Because we are getting to the days where leaving the house will leave you shivering and drenched, why not reignite some indoor hobbies? I am hoping that in these next few months, I can get through some anticipated reads. Here’s my list of just a few of the reads I will be getting to in the next few cold months.
- Talking at Night by Claire Daverly
This one shot to the top of my next reads because it’s said to be similar to Normal People by Sally Rooney and Netflix’s One Day. Normal People is one of my favorite reads; it is a classic “will they, won’t they” while exploring the meaning of their lives as they both age into themselves. Netflix’s One Day centers a similar plot in which our main characters are separated, but the separation is not the end of their story, and soon the brilliant and heartbreaking will find them. In Talking at Night’s push and pull, I hope to find prose that will have us questioning the truths of love, relationships, and intertwinement.
- The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Although there are a few Kristin Hannah reads on my list for this year, I wanted to highlight this one which follows sisterhood set in a World War II timeline. Love is seen throughout our lives, especially in our familial connections, and to see that play out in a divide between sisters—I’m hooked. Although it leans into historical fiction, there is a reason that the same life lessons have withstood the test of time.
- Babel by R. F. Kuang
What better time than the coldest months to jump into a dark academia setting and encapsulate yourself by some of the strongest questions literature can bring up. In the past year I read both The Secret History by Donna Tartt and If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio, both of which bring you into fundamental questions about human nature and its psyche. This book brings in a similar setting and emphasizes a character questioning their version of the world and what it truly means to be a part of something.
- Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
As I mentioned, Normal People is one of my favorite books ever written. Although Sally Rooney’s lack of quotations can be difficult when first read, her prose and writing style grows with you. Her novels focus on the nuance of relationships and human existence in simplistic and life-altering manners. I cannot wait to jump into another one of her novels.
- Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton
This is a reread for me and I highly recommend giving it a shot. Everything I Know About Love feels like an ode to womanhood, especially navigating youth and what love looks like outside of romance. When I first read this, I felt changed by the familiarity of her tales of friendship, joy, and disappointment. Alderton is honest about growth and the highs and lows of being a woman. It serves as a beautiful reminder that love is inescapable, and not in the ways you may believe.
- A Classic (TBD)
Here’s the thing: I want to read classics because they hold so many lessons regarding human nature and how, even as time evolves, our mistakes and faults are consistently human. I have yet to pick out which specific classic I want to pick up this winter. I am in the middle of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, but I want to reach for another. I have a mini-collection of Jane Asuten’s that could use some attention. I also want to go back and reread the nuanced novels that we were assigned in high school and undoubtedly didn’t soak in enough. Regardless, I will be picking up another in the near future, and I advise you too as well.
In these reads, and rereads, I’m excited to explore more of the intricacies of human nature. Hopefully I’ll discover some new favorites and remain entertained in the cold. This weather is perfect for escaping back to a tropical paradise in a romcom or diving into the tales of a fantastical universe. The choice is yours, and these are some of mine.