I didn’t read as many books as I would have liked to have this year. The whole college thing really gets in the way of my reading. I always look forward to reading as much as I can over summer and winter break, and I already have a stack of books ready for this winter break. Here are some of my favorites books that I read this year:
1. The Flatshare
Okay, I loved this book. It follows Tiffy and Leon, two roommates who share a bed in an apartment but are there at different times of the day and have never actually met each other. They start leaving each other notes around the house and well, you can see where this is going. This book is perfect if you’re looking for a cute and heartwarming story.
2. The Mastery of Love
This is one of the most influential books I have ever read. It totally changed my worldview and how I look at all relationships, not just romantic ones. It explains the Ancient Toltecs’ wisdom on relationships and love, and it emphasizes having a good relationship with yourself. I think everyone could benefit from reading this book.
3. Little Fires Everywhere
This summer I was really interested in books about women and families. This book follows two families as their lives become intertwined. One family has lived in the highly-managed and groomed suburb of Shaker Heights for generations, and they’re the picture of the ‘perfect family.’ The other is a mom and her daughter who constantly move around and drift into Shaker Heights. There’s so many plot lines happening in this story and it had me fascinated. I love a book that explores mother-daughter relationships, and this one hit the spot.
4. Daisy Jones and the Six
Daisy Jones & The Six was perfect for my obsession with the 70s. It’s written as an oral history of Daisy & The Six, one of the biggest bands of the 70s. They’re a fictional band of course, but it feels very real. The book is a compilation of interviews from the band members and other characters close to the band. You get to hear all the different sides of the story and find out what ultimately caused the bands mysterious break-up at the height of their fame. Daisy Jones is a fascinating character and gives me major Stevie Nicks vibes. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a master at creating characters that you love and hate at the same time.
5. Where the Crawdads Sing
This book takes a while to get good, but once it does, it’s hard to put down. Its set in the late 1960s and follows Kya Clark, the “Marsh Girl” who raised herself and survived in the marsh of North Carolina pretty much on her own. She’s strange and fascinating to the people of the town nearby. Eventually, she gets caught in a love triangle with two guys who are intrigued by her. I love a good love triangle! There’s also a murder mystery woven through the plot, so this book has all the good stuff.
6. Attachments
This is another cute and heartwarming love story. It’s set in 1999 and follows a man whose job is to screen the emails of the employees at a newsroom. He begins to fall in love with a woman he has never seen through reading her emails. It sounds strange but I promise, it’s super cute.
7. Big Little Lies
I’m sure you’ve heard of Big Little Lies considering it’s a pretty popular show on HBO. It follows a murder investigation and three different moms of children at the same school. There’s some major mom drama in this book and I was definitely drawn in. There’s also a lot of unexpected twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.