As someone who has a small library in their bedroom, I have read my fair share of books. During my special self care nights, reading tends to be one of my go-to activities, as you can just escape reality and forget your worries for a while. Although it was difficult to choose, I chose 6 books I have read that really took my self care nights to the next level.
THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO: author- Taylor Jenkins Reid, rating- 5 stars
When the infamous Evelyn Hugo finally agrees to tell the world about her life as a famous actress and her scandalous marriages to seven different men, the story takes a bunch of unexpected twists. This novel had me obsessed in every sense of the word, and I could not put it down until it was done. I even encouraged my mom and a few other friends to read it, and they all came back with very positive reviews. When I say I can’t recommend this book enough, I mean it, and you really just need to read it for yourself.
CARRY ON: author- Rainbow Rowell, rating- 4 stars
The first in the Carry On series is a fantasy book following a wizard, Simon, and a vampire, Baz, and their preposterous adventures. Fantasy books are very easy to get lost in, which makes them a great distraction from everyday life for any self care night. This book kept me thoroughly entertained the whole time, through dramatic plot twists and all the fun, eccentric characters. I liked the first book so much, I bought the second and third books of the series immediately upon finishing the first, so I can have them for my next self care nights. In fact, Rowell has an assortment of books that are perfect recommendations for a good self care reading night.
CRAZY RICH ASIANS: author: Kevin Kwan, rating- 3.5 stars
After it gained popularity because of the movie adaptation of Crazy Rich Asians, more people started to read the book, and I think that’s for the best. As interesting as the movie was, the book was incredibly entertaining as it included many small details that enhanced the story. People always say “the book is better than the movie”, and if you loved this movie (like most of us did) you should totally read the book. The romance was just as good as in the movie, and I think it’s the perfect book to curl up with late at night, bundled under some blankets and drinking tea.
THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS: author: Ali Hazelwood, rating- 4.5 stars
Another one of my favourite romance novels is The Love Hypothesis. This academia – based romance follows Olive, a biology student, and one of the school’s academic advisors, Adam. When I tell you this book had my eyes glued to it, I mean it. I hardly ever put it down, and I would highly recommend it to a few people as well. Women in science is not a topic explored enough in books, and having such a strong female character as a STEM woman myself makes the book that much better. If you love corny romance, cute dates, and science, this is the self care night book for you.
WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING: author: Delia Owens, rating- 5 stars
My mom read this book before me and persuaded me to read it. I won’t lie… this book started out a bit boring, and I was really not feeling it, but oh my god does this book ever pick up. The hidden love between Kya and Tate had a tight grip on me, and I was so invested in their romance. It had me laughing, smiling, bawling my eyes out, and just about every emotion in between that. This story kept me reading late at night and bringing it with me everywhere I went., Immediately after I finished, I wanted to read it again and again. It was absolutely incredible and if you enjoy sad books, this will check all your boxes.
In a corner of my room, I have a library of my own filled with high quality books, so my book recommendation list could literally go on for years. But I kept it short and sweet with some of my favourites for self care nights! Self care is incredibly important, and keeping your mental health in check, especially during school, should be a much higher priority for students than it tends to be. I hope on your next self care night, you can pull out a good book and fall in love with reading again.