I know that finals season is on the horizon and everyone’s stressed out of their minds, so I thought I would recommend a few books I’ve read this past semester as a way for people to relax, tone down that screen time, and read some (in my humble opinion) good books.
1. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Taylor Jenkins Reid has become one of my favorite authors in the last year. After devouring Daisy Jones and The Six and falling in love with The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo I couldn’t wait to read Reid’s latest novel Malibu Rising. Set on the picturesque coast of California, Malibu Rising follows a day in the life of the Riva siblings as they plan their annual summer party. If you’ve read Reid’s other book The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, the name Riva will probably sound familiar to you as it is the name of the character Mick Riva, a want-to-be singer, who is one out seven husbands to Evelyn Hugo. The book delves into the Rivas siblings’ relationships, their troubled childhood, and how all their past decisions and mistakes will lead to an epic party and the Riva mansion ending up in flames by the end of the novel.
2. Aristotle and Dante Dive into The Waters of The World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
This is the highly anticipated sequel to Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. Yes, I know those titles are both mouthfuls, but Ari and Dante’s epic love story is worth the read. Set in rural Texas in the 1980s the book follows Dante and Ari as they navigate their senior year of high school, first love, and being gay in a society that rejects you. Not only will you fall in love with the two protagonists, but also an array of side characters that add depth and a few teary moments to the novel. This book gave Ari and Dante’s love story the perfect open ending, and may I suggest you read this with a box of tissues because you’re going to need them.
3. These Violent Delights & Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong
The Romeo and Juliet retelling of your dreams is finally here! Set in 1920s Shanghai, These Violent Delights and the sequel Our Violent Ends, tells the story of rival gangs, the Scarlets, and the White flowers, both fighting a violent and blood feud for control over the city. What these two ruthless gangs don’t know is that their heirs, Juliette Cai, and Roma Montagov (see what she did there!) are secretly in love, and their relationship will be the doom of both gangs’ empires. Chole Gong’s writing is breathtakingly lyrical and it will take you out of this reality and plunge you into glittering Shanghai where monsters both human and beast lurk around every corner.
4. Heartstopper Volumes 1-4 by Alice Oseman
These graphic novels will literally make anyone believe in romance. Following Charlie and Nick as they navigate friendship and then a romantic relationship, Heartstopper is the prefect queer romance, giving you all the warm and fuzzy feels while also tackling being a queer teenager and mental health issues. The series is five volumes long with the fifth coming out in February of 2023. The series has been turned into a Netflix show which came out this past Friday. I could not recommend these books more and I highly suggest that you read the books before watching the show, trust me it’ll be way more enjoyable.
I hope you found this article as a nice break from studying and that one of these books caught your eye and you’ll read it. Good luck with finals and happy reading!