Finals are over, you’re ready to relax, but you’ve exhausted your Netflix and Hulu to-watch lists. Want something to read that isn’t academic? Here are 5 suggestions for some great books to read in between visiting family and buying holiday presents.
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The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
A quick read (under 300 pages) but a simple and compelling story about a close family and small New England island community. It’s the kind of book you would want to read on a cold winter night, sitting in front of a fireplace with a sleeping dog at your feet and a purring cat on your lap. Read if you like books about characters who love books just as much as you do.
Bellweather Rhapsody by Kate Racculia
A fun page-turner set in upstate New York. It’s a good mystery with tons of crazy characters and events. It features a blizzard, a creepy hotel, a music festival full of competitive teenagers and a handful of scandals between musicians and teachers.
The Mothers by Brit Bennett
A highly acclaimed debut, The Mothers tells the story of Nadia, a young woman whose relationship with pastor’s son, Luke, becomes complicated by an unplanned pregnancy. Nadia and Luke’s summer fling continues to haunt them into their adult lives, while a Greek chorus of church ladies intermittently speculates about the couple’s relationship.
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Want a spooky, atmospheric novel to take your mind off of the snowstorm outside? Diane Setterfield’s first novel takes place in an old English house in the country, where biographer Margaret Lea goes to interview the reclusive writer, Vida Winter. Infused with gothic suspense, The Thirteenth Tale will satisfy your appetite for ghost tales and family secrets after watching The Haunting of Hill House.
The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti
Following the tradition of adventure tales set in the 18th and 19th centuries, The Good Thief centers around Ren, a one-handed young orphan, who finds family in a pair of thieves who teach him their tricks. As the trio travel around colonial New England, Ren starts to question how his present situation may intersect with his past.