Upon the finishing of finals and the subsequent yet welcome lack of material to study, it can be relaxing to dive into a fiction book. You can now read not because you are required, but because you want to. Here I have compiled a list of some of the latest and most enjoyed books.
1. There, There by Tommy Orange
This recent fiction novel has recently been gaining popularity. Personally, I have not yet had the chance to dive into the contents of its plot. However, tracing the roots of eight different women, this book is praised as being accessible to anyone looking for a good story.
2. Fox 8 by George Saunders
In the same way, this very short fiction work is also a current popular favorite. I have yet to discover its contents. When considering reading a story involving a daydreamer, however, I’m always along for the ride.
3. Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare
Cassandra Clare’s latest release Queen of Air and Darkness hit shelves the first week of December, and my friends and I were all over it. This book is the final in The Dark Artifices series, following Lady Midnight and Lord of Shadows, respectively. We have been totally hooked since the beginning with her series, The Mortal Instruments, the first installment being City of Bones. For any who are familiar with Clare, they should not have expected anything less than a thick tome of a book. The spine of Queen of Air and Darkness, I dare say, exceeds that of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Without any spoilers, I highly recommend this book, or any of her books from any of her three series. They will not disappoint.
4. Uncommon Type by Tom Hanks
If you are not looking for a large book to settle into after a long semester of reading, I suggest Uncommon Type by Tom Hanks. Clever short stories comprise this book, each of them quirky and endearing in varying yet intriguing ways. Some are short enough to be considered a quick read while others may take a nice sit-down to finish in total. That said, this work has it all.
5. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
While sitting in the library, bound to the desk and the seemingly endless workload in front of me, I felt a bit like Hermione Granger. I was the girl who never left the library. Upon realizing this, I felt an urge to go back and re-read my favorite book of the series: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Of course, favorites vary from people to people. Jumping back into adventures with your favorite childhood partner in crime will never be a let-down, though.
6. The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan
Marina Keegan attended Yale University, and if you have never heard of her before, I encourage you to Google her and discover her story. My grandmother first introduced me to her upon giving me her book The Opposite of Loneliness following my eighth grade graduation. This is a contemplation of short stories and essays alike, each of which exalts a prose so unique to itself the reader is left desiring more.
7. The Passion by Jeanette Winterson
This is a novel for those literary lovers, looking for a book which has a wonderful story and told with equal eloquence. Winterson weaves this tale with a spin of magical realism, sometimes bordering on the fantastical. The prevailing love story that guides the tale throughout is seductive, luring in readers with both content and elegant prose.
8. Aimless Love by Billy Collins
This is not a work of fiction, or even short fiction for that matter. Billy Collins is an American poet whose works I fell in love with at the beginning of this semester. Each unit of his work is generally pretty short, carrying a speaker relatable and accessible to his readers. Sometimes the voice is so witty that laughter is reaped, and other times pensive enough to leave thoughts hanging in the mind. Collins never ceases to create a moment with a poem satisfying to the reader. I highly recommend this if you are looking to read more poetry. Collins is a great place to begin.
9. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
This is a book for all those Nicholas Sparks fan. A love story through and through, this book had me hooked by the end of the first chapter with its soft yet powerful love born between two unlikely subjects. The development of the plot parallels the devotion of the reader to the story. It’s a wonderful, sorrowful read.
10. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
I had to include this classic. This is one I recently re-read this as someone nineteen years old, and discovered many things I seemed to have missed the first time around. Of course the narrator is easy to read, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have highly intellectual insights. Much worth the read the second time around.
