Happy (almost) spring! Even though UConn has gotten two snowstorms over the past two weeks, spring break is finally upon us. If you’re looking for a beach read or just something to enjoy on the couch with a cup of coffee, here are some books that I highly recommend this season.
*Spoiler free*
1. Part of Your World By Abby Jimenez
Nothing takes my mind off of the stresses of school quite like a good rom-com, whether that be a movie or a book. This was precisely the book I was looking for one weekend when I needed an easy read. The premise is classic: ER doctor and family-legacy carrier Alexis Montgomery gets stuck on the side of the road when who should appear to help her but the very kind and attractive Daniel Grant. The question Alexis is left with, though, is whether having Daniel in her life will make everything easier or more difficult than the relationship is worth.
2. Born a Crime by Trevor noah
You may be asking yourself, is this the Trevor Noah that used to host The Daily Show? Yes, it is. And as it turns out, he is a fantastic writer. This is a memoir detailing Noah’s experiences growing up biracial in South Africa where he was not accepted. This book had me feeling every emotion at varying points, and while it was not funny in the way I traditionally think of the comedian, there was relevant humor embedded throughout the story. I walked away from this book feeling much more educated on a culture and period of time that I’d never learned about before.
3. Normal people by Sally rooney
This was the first novel I read by Sally Rooney, and I am happy to say that it also won’t be the last. A beautiful coming-of-age story that follows Marianne and Connell — two friends-turned-lovers who would never admit it in public, at least in high school. Despite taking somewhat different paths, they tend to find their way back to each other, for one reason or another. A bonus for once you’ve read this one: Hulu has a fantastic limited series starring Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones that follows the integrity of the story beautifully, though I do recommend reading the book first.
4. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
This book has been everywhere lately, and I think it’s for a good reason. Anything with “library” in the title piques my interest, and this was no ordinary library. The concept of the story is that the “in-between” of life and death is a library, and each book has a potential life that the main character, Nora (or anyone, for that matter), could have lived, based on varying interests and decisions throughout their life. Nora discovers the closest thing to the meaning of life in this book.
5. People we meet on vacation by Emily Henry
Emily Henry has quickly become one of my favorite authors. The way she balances classic romantic tropes (enemies-to-lovers, friends-to-lovers, etc.), with interesting plotlines is seamless. This story focuses on the relationship between best friends Alex and Poppy through the lens of several vacations taken over the years. On the last one, though, something happens between them, and we spend the book figuring out exactly what that is and the impact it carries.
These are some of my recent reads that I hope you’ll enjoy. I for one am really looking forward to reading without the stress of an assignment due soon, and I’m sure by the time break is over, I’ll have another set of books to recommend. Happy reading!