Winter semester is brutally cold here in Pittsburgh, and we’re all waiting for Friday. January weekends call for nothing more than thick sweaters, a warm drink and never leaving the house. Whether you’re more book-worm than binge-watcher or you’ve exhausted your whole Netflix queue, this book list is sure to get you through any snowy Saturday!
For the hopeless romantic: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
You saw the movie, now read the book. A sweet, touching, and hopeful read for people who want to remember how to be a teenager in love.
For the Throwback Thursday lover: Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
Were you a Twilight addict? Did you blow through the Harry Potter series in a matter of weeks? Do you believe in magic? Practical Magic has teenage witches, magical flowers, romance, and the kind of all-black outfits that will make you want to get your Sabrina on.
For the thrill seeker: The Gabriel Allon series by Daniel Silva
Turns out those airport paperbacks can be really really good! Daniel Silva’s best-known series is about Israeli spies, black-ops organizations, terrorist plots all over the world, the Vatican, and art history. Yes, the main spy is a Renaissance art restorer. This series started in the 90’s and gets a new installment every year – which means you will never run out of spy stories. So if you love James Bond, this is for you. Personal faves include Prince of Fire, The Fallen Angel, and Portrait of a Spy.
For the hard-core historian: Isabella: Warrior Queen by Kristin Downey
Love history but hate how women seem to always take the backseat? Fear not, because Kristin Downey is here to save us all! Isabella: Warrior Queen is a female-centric telling of the life of Queen Isabella I of Spain – the Isabella who financed Christopher Columbus, “Ferdinand & Isabella” that Isabella. Turns out, she was a heck of a lot cooler than your middle school teacher wanted you to know (and Ferdinand was a completely useless dork).
For the memoirist: On Writing by Stephen King
Part memoir, part handbook, this is a must read for any writer in your life – English major or otherwise. Strikingly genuine, it’s everything you love about Stephen King minus the horror.
For the pre-med babes: The Poisoner’s Handbook by Deborah Blum
New York in the 1920s, murder, mayhem AND forensic science? Sign us up!
For the true-crime obsessed: The Likeness by Tana French
The second book in the “Dublin Murder Squad” series, French brings the “university murder” sub-genre to a whole new high. A young woman is found stabbed to death in a tiny Irish town, and the detective on the case looks exactly like her. It’s a missing-persons case, mistaken identity and dark family secrets all rolled into one. Perfect for fans of The Secret History.
For the future politician: Tell Me How It Ends by Valeria Luiselli
A must-read for anyone concerned about American immigration politics right now. Published in 2017 and the precursor to a new book out later this year, Luiselli describes immigration through the answers given to her by children taken in by the state of New York. The book is less than 200 pages, modeled after long-form essays and broken up into sections based on the U.S. immigration intake form’s questions.
For just about everyone: Princesses Behaving Badly by Linda Rodrigues McRobbie
What can I say? Daring rescues, sword fights, villainous plots, fabulous dresses and pirate ships aren’t only for boys – and they never have been. If you love the Rejected Princesses blog, then you’ll absolutely love the stories of these kickass women.
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