A Recap of What I’ve Been Reading Recently

The joy of being an English Education major is that I’m never not taking an English class. I’m taking three this semester, so I’ve had plenty of assigned readings to keep me occupied, but I’ve still managed to sneak in some reading for fun here and there. However, I am extremely indecisive, and my reading mood changes with the weather, meaning that I have a tendency to start books and then put them down in favor of a different book. This habit means that I sometimes take longer to finish books and often read multiple books at the same time. So, here are some of my recent and ongoing reads. 

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

I started the year in a reading slump, so I wanted something quick and enjoyable to reignite my motivation to read. The House on Mango Street is a semi-autobiographical collection of short stories following a young girl named Esperanza growing up in Chicago’s Hispanic community during the 1960s. Some of the stories are only a few paragraphs long and paint a vivid picture not only of Esperanza’s life and family but also of the people who live in her neighborhood. The reader follows Esperanza as she enters adolescence and becomes increasingly aware of the world around her. Cisneros has such a gorgeous writing style and makes the reader care about these characters in less than a page. This is a relatively short read, but the words and deeper meanings will linger for much longer. 

The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow

Continuing with the topic of short but incredible reads, I picked up The Six Deaths of the Saint. This short story came highly recommended from one of my favorite content creators, cari can read, whose book recommendations haven’t failed me yet. I read this story in one sitting and had to stare at the wall in silence after finishing it. It follows our main character as she goes from a dying orphan to a fearless warrior for whom the battle never seems to end. The reader unravels the story alongside the main character, and once I figured it out, I was speechless. I read this story at exactly the right time, and it hit the nail on the head for me. 

The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

While I technically read The Handmaid’s Tale for one of my classes, I picked up the sequel on my own, so I’m counting it. I devoured The Handmaid’s Tale and bought The Testaments on my Kindle almost right after finishing it. These books are a case of when dystopian literature begins to feel scarily real, especially since I go to school in the Greater Boston area and the fictional regime of Gilead is located in Cambridge. Atwood is easily one of my new favorite authors because of how captivating her writing is. The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments explore a dystopian world where the Gilead regime rises to power and enslaves women in the name of increasing the population. It is a visceral and gutting novel, and I enjoyed every single page. The Testaments was only published in 2019, and so far, it lives up to the legacy of the first book, following three characters instead of one. These books feel like required reading, given everything happening in the world today. 

How to Be Eaten by Maria Adelmann

I’m very particular about my fairytale retellings, but How to Be Eaten fits my requirements. This is a modern take on stories such as Little Red Riding Hood and Rumpelstilskin, where all the protagonists tell their stories in a group therapy format over the course of a few weeks. There is a unique spin on the classic fairytales in that every protagonist gained negative media attention from their stories and are dealing with the aftermath of becoming a public figure. One issue I tend to have with books containing multiple narrators is that their “voices” all sound the same. This book does not have that issue, and I could hear each character’s voice as she told her story. I am so close to finishing this book, I just need to lock in and see how everything ends. 

Oathbound by Tracy Deonn

I got my hands on this book as soon as possible, but at the same time, I am terrified of finishing it. Oathbound is the third book in the Legendborn Cycle, and I have been eagerly awaiting its release. I will maintain that this is the best Young Adult Fantasy series out right now, and it echoes all the fantasy books I loved growing up while being so much more. The series follows Bree Matthews as she becomes entangled in a world of Arthurian legend while also coming to terms with secrets surrounding her past and ancestors. I cannot say enough good things about Tracy’s writing, and she always manages to grab at my heartstrings. I’m only 100 pages in, but I just know a whirlwind of adventure and emotion awaits me. 

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