Spring Break Book Recs
It’s spring break baby. For some people, that could mean a tropical place, sunblock, and a large margarita. It could mean skiing, beautiful mountain ranges, and shooters on the ski lift. It could be a time of rest, resetting, and some much needed sleep, or working for some extra money. For me, it’s a time to slow down and to read.
A regular week for me can be pretty packed, and I don’t always have the time to sit down and crack open a good book. Other instances involve me having the time to sit down, but then I don’t know what to read, or the book that I’m reading is too slow and I have to trudge through it to finish.
I thought with Spring Break (and summer too) coming up I would compile a list of all my best reads recently, so when you do have time to sit down and enjoy a book, you know exactly what to pick. I’ve tried to include varying types of genres, so there is a little bit of everything for you to try.
1. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
This is always my first recommendation to people. This is a murder mystery thriller (which is my favorite genre) but even for people who don’t necessarily enjoy thrillers, I think the plot moves so quickly and reels you in from the beginning that it doesn’t matter. This was a quick read for me, and I literally stayed up till two in the morning to finish it. Michaelides came up with a plot twist that basically made me rethink my whole life.
2. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
This romance novel introduced me to my most favorite trope: enemies to lovers. I could not put this book down, and enjoyed the simplicity of the language, but enjoyed the depth that came with the characters’ feelings. I brought this on vacation with me family and plowed through it quickly because I couldn’t put it down. It is a bit steamy (reading this next to my grandmother at the breakfast table was pretty awkward not gonna lie) and Thorne seems to know exactly when to plant these scenes throughout the book, which made the steamy scenes that much better. This was a quick read for me, with an ending that I still think about. It’s also been turned into a movie starring Lucy Hale (but I’ve heard it’s not as good as the book).
Summary: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25883848-the-hating-game
3. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
This book by Brit Bennett took me a bit to get through, but once I made it through the first few chapters, I finished the book quickly. The story touches on several real-world issues, like race, gender, and inequality. It is a bit of a heavier read, and there were certain parts that made me put the book down and really think about what I just read. One of the things I loved most about this book was the writing itself. Bennett can paint a beautiful picture for the reader through extremely intense description. The plot itself is also intriguing and like I said, once you’re in deep enough, you’re hooked. If you’re looking for a deeper read, I would recommend The Vanishing Half.
4. Out of Love by Hazel Hayes
To put it simply, this book hurt my heart. Out of Love follows the love story of a couple and how they eventually do not end up together. The author has written the story in reverse – you are introduced to the couple when they have already broken up, and it’s through this formatting of the story that makes it hurt so much more – because by the end of the book, you are reading about two people who believe they are destined to be together, even though you already know how their relationship ends. It is a tragic, beautifully written story that has many parts that people can relate too. The story touches on topics like growing up, being independent, mental health, and of course, love (or what we think that is).
5. My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
This was my most recent read and was recommend to me by a friend. My Year of Rest and Relaxation is a satirical piece and is definitely a complex read. It was one of those books that after I finished, I had to go online to read more about the themes and underlying messages in the story. The plot itself could be considered a bit unconventional. The story follows a young orphaned woman living in New York City, who is bored, disconnected, and unfeeling. She has decided that she needs to start over with her life. To do this, she hatches a plan to essentially hibernate for a year using medication; thus the year of rest and relaxation has been born. This book is not necessarily a light read. The complexity of the author’s writing made me go through this at a slower pace than I usually would read, to ensure I was not just reading what the author had explicitly wrote, but also what she hadn’t wrote. There is insane imagery throughout the story as well, so if the plot doesn’t reel you in fast enough, the author’s writing will. The story brings up the point that our culture can be so alienating and isolating that simply sleeping through one’s problems is not actually that far-fetched of an idea. If you’re interested in a thought-provoking book, I would definitely recommend My Year of Rest and Relaxation.
Happy reading!