Given that it’s finals season, you might have some more time in your schedule in the coming months you’re looking to fill. My favorite thing to do is read, so out of all the books I’ve read purely for pleasure this year, maybe you’ll find something you enjoy! Personally, I don’t count my academic books in my Goodreads challenge for the year, so all the 16 books I’ll end up reading for 25 will be unrelated to coursework. So far, I’ve finished 4 of 16, but I’m currently reading another 2! Hopefully these will encourage you to branch out and get reading this summer!
#1: Educated by Tara Westover
This was an incredible book to start the year off with! In Educated, Westover details her childhood and going from no formal schooling to holding a PhD and becoming the Rosenthal Writer in Residence at Harvard. Westover’s descriptions of mental illness, danger, and becoming educated through a different method than most think about education is truly inspiring. It’s absolutely a must read for education majors, but it definitely can apply to anyone!
#2: The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom by Shari Franke
For anyone who grew up watching family vloggers or has any interest in true crime, this book is a must-read. Shari Franke is still college-aged herself, and yet she tells the harrowing story of her life thus far in such great detail. The book’s discussion of abuse may be triggering for some, but it tells a piece of a story that Franke was forced to be a part of. Along with the release of her book, there is a Hulu series that was released shortly after, Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke, that details the lives of the Franke’s from Shari, her brother Chad, and their father Kevin’s perspectives. As several of the siblings are still minors, Franke did an amazing job at protecting her siblings identities in the book.
#3: Beach Read by Emily Henry
On a way lighter note than the previous two, I was equally as thrilled to read Beach Read. It had been on my TBR (to be read, for the uninitiated) for almost two years, and I just hadn’t gotten to it. Well, I finally did and read it on a beach for spring break! It’s very cookie-cutter romance vibes with little twists, but who doesn’t love a little enemies-to-lovers? I absolutely loved it and January and Gus were giving all the right vibes that I was searching for in a romance book. I can’t wait for the release of the movie. While there’s no official release date, most of Henry’s novels are getting adapted into movies and series, which is HUGE news for romance lovers!
#4: A Little Secret by Kelsie Rae
I bought into BookTok trailer pitches on this one… the author made a TikTok summarizing the plot and it included epilepsy and hockey… so I was hooked! After reading, I wouldn’t say I was the biggest fan. It’s definitely a good book and I absolutely love epilepsy representation, but I just didn’t love it. I think I probably read epilepsy romances too close together because I read The Match by Sarah Adams at the very end of last year (highly recommend that one). It’s definitely still a book worth checking out, but I wasn’t quite hooked in!
#5 and #6: Currently Reading
Finally, I am currently reading A Mind Unraveled by Kurt Eichenwald and My Husband by Maud Ventura (Translated by Emma Ramadan). A Mind Unraveled was another one that had been on my TBR for a while, it’s the story of a journalist’s experiences being diagnosed with and living with epilepsy. I’ve been really on my epilepsy book kick lately, because I struggled to find books about it in younger years and through social media I’m finding the few ones out there! So far, I really like it. I think Eichenwald is a beautiful writer, and it’s been a reflective process for me thinking about my own diagnosis and experiences. But even for those who don’t have epilepsy, the lessons Eichenwald has derived from his experiences with it can still be useful to you! As for My Husband, I’ve only read the first chapter, but I’m already obsessed. It was the book club pick for the Stonehill English Society this semester and I knew I’d have to read it, I just didn’t pace doing it right! But, because of the strong beginning, I’m sure I’ll stay hooked on this book.
Hopefully this short list has helped you find something new to try or convinced you to finally read a book you’ve been wanting to read! Keep reading!