It’s only March, but I’ve had exceptionally good luck with my reads this year! I’m trying not to force my reading in 2019. That means I’m putting down the ones that don’t hook me, savoring each story a little longer, and picking up more recommendations from friends, family, and my favorite social media site (Goodreads counts as social media, right?).
Here are some stars from my year so far! From heavy-hitting non-fiction to the loveliest little romance you’ll ever read, I hope you enjoy these heart-felt recommendations:
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine:
This book is like a bunch of daffodils: it’s bright, it’s delicate, it’s an optimistic vote for life and vibrancy. If it were a color, it would be the kind of yellow that makes you feel warmer just looking at it. I absolutely adored Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, which follows the story of a woman very broken by a past that’s as mysterious to her as it is to you, and the unexpected people who, through love and kindness, show her a path towards happiness. I liked it even better than A Man Called Ove, for those of you who are fans of the OG lovable curmudgeon.
There, There:
I love stories like There, There, told from myriad viewpoints that weave together on the intricate spider web of connections between the characters. This was one of the best of them all. In the days leading up to the Big Oakland Powwow, each character tells fragments of their story, piecing together a portrait of a community that is beautiful and broken, dealing with addiction and abuse and grief, but also full of profound love and spiritualism. I would recommend to people who like literary short stories, because with its wide array of perspectives and its fragmented plot structure, it reads almost like a short fiction collection.
Becoming:
These past couple months, I’ve been amazed at the number of people I’ve seen reading Michelle Obama’s Becoming on the subway. But then again, so was I! I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this one as much as I did—initially I was reading it out of loyalty and love for the former FLOTUS. So it was a very happy discovery to find that at its base, Becoming is just a really good story: an utterly fascinating tale of the hard work, sacrifices, joy, and hope that brought the Obamas together and to the White House. So don’t be intimidated by its heft; Becoming is well worth your time!
Daisy Jones & the Six:
I have a good friend who works with me in publishing and reads like 17 books a week and is the absolute best bellwether for good books. So when she told me to read this way back in October, she was as usual completely right. In honor of its publication week, I’m including Daisy Jones & the Six on this list! I don’t know how to compare this book, because it’s truly unlike anything I’ve read. You know at the outset that the biggest hit band of the 1970s broke up, but you don’t know why. Told entirely as though it were an interview, you hear pieces of the story from each different band member’s perspective. This big-hearted book has the universal, joyful appeal of the album it’s loosely based on: Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours.
The Hating Game:
I was looking for a sweet lil rom-com to get me in the Valentine’s Day spirit, and a dear friend recommended this one to me so highly that I couldn’t ignore it. I know I’m late to the party on this one, but The Hating Game has got to be one of the best hate-to-love romances out there. The main character is so likeable I almost couldn’t believe the premise that she was a lonely girl in the big city; I felt like we were friends instantly. Plus, the witty banter and smoldering scenes between the main characters take place in the publishing house where they work (just like me!). To quote another of my favorite rom-coms, this story was “the perfect combination of sexy and cute.”
Just Mercy:
Just Mercy, written by the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, is about his experiences fighting for criminal justice reform and against capital punishment. This book will transform how you view justice, open your heart, and challenge you to stretch your empathy. I can’t think of a better introduction to the problems in how our country (unevenly) distributes justice; each abstract statistic is preceded by a detailed (and often appalling) story of the real lives that are ruined by the corruption rampant in our courts. If you’ve read The Color of Law or The New Jim Crow, this is the logical next step.
The next couple books aren’t out until July, but get them on your radar now!
Lock Every Door:
From fan-favorite Riley Sager, Lock Every Door is a wild ride of a mystery that gripped me from the very first page. I found this one much faster-paced than The Last Time I Lied, though with all Sager’s signature whiplash-worthy twists.
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill:
An adorable rom-com about a bookseller with an impressive head for fun facts, who finds herself falling for her trivia rival. The author’s voice is bright and peppy, though die-hard romantics beware: the love story is at times sidelined by an unfolding family drama, wherein the main character suddenly learns the identity of the father she never knew. I didn’t mind the diversion, and it made for a sweet story about opening your heart despite your fears.
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