The beginning of the semester is one of the only times in the next few months when a lot of us actually have some free time to spare. For me, this is one of the best times to get some reading in, as I prepare my brain for the upcoming course load. So, I put together a few novels of different genres I think are good fits for an entertaining reading experience.
1. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Are you the kind of person who’s really set in your ways, likes everything planned and whose agenda is your life? Maybe you like to stalk people you like on social media and just can’t deal with your judgmental coworkers. If so, you might just have something in common with Eleanor Oliphant, who has been working at the same office job for nearly a decade, is almost dating a famous local musician and hasn’t been too thrilled about change since she was a teenager. But Eleanor has a lot to deal with personally, so she forms a few unexpected friendships, and her not-too-thrilling life begins to undergo an extreme makeover from there.
2. Hold Back the Stars by Katie Khan
Because we all need one more story to caution us about the terrifying reality of space travel, this is the tale of Max and Carys, who are trapped drifting through space with their oxygen about to run out. In their final desperate moments, the couple reflects on their lives in a futuristic, seemingly utopia version of our world.
3. Vicious by V.E. Schwab
Why be a superhero when you can be a super villain? Or maybe the story has just got you pegged wrong. Victor and Eli used to be college roommates and best friends. After a science experiment gone wrong, all that has changed. A decade later, Victor has broken out of prison and is determined to get revenge…or, maybe, set things right.
4. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
College can be hard to adjust to, especially when you’ve got an addicting Harry Potter-like fantasy world constantly on your mind and an internet-famous fanfiction to write. Cath is starting her freshman year, and while she’s excited to take those creative writing classes, she is mostly inclined to just stay in bed on weekends, write her fanfic and avoid any social interaction. Reluctant at first, Cath finds new friends who take her out of her comfort zone and help bolster her confidence in the unstable tides of school.
5. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Lazlo Strange is a dreamer. He loves books, myths, history and stories of all kind. So when an opportunity arises to accompany a band of famed warriors to the fabled lost city of Weep, he jumps at the chance. But as his journey brings him closer to the place of his life’s research, he learns what lies before him might just be more complicated, dangerous and wonderful than he ever could have imagined.
Hopefully some of these titles sparked your interest, and you’ll be all set to start off your semester the literary way!
Happy reading!