Reading is one of my ultimate pleasures. Books are portable, require no batteries, and, given the right one, can transport you to any time or place. So while I’m still out on vacation, and (hopefully!) finding small pleasures along the way, I thought I’d take a time out to share with you some of my favorite reads so far this year. Reading tastes are highly idiosyncratic, but I picked a few categories to tickle your fancy.
Escapist Pleasure
I used to turn up my nose at “beach reads” until I realized this was hurting no one but myself. While I am very particular about things like dialogue and character building, many great thriller and romance novels are being published that are both fun and well-crafted.
If you’re new to romcoms, Book Lovers by Emily Henry is a must-read. Henry takes Hallmark tropes of “big city guy returns to his hometown and falls in love with local girl and small-town life” and turns them on their heads in snarky (and hot!) ways.
If you’re more interested in thrillers, The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz kept me hooked from the first chapter. An insecure fledgling writer finds herself invited to a prestigious rural writing retreat with the catch that her ex-best friend is invited, too. When creepy things start happening, our young heroine has to figure out whether the ghosts she’s facing are real or something even more sinister. Secret lesbian trysts abound! Bonus points if you’re too hot and want to cool down by reading about a snowstorm.
The Pleasure in Naming
I’m sure there must be a word for the phenomenon of putting a name to something you’ve long known or suspected to be true. For me, the book Caste by Isabel Wilkerson, was one such experience. While often a heavy read, the way Wilkerson explains phenomena such as racial hierarchies and so-called “deaths of despair” as aspects of America’s racial caste system was so illuminating.
Thinky-but-Plot Heavy Books
My sweet spot for a good novel or memoir is one that blends great writing with, ya know, stuff happening. I don’t love books that are experimental or more into the language than the story. Here are a few books that brought me joy and made me think.
Little Rabbit by Ayssa Songsiridej—is it a romcom or a horror story? When love feels all-consuming, do those lines blur?
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin starts off kind of like a romcom but ends up some place both weirder and sweeter. Video game design has never fascinated me like this.
If you read the YA dumpster fire classic, Go Ask Alice, as a kid, you need to read Unmask Alice, by Rick Emerson immediately. The wild true story behind GAA’s creation is fully investigated and masterfully paced.
Validating Self-Help Reads
For when you want a little non-judgey advice.
How to Keep House While Drowning is a gentle reminder that housework is work and that it’s not a moral failing to be messy.
And The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control by Katherine Morgan Schafler is the book I want to throw at everyone who’s ever laughed at me for being uptight.
How about you? In lieu of our typical journal prompts, I’d love to hear in the comments what your favorite reads of the year are so far. Happy reading!