Some popular books are completely deserving of praise — others make me question their popularity. Here’s what I think about some of the books that have received a lot of attention these past few years.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
The Goldfinch is the first Donna Tartt book that I read. It made me fall in love with her style of writing and storytelling. This is such an intriguing book. It explores the different (and often self-destructive) ways people cope with grief and trauma, deep loneliness, the troubling awareness of one’s own transience, and the permanence and transcendence of art. This book is definitely worthy of approbation.
ThE Secret History By Donna Tartt
Chances are you’ve heard of The Secret History, and I can say it is for good reason. This book is fantastic. The characters are complex and captivating, the scenery is detailed and atmospheric, and the smatterings of Greek and Latin are fantastically pretentious. If you’re searching for an enthralling story, look no further.
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
I loved If We Were Villains. It definitely lived up to the hype. The vivid, arrogant characters, the moody setting, the Shakespeare — it was great. I also didn’t feel like, as I often do with books that aren’t classics, that the writing was inadequate — it was rather decent. If you read The Secret History and enjoyed it, you’ll enjoy this book.
All the Light We cannot See By Anthony Doerr
I went through a big historical fiction phase during my sophomore year of high school. I read about 12 historical fiction novels, and Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See was, by far, my favorite. Unlike most other historical fiction novels, which are essentially romance novels that happen to have a historical background, this novel was an actual historical fiction. It treats issues such as the horridness, futility, and wastefulness of war expertly.
Circe By Madeline Miller
I immensely enjoyed Madeline Miller’s Circe. It brings to life a character that only appears in a small portion of The Odyssey. The writing is decent, the plot is creative and enjoyable, and the characters are complex, cunning, and relatable. I would definitely recommend this book, even if you have no prior experience with Greek myths.
The Nightingale By Kristin Hannah
The Nightingale is another book from my historical fiction phase. It is certainly an entertaining book, but it, like many other works of its genre, focuses on the romance between characters rather than historical events. It has some heartwarming themes, such as the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood and love’s transcendence, so it’s a perfect candidate if you’re looking for something that will pull the heartstrings.
Where the Crawdads sing By Delia Owens
This is an unpopular opinion, but I did not like Where the Crawdads Sing. The plot itself was decent, but I despised the writing, particularly the dialogue. I cannot stand books that attempt to emulate the speaking style of a character, and this book did that during the entirety of its first section. The best part of this book, in my opinion, was the trial at the end. I would only recommend this book as a beach read.
The Midnight Library BY Matt Haig
The Midnight Library felt like a self-help book to me. The concept itself was interesting and inventive, but the book’s message and conclusion felt a bit mushy to me. It’s definitely not a book I would recommend.