I figured I should start out my recommendations with my current personal favorite books! They are all lovely, and I gave them all 5 out of 5 stars.
Book: The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Genre: fiction, fantasy (?)
Why I love it: Erin Morgenstern’s writing is absolutely beautiful. The descriptions of the circus were breathtaking, and she has woven together so many individual timelines to create a gorgeous novel. The circus is a perfect setting for this novel, which has elements of mystery, magic, romance, and a complex plot. She tells this story through many different perspectives, and often jumps back and forth throughout a period of almost 100 years. Simply put, this book is magical.
Book: Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour
Author: Morgan Matson
Genre: YA, contemporary, romance
Why I love it: This book follows Amy as sets off to move across the country, with the help of a (very attractive) stranger, Roger. When they ditch the boring route set by her mother, they find themselves on a crazy trip filled with self-discovery, emotional recovery, and well on their way to finding love. It is my all-time favorite road trip book. Roger pretty much stole my heart, and I love how sweet their romance was. This book had an overall tone of hope, as Amy learned to cope with the loss of her father and started to let people back in to her life. Plus, playlists. I mean come on, this book has everything. I will never stop recommending it!
Book: Fangirl
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Genre: YA, contemporary
Why I love it: Fangirl is about a girl, Cath, and her twin sister, Wren, as they transition into college life. Wren instantly clicks with her roommate, while Cath’s seems to want nothing to do with her. Cath loves to write fanfic for a harry potter-esque series, and throws herself even further into her writing. I really connected with this book, as I read it during my first quarter as an undergrad at UW. Cath is a great character, and Rowell captures the part-difficult part-amazing experience of starting a new life in college. Just enough geeky things intermixed with a sweet romance and great friend/family relationships make this book wonderful.
Book: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Genre: fiction, contemporary
Why I love it: I love books about people who also love books, so I couldn’t help but love a novel about a bookstore owner with a tough outer shell that learns to live and love again when something is mysteriously left in his shop for him comes around. This book is heartwarming, heartbreaking, and ultimately filled with love and hope. I loved the family in this book, and the themes of love and growth. I frequently laughed out loud, while other times I found myself crying. Somehow, even though I bawled my eyes out, this book is far from a sad one.
Book: My Life Next Door
Author: Huntley Fitzpatrick
Genre: YA, contemporary, romance
Why I love it: This is a fantastic YA romance novel. It is so sweet, and absolutely swoon-worthy. Samantha Reed escapes her stressful, too-perfect home by first observing, then joining, the crazy Garrett’s next door. Jase Garrett is what every girl hopes for; I felt like the budding first love in this book was wonderful, both sexy and sweet and it felt very real. Additionally, the family dynamic at the Garrett’s home is hilariously hectic but great nonetheless.
Book: Into the Wild Nerd Yonder
Author: Julie Halpern
Genre: YA, contemporary, romance
Why I love it: My inner geek absolutely LOVES this book. It’s sophomore year for Jessie, and everything is changing. Her uber-cool, punk older brother is leaving for college, her best friend is becoming someone new to please a guy, and she is left trying to find new friends. One way or another she stumbles into the nerds of the nerds who play Dungeons and Dragons, and finds a hilarious new group of friends and maybe even develops feelings for the nerdiest one of all. As a fellow D&D player, I adored this book. It’s so fun and relatable. A very quick and easy read.
Book: Speaker for the Dead
Author: Orson Scott Card
Genre: fiction, Sci-fi & Fantasy
Why I love it: This is the sequel (kind of?) to Ender’s Game, and is so so so much better. Do not get me wrong, I lobed Ender’s Game, but Speaker for the Dead is so much more impactful of a novel. It take place a very long time after the first book, and has some characters that carry over, but could be read as a standalone as well. It takes place on a new planet, where there is a new species that they call “piggies,” and feels reminiscent of an anthropologist’s ethnography. It is a thought-provoking story and I really enjoyed it!
