I’ve been meaning to do a Book List post for some time now and for whatever reason just haven’t gotten around to it. I am the kind of person who always tries to have some light reading outside of my school and work life so sometimes I forget that good books are something I should be recommending. The following are a compilation of books I have either read, am meaning to read or need to reread but I highly recommend to anyone looking to escape into a good read.
1. Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham
I highly enjoyed this memoir by Lena Dunham. It reads very much like her show Girls and the weird quirks that are Lena Dunham made me, often times, laugh out loud. While some situations are totally relatable, others are totally bizarre— they are humorous and touching all at the same time. Because the subtitle of this book is “a young girl tells you what she’s ‘learned,'” I was a little surprised the book was not more about her formative 20s as Girls conveys, but rather there seemed to be more chapters about her making sense of her childhood. Either way, the book was a very enjoyable page-turner that I finished very quickly.
2. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
I picked up this read as it is by the same author as Gone Girl. While Gone Girl made me totally frustrated and crazy by the end, I had to appreciate Flynn’s ability to think up such a sick, twisted novel. That is a place I can’t even imagine writing about. So with a similar cover to Gone Girl, with Flynn’s name predominating a dark background, I expected a similar style story. Written in 2009, you can definitely tell this book was written before Gone Girl. While the plot is dark, it is not as twisted and a bit simpler. I did not think the writing was as sharp and I wasn’t as stunned by the ending. Overall, a good thriller and I’ll be excited to see the upcoming movie with Charlize Theron— I even think this may be one of those books that is actually better as a movie but we’ll see.
3. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Alchemist is one of those books I read in middle school for summer reading but didn’t really understand the prophetic meaning and would like to reread. It’s one of those “journey” books that people always claim changes their life so I’m excited to reread. This will definitely be one for the beach for me.
4. The Myron Bolitar Series by Harlan Coben
I love this series!! Better known for his book Tell No One along with other mysteries and thrillers, I had no idea Harlan Coben also wrote series. I first discovered Coben when I was doing a Google search on the Merion Golf Club during the U.S. Open I had been fortunate enough to attend in my home town. In that search came up that there was a mystery fiction book about Merion Golf Club during a U.S. Open. Naturally, I ordered it not reading any further. I didn’t know that it was the fourth book in a seven book series, nor that it was published in 1997. Regardless, I loved the book! The history of the Merion Golf Club, and my area down to the street was on point and to add to that, the story was an awesome mystery thriller that I could not put down until the crime was solved. I also really enjoyed reading a book about the near past when beepers and car phones and pay phones in malls were still a thing! Oh how technology has changed in a decade.
5. Robert Frost: The People, Places and Stories Behind His New England Poetry by Lea Newman
This book I have not dove into yet but picked it up in the magical Northshire bookstore in Vermont. Robert Frost is one of my favorite poets, and after venturing to a place where he has written some of his poems I had to leave New England with this book.
6. The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
This was another book I picked up off a shelf in Northshire Bookstore. Housed in a nook in the Bestseller section, this cover drew me in—also the sticker claiming “Best Book of the Year.” It’s a fiction baseball story that I am excited to dive into for spring. What could be better to read just as baseball season is nearing?
7. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
I read The Great Gatsby once a year, usually around June just as I am first getting to the beach for the summer. Whenever I don’t have something to read, it’s my go to. I could read this over and over and never tire of it. Each word Fitzgerald puts to paper seems like art and it just makes me appreciate “the art” of writing and the era where each word truly meant something to the author. It’s a beautifully tragic story with even more beautiful writing.
8. The Rosie Project by Graeme C. Simsion
I read this book last summer and loved it as a summer read. It’s lighthearted and contains a quirky love story that has you pulling for the two main characters all the way through. It also brings awareness to mental health and mental “disability” in a beautiful light. It’s strangely easy to identify and understand this character who is probably so different than you. Great read.
kieroyal 