College life can seem so busy, with finals season coming up, and lots of exams, essays, and projects. Afterward, there’s a push to move out quickly, and suddenly you’re back home, with no schoolwork, and tons of free time. One of my favorite summer pastimes is to read, so I’ve put together a few book recommendations for readers—especially those who want some recommendations that aren’t the typical booktok books.
Salt Slow by Julia Armfield: This is a short story collection that’s less than 200 pages. Many short stories are incredibly strange, with stories about people turning into stone and others who aren’t quite human. It’s about what it means to be a woman, and is a mix of sci-fi, horror, and mythology. When I first read it, my mind couldn’t wrap around most of it, but I still remember it to this day.
Cultish by Amanda Montell: Cultish is a non-fiction book about cults, but don’t let the non-fiction part scare you. It reads very easily, and it covers what sort of language makes cults work the way they do. It is deeply interesting and is a fantastic introduction to the topic of cults if you’re interested. Besides, what’s hotter than being an educated woman?
The Great Transition by Nick Fuller Googins: This novel follows a family in the future after climate change has been fixed. With a mix of dystopian and literary fiction, it is a unique blend of a novel reminiscent of the young adult dystopian trends in the 2010’s. With a falling apart marriage, a mother missing, and a young girl trying to figure out her place in the world, it’s a mature and stunning novel full of thought and love.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson: This is a very popular book that follows a girl, Pip, trying to solve an old mystery. She teams up with the brother of the convicted killer to find out the truth. It’s an amazing and twisty read with an amazing title. Imagine getting people’s reactions to you reading it in public.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman: This sweet literary fiction novel follows a woman who has always been fine on her own. She doesn’t need friends or family or a significant other. But then, she meets Raymond who is determined to help an older man. She is swept into both other people’s lives for the first time in their lives. But Eleanor has past secrets.
Fable by Adrienne Young: A young adult novel about pirates, treasure-hunting, and betrayal. It follows Fable, a seventeen-year-old girl who is abandoned by her father, a powerful trader, on an island. In order to save herself, she must find her way aboard another ship and fight her way back to her father. It’s a perfect summer read.
That’s all, folks! Hope you enjoy the books and have a great summer full of rest, relaxation, and reading!