Reading Days are a welcome respite from weeks of homework, midterms, and essays. If you find yourself with some spare time on your hands over this break, consider relaxing with a mug of tea, a warm and cozy spot, and a good book. There have been numerous new releases in 2018, ranging from nonfiction to fantasy to poetry, that deserve your attention. Pick one or two and settle in for the perfect fall break!
Nonfiction
via NPR
When They Call You A Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele
Khan-Cullors and Bandele discuss what it’s like navigating America as a Black woman before and in the era of the Black Lives Matter movement. Khan-Cullors recounts her childhood in Los Angeles and the lessons she’s learned over the years about police brutality, racism, and the preschool-to-prison pipeline. It is a powerful, breath-taking exploration of humanity, activism, and the stagnancy of racial progress in America.
via EricaRobynReads
I’ll Be Gone In the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search For the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara
What makes this read particularly intriguing is not only the story of the Golden State Killer, but also because he was caught not long after publication. McNamara documents not only GSK’s crime spree, but her own obsession with tracking him. Juxtaposing McNamara’s tale with the new information that has been uncovered about the GSK suspect makes this a unique and timely read.
Adult Fiction
via Chain Interaction
Vox by Christina Dalcher
In this dystopian version of America, women are permitted to speak only one hundred words per day. More laws are passed daily, banning the formal education of women, their ability to hold jobs, and more. But Dr. Jean McClellan is determined to be heard and rebuild the world into one worthy of herself and her daughter.
via HithaOnTheGo
The Map of Salt and Stars by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar
This is the story of two girls: Nour, a Syrian refugee in 2011, and Rawiya, a young woman from the twelfth century apprenticed to a mapmaker. Though centuries separate these girls, the parallels between their journeys and the lessons they learn are poignant. This story dives deep into the history and modern day settings of the Middle East and North Africa, while still crafting a beautiful tale about two girls who dream of returning home.
via The Wordy Girl
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Hannah is famous for writing strong women in thrilling, vivid historical settings. The Great Alone is a portrait of post-traumatic stress disorder and the effects it has on a family. A Vietnam veteran decides to move his wife and thirteen-year-old daughter to a small town in Alaska. The women soon realize they are truly alone in the unforgiving wilds of Alaska in the dead of winter.
YA Fiction
via All Characters Wanted
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
Set in the mid-1800s, Ireland imagines a world in which the Civil War ends and slaves are freed because the zombie apocalypse has begun. Jane McKeene is a young woman training to be a companion: in other words, a fashionable and well-mannered zombie killer assigned to protect rich women. But fierce and independent Jane soon uncovers a plot and finds herself wrapped up in a deadly mystery.
via Prity Book Box
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
This wicked and dark fairy tale follows Jude, an orphaned human girl living in the magical realm of Faerie. She is tormented by the faerie folk, yet still dreams of serving as a knight someday and fitting in, though her human ancestry will never allow her to. Ambitious and cunning Jude carves out a place for herself in the world of palace intrigue and backstabbing. But to truly win herself a new future, Jude must spy on and manipulate one of the faeries who has been cruelest to her: the young Prince Cardan.
via All Characters Wanted
Save the Date by Morgan Matson
If you find yourself in need of a fluffy and light-hearted read, Matson tells a new classic summer tale with her trademark blend of heart and and laugh-out-loud humor. Charlie’s big but close-knit family has scattered with time, and soon, her childhood home is going to be sold. So Charlie is hoping that her older sister’s wedding will be a great last hurrah in their family home, since all of the siblings Charlie hasn’t seen in years are coming to visit. But of course, things go hilariously and sometimes tearfully awry.
Poetry
via Alexa Talks Books
Take Me With You by Andrea Gibson
Gibson explores the themes of gender, sexuality, relationships, and more in this beautifully illustrated poetry volume. The work is divided into three parts: love, the world, and becoming.
via Noor Unnahar
yesterday i was the moon by Noor Unnahar
Unnahar’s style will appeal to fans of Rupi Kaur or Amanda Lovelace. In short, evocative pieces, Unnahar navigates the inner workings of our culture and emphasizes themes of self-love. This volume is accompanied by photography inspired by each poem.
via Graywolf Press
House of Fact, House of Ruin by Tom Sleigh
In this moving and critical poetry collection, Sleigh analyzes how easily fact can be manipulated, and the consequences this has across the globe. Sleigh’s poems are a roundtrip ticket around the globe, and eventually, to a point in space: a point where we can observe ourselves and actions from afar and realize how stunningly unfamiliar we are to each other.