Growing up as an avid reader, I have always had a deep appreciation for the way a novel can transport you into a different world. A good book can give you butterflies, break your heart, swell you with excitement, and leave you with a deep connection to people that don’t even exist.
Though I never stopped loving to read, as I grew older I found myself reaching for books less and less. By the time I graduated high school, I realized I couldn’t remember when I had last read a book to merely soak up joy from a page rather than squeeze out information for some sort of assignment.
This past summer, I made a promise to myself that I would read a book a week. I wanted to reignite the passion for reading that I had somehow lost. Within the last three months, I have revisited old worlds I had missed, as well as stepped into new ones that still swirl in my mind as I am writing this. Many books I read this summer made me remember why I used to take so much solace in reading. So, here’s five books that made me fall back in love with reading– and hopefully will make you as well!!
Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Okay, I started this list with my favorite. This book. Oh my god. I honestly can’t write about this book with simple, elegant sentences because I am still too emotional over it. Madeline Miller interweaves the Iliad with a fictitious love story between Patroclus and Achilles. Miller’s writing can’t be described in any other way besides ethereal. Every sentence is poetic, from the love scenes to the descriptions of gory battles. One of the most beautiful love stories I have ever read, this book revolves around ancient characters and ways of life in a way that feels so current. I definitely regard this as one of my all time favorite things I have ever read. I could write an entire article on the way this novel impacted me. If you are looking for a solid love story (and don’t mind crying your heart out), I recommend this.
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
I first read Eleanor and Park in sixth grade. Though nearly eight years ago, this book left such an impact on me. I knew I had to reread it when I passed by a copy at a used book store. First of all, Rainbow Rowell wrote a lot of my middle school favorites that I still recommend today- like Fangirl and the Carry On trilogy. Set in 1986, Eleanor and Park perfectly encapsulates young love– awkward first encounters, never-ending butterflies, and the inevitable ending that comes with it. Even so, the aspect of the novel that I love the most is the description of Eleanor as unapologetically “big and awkward.” I remember how the vivid description of Eleanor’s body made 12 year old me feel appreciated and accepted. Though a relatively short read, I recommend Eleanor and Park to anyone looking to be reminded of the beauty and pain of adolescence.
Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
Branded as the author of the summer, I obviously had to put a Colleen Hoover book on the list. Though I read many other popular titles (like November 9, Verity, All your Perfects, and It Ends with Us), I was so engrossed in Reminders of Him that I finished it in one sitting. Without giving too much away, every character is perfectly imperfect, each haunted by the actions of their past. Reminders of Him is truly riveting– full of heartbreak yet also so so so much love. If you are going to read any CoHo novel, read this one!
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Though I first read this book my freshman year of high school, the issues tackled in The Hate U Give are arguably more prominent today than the novel’s release in 2017. Angie Thomas is brutally honest in her portrayal of police brutality, racial profiling, and the all too common injustices we see in the media surrounding race. Though a work of fiction, as I reread the novel I was reminded that this unfairness and cruelty is reality for so many. Filled with extreme highs and lows, I am grateful that this novel allowed me to reflect on the privilege I take for granted.
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
I was first introduced to this novel in a short excerpt my teacher read to my seventh grade class. I loved it, and immediately bought my own copy. Somehow, I had never read the entire novel until this summer. The story follows a developmentally disabled man who undergoes an experimental procedure to gain intelligence. The novel, which is actually the protagonist’s journal, showcases the incredible rise and heartbreaking fall of Charlie Gordon’s intellectual abilities. I don’t have enough words to describe the emotional rollercoaster this book took me on. When Charlie felt joy, I felt joy. When he felt hopeless, I felt hopeless. The book strays away from common tropes, and I have yet to read another book with even a remotely similar plot. Yet another short read, I recommend to anyone looking for a simple, touching story of humanity and empathy.