Finding the time to read for pleasure in college is undoubtedly difficult. Between never-ending deadlines, clubs, activities, and friends- we’re all super busy. I’ve found (by finding the right material) that reading has helped me relax way more than late-night scrolling through Tik Tok or Instagram.
1. 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand
Ever seen the movie Same Time, Next Year? 28 Summers puts a beachy twist on the same trope. We follow Jake McCloud and Mallory Blessing from college to adulthood as they spend each Labor Day weekend together on Nantucket. Hilderbrand will make you laugh, cry, and maybe even fall in love with the characters, too. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve read this one (definitely a comfort book), you won’t be able to put it down!
2. My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
My Year of Rest and Relaxation is funny in an absurd and dryly bitter way. Set in pre-9/11 New York City, we follow our narrator as she enters a 12-month drug-induced haze. While this novel definitely has its outrageous moments, it stands as a commentary on mental health, privilege, and the pre-9/11 world at large. Our narrator becomes so unreliable, we begin to question whether she is really telling the truth at all.
3. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Honestly, any TJR novel is worth a read (especially Daisy Jones and the Six or The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo), but her latest, Malibu Rising, is a true page-turner. Set in 1983, the famous Riva siblings are anything but boring as they prepare to host their epic annual party. This novel is definitely fun, but it also aims to explore the Riva’s twisted family dynamics, and above all, who we can choose to love.
4. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Where the Crawdads Sing follows our protagonist, Kya, as she grows up (mostly) on her own in a North Carolina marsh. This quasi coming-of-age story involves family (or who can become it), love, and also a murder trial. Definitely a must-read before the movie, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, premieres in June!
5. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
For all my mystery junkies out there, The Girl on the Train is a mind-bending thriller from start to end. Our main narrator, Rachel, is an alcoholic recovering from her divorce. We follow her relationship with two other women as her life continues to unravel. Rachel’s unreliability is definitely enhanced by the never-ending blank spots in her memory, creating an atmosphere of mystery and a desire to always know more.