected of girls compared to what they were capable of. It’s a dark and disturbing page-turner, and I loved every minute of it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
Now I’m reading…
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel. This new novel from the author of the beloved post-apocalyptic book Station Eleven comes out Tuesday, March 24th. It’s a difficult book to describe in terms of plot: there’s a recovering drug-addict on the run, a traumatized young woman looking for a way out, and a Ponzi scheme. I’m really enjoying reading this book, but it’s not giving me the same swept away feeling as Station Eleven. Keep an eye on my Instagram for a full review before this book is released.
Five Young Adult Favorites
If you’re having trouble concentrating on books these days, a young adult book may be the cure. YA reads are immediately engaging and meant to be binged so they’re the perfect antidote for a wandering mind. Here five particularly engaging YA books:
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson. For a gorgeous and lyrical memoir in poems about growing up Black during the Civil Rights Movement.
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez. For a compelling read about balancing the demands of family and the desire to be yourself.
Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum. For the hands-down sweetest love story about friendship and first love.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han. To meet the adorable Lara Jean and swoon over Peter Kavinksy.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. To revisit the dystopian sensation before the prequel comes out this May.
Bookish Reading
Lots of bookish businesses are offering ways to read for free during the pandemic. Besides digital library loans, one of the best has got to be Scribd, which is offering 30 free days without even entering your credit card information. They have thousands of ebooks, audiobooks, and periodicals for your reading pleasure.
This is also a great time to support your independent bookstores. Lots of indies are offering free shipping, Bookstore.org lets you purchase books to support indies in general, and Libro.fm is the only audiobook company that allows you to buy your listening material from your local bookstore.
A bunch of amazing authors including Ann Patchett, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Tayari Jones shared their comfort reads.
The NPR Book Concierge is the best way to find books to fit your mood.
LitHub is offering some of its readers on demand, personalized book recommendations and letting the rest of us follow along. These recs are so freaking good.
Little Fires Everywhere debuted on Hulu last week. This is a great read about how the adaptation worked to highlight some of Celeste Ng’s particular goals.
The Hard Sell: Jacob Have I Loved by Katharine Paterson
As a kid, I was given this book because the protagonist shares my name: Sara Louise. That inspired a deep connection with this character and book, and I read it over and over again throughout my childhood. Recently I had the opportunity to reread this text and discuss it on The SSR Podcast, and I realized how much it informed my literary taste. Jacob Have I Loved is about a young girl trying to assert herself and find her place in the world. She’s not particularly likable, but she’s incredibly relatable; and that is my favorite combination. If you like authors like Meg Wolitzer and Ann Patchett, it might be fun to try this middle grade book that deals with similar themes. And, of course, be sure to listen to my discussion with Alli of SSR!