Guys, this is what I live for. When school is in session, it’s ridiculously hard to find time to read. When you do have time, it’s hard to do anything more than mindlessly watching TV. All I’m saying is that convincing yourself to take a break from reading by reading something else is a big pill to swallow.
However, once you turn in your last final, and the stress you’ve had since August melts away, books are once again your new best friend. Books are a magical escape; they’re a way to get lost in the winding loops of sentences and the descriptions of characters that can never really be caught on screen.
That’s why, over break, I bide half my time binging Netflix and the other half reading. No time for friends—none at all. I’m far too busy eating up the books I’ve put off reading till now.
I must say, though, I’m a voracious reader. I still find time to read during school, just not as much as I’d like. Over the year, I’ve gathered some amazing books that I can’t stop talking about, and they need to be shared.
If you don’t have a #bookfriend in your life, one that badgers you constantly to read her recs, then let me be that friend for you.
I’m here, full of cheer, and I’ve got more books than A’s this semester. Let’s do this.
Horror / Thriller
Note: this section of recs is about books that aren’t exactly horror in the way you’re used to (Go to Stephen King for that ish.) No, these books are more the type that leave you on the edge of the seat. They settle uneasily in your stomach and make your heart beat a little harder. Some are haunting, and some remind you of inner demons that take the shape of monsters.
“All the Birds, Singing” by Evie Wyld “I’m out of knives for the time being”
I would argue this book is the opposite of singing. It’s more of a rasping screech or a hoarse cry that speaks of loneliness and fierceness. It’s the definition of raw. That being said, this book is absolutely breathtaking. It tells the story of Jake, a gruff young woman who lives in an isolated farmhouse in the British Isles with her snarling collie, Dog. She is content to live a life that consists of tending to her flock of sheep and keeping well away from society. Then, something—or someone—starts picking off her sheep one by one, and it is much more insidious than the foxes in the woods. In fact, it is a silent monster that is almost as terrifying as Jake’s past.
“Through the Woods” by Emily Carroll “It came from the woods. Most strange things do.”
In the same vein, this gorgeously macabre graphic novel/book hybrid speaks of things that would terrify even Red Riding Hood. There isn’t much to say about this book except it is a great way to ease back into reading while also sending a chill up your spine. It’s critically acclaimed for a reason.
Romance
Literally anything by Rainbow Rowell
I’m not kidding. I’m ashamed and delighted to say most of my reading energy these past couple months were spent reading every book Rainbow Rowell has ever written, and it was a worthy endeavor. I know the inner workings of them all.
Do you want to read about an introverted, bookish college student that tries to find where she fits into reality when everything she loves is fiction? Try “Fangirl.”
Do you want to read about gay wizards in a magical school that are caught in a war against an unstoppable, hungry force? Try “Carry On.” (Note: this is my favorite book of all time.)
Do you want to read about an awkward IT guy falling in love with one of the journalists he’s supposed to be monitoring through email, set in the backdrop of 1999? Try “Attachments.”
Do you want an adorable, winter-themed collection of short stories, featuring our Lord and Savior Rainbow Rowell? Try “My True Love Gave To Me.”
She’s written more, but I had to stop at some point, lest this article turn into a Rainbow Rowell Complete Guide.
“Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” by Becky Albertalli “The closest thing I’ve ever had to a journal is probably you.”
Simon Spier is southern, not very openly gay, and a junior in high school. He’s been emailing the most adorable boy he’s ever met, the mysterious Blue, and is also dealing with blackmail when one of his classmates finds out about it. This book is the most accurate representation of high school, regardless of sexual identity. It’s lighthearted, absolutely adorable and probably way too funny for its own good.
Adventure / Fantasy / Other
“The Raven Boys” by Maggie Stiefvater “She wasn’t interested in telling other people’s futures. She was interested in going out and finding her own.”
Blue Sargent is the only non-psychic in a long line of psychics. She’s never gotten a vision before, until one day, she does. She sees a boy, who introduces himself as Gansey, one of the rich students at Aglionby, the local private school. Her whole life, she’s learned to stay far away from the boys at Aglionby, but Gansey and his gang of Raven Boys are different. They’re a ragtag group on a delusional quest to find a dead Welsh king with dubious magical powers. Somehow, Blue finds herself drawn up into their strangely sinister world. This is such a fantastical book that’s garnered a lot of praise, and I’d highly recommend picking it up, as well as its sequels.
“Six of Crows” by Leigh Bardugo “Trickery? I love puzzles. Trickery is just my native tongue.”
Ketterdam is a city where the black market is the only market, and everything is fair game. Kaz Brekker is a criminal wunderkind that, when offered the chance at a deadly heist in exchange for more money than he thought possible, he couldn’t refuse. However, it requires him to work with others: a spy, a thief, a sharpshooter, a witch, a runaway and a convict. They’re violent, funny and altogether vicious. If “Guardians of the Galaxy” were set in an industrial slum, and the members were much more diabolical and lacking morals, this book would be it.
Non-Fiction / Memoir
“Yes Please” by Amy Poehler “People are their most beautiful when they are laughing, crying, dancing, playing, telling the truth and being chased in a fun way.”
If you like memoirs, feminism, funny women and “Saturday Night Live,” then what are you doing with your life? Get this book ASAP. Amy is such an interesting person; if her life were an object, it would be a flickering pink neon sign outside of an NYC improv club in 1998. It would be warm, welcoming and just the slightest bit cheeky. I would literally die for Amy, oh my.
“Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube” by Blair Braverman “I knew I would never be a tough girl. And yet the phrase, with its implied contradiction, articulated everything I wanted for myself. To be a girl, an inherently vulnerable position. And yet, unafraid.”
Blair’s last name being Braverman is just as poetic as Usain’s last name being Bolt. This is the memoir of a young sled dog driver that’s lived in Norway, been a glacier tour guide in Alaska and gotten buried alive in an ice cave. She continuously tries to carve out a space for herself in a desolate tundra that’s seen as a man’s world. Blair’s story is moving, inspiring and funny, but also sobering in its occasional harsh realities. This is the realest book to read in winter, and Blair’s voice will stay with you long after you finish.
BONUSES:
“The Foxhole Court” by Nora Sakavic “Remember this feeling. This is the moment you stop being the rabbit.”
This book is interesting, to say the least. That being said, I got really, really into it and finished the entire trilogy in under a week. It’s a self-published series that is only available for $0.99 online, so I’d recommend bearing that in mind (by ‘that,’ I mean there was no editor, no publishing agency, etc.) I put it as a bonus because I don’t exactly know where it fits. It’s about an incredibly fucked up college sport team, the Foxes, that plays a dangerous game called exy. Exy is defined as “a bastard sport, an evolved sort of lacrosse on a soccer-sized court with the violence of ice hockey.” Neil Josten, a runaway with a troubled past, is the main character. It’s a romance, a horror and a thriller—and it’s extremely suspenseful. The romantic love in this book is brutal, strange and filled with pitfalls. The plotline is, if you can believe it, too real to be reality. Like, people can’t possibly be this messed up. Nevertheless, I’m obsessed with it, and it has a ridiculously large internet cult following.
“Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race” by Margot Lee Shetterly
Okay, I couldn’t include this book because 1. I hadn’t read it, and 2. it isn’t even coming out until Dec. 29. However, ever since I heard about it, I’ve been anxiously awaiting its arrival. This is for if you were a fan of “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” back in high school (or were we the only ones who had to read that book? It’s the only book I enjoyed in high school). Additionally, if you want to see something beyond the single story of historical science, definitely get this on preorder.