Right after exams last semester, I decided I would use my free time this summer to really dig into a list of “must-read” books I had been collecting throughout the last few years. During the school year, I often find myself feeling guilty for reading books outside of my assigned curriculums—there’s always something more urgent that needs to be done. So I promised myself I would make time to read this summer, and I stuck to that promise! Here’s my list of books I dove into the past few months. Of the 20 books I read, these were my top five:
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#1: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
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Goodreads description: “Meet Ove… People call him the bitter neighbor from hell… Behind the cranky exterior, there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul.”
This book was by far my favorite read of the summer. Ironically, it was almost my first read. I flew through this book and absolutely fell in love with each of the characters, especially Ove. Ove made me verbally “awwww” many times during this read. This book has the perfect contrast; I’d be laughing one moment and crying the next. If you’re looking for a book that will touch your soul and pull on all your heartstrings in the most fantastic and happy way, read this one.
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#2: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
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Goodreads Description: “In this world, he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.”
I thought I had the ending of this science fiction book figured out multiple times while I was reading— but each time Crouch would surprise me with a new, unexpected twist that totally threw me off. Although I can’t speak to the scientific possibilities of the different events in the book, the idea of traveling through the “multiverse” blew my mind. This book will keep you engaged from start to finish.
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#3: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
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Goodreads Description: “Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed… Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name… But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.”
For a book of the Young Adult genre, The Hate U Give really accomplished digging into the important topics of racism and police brutality in America. The themes this novel touches on are so important, so I would recommend this book to absolutely everyone. I admire how Thomas took such a complex and argumentative topic and made it simple enough to be a YA book. If more youth were to read this book at a young age—or if more adults took the time to pick this book up— there’s a chance people could start looking at the world a little differently.
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#4: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
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Goodreads Description: “A Gentleman in Moscow immerses us in another elegantly drawn era with the story of Count Alexander Rostov. When, in 1922, he is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, the count is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov… has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him a doorway into a much larger world of emotional discovery.”
This book probably took me the longest to read of any of my books this summer. It is detailed and intense, and you have to take your time with it. Even after I had finished the book, it wasn’t until after a few days later that I realized how much I really liked the story. I would recommend refreshing yourself on basic, early-1900s Russian history before reading this book, as it expects you to know what’s going on without much of an explanation. If you’re looking to switch it up from your usual romance novel, I’d recommend definitely trying this book. You’ll find yourself caring for the characters more than you expected to.
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#5: What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding by Kristin Newman
Goodreads Description: “Not ready to settle down and in need of an escape from her fast-paced job as a sitcom writer, Kristin instead traveled the world, often alone, for several weeks each year. In addition to falling madly in love with the planet, Kristin fell for many attractive locals, men who could provide the emotional connection she wanted without costing her the freedom she desperately needed.”
As the writer to almost all your favorite sitcoms (How I Met Your Mother, That 70’s Show…), Newman made this book absolutely hilarious and so fun to read. If you’re a wanderlust like me, this book will leave you craving travel, romance and adventure. I’m more than ready to travel and conquer the world, thanks to Newman’s incredible stories.
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So treat yo’self this semester! Don’t let textbooks ruin the fun of reading. Give your mind a break by picking up an entertaining book that will keep you alert and engaged without giving you a massive migraine. Time to hit the books!