Has it been one of those days? The kind where nothing seems to go right, nothing seemed to get done, and everything just seemed off somehow? Me, too. Which is why I compiled a list of some of my favorite books. The books that easily helped me enter a different reality, and leave my worries behind. These are a few of my top favorite books.
Fiction
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood
Wavy, an eight-year-old girl, who is raised in a difficult home of substance abuse and drug dealing meets and falls in love with an older man, Kellen. He is an ex-con who works for her father selling drugs. The story follows them as they navigate their relationship, even if it is technically illegal.
Check out my full review of All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood!
Mystery
The Dry by Jane Harper
Set in a small farming community in the Australian outback of Kiewarra, a family of three is found murdered during one of the worst droughts the community has ever seen. The suspect is the family’s father, who appears to have committed suicide. Federal Police Investigator Aaron Falk visits for the funeral of his childhood friend and the family’s father, Luke Hadler. During his visit, Falk reluctantly extends his stay to investigate the deaths of the Hadler family, which threatens to surface a secret he and Luke buried during their childhood years.
Thriller
The Last One by Alexandra Oliva
When a woman, nicknamed Zoo, decides to try her skills at a survival reality television show, she leaves behind her husband to join eleven other contestants to win a grand prize. While filming the show, something terrible happens, and people begin to fall ill worldwide. Destruction ensues as society crumbles, but Zoo knows nothing of it. She and her contestants are unaware of current events as they survive in the wild. Strange things start happening, but Zoo chalks it up to the show. Everything must be a part of the game, and she must survive. We follow Zoo as she slowly comes to the realization that the world really has collapsed and she is no longer on a game show. She must get back to her husband.
Check out my full review of The Last One by Alexandra Oliva!
Historical Fiction
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Set in the middle of the 12th century in the fictional town of Kingsbridge, England, Pillars of the Earth follows the story of those surrounding the building of a cathedral. The characters include the mason, Tom Builder and his mixed family, Prior Phillip and his dream to build a cathedral in Kingsbridge with the help of Tom, and Aliena and her brother Richard as they acclimate to a new life without the power of their previous positions as the children of the Earl of Shiring. Being such a long book, the story is not easily summarized, but the characters are the main focus.
Check out my full review of The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett!
Science Fiction
The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
It’s just another Saturday in a California suburb for eleven-year-old Julia when she learns that the Earth’s rotation has slowed. But not by much, only 56 minutes. Scientists call it “slowing.” As the rotation continues to slow, the days and night grow longer. Many try to adapt, but some consider the “slowing” a government hoax or God’s wrath toward humankind. After a few weeks, the American government announces the implementation of “clock time” where citizens follow the clock, despite the amount of light outside. But some reject this idea, calling themselves “real timers.” They live by the idea that they should follow the Earth’s new cycle. Others, including Julia’s mother suffer from a side effect of the “slowing” called “the syndrome.” Its effects vary from person to person. Throughout the chaos that spirals out of control, Julie continues to experience middle school as normally as possible. She continues to work on school, maintain her friendships, and even starts a relationship with her crush, Seth. This book gave me a book hangover, which is why it made my list of my top favorite books!
Check out my full review of The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker!
Horror
The Anomaly by Michael Rutger
Nolan Moore, an archaeologist turned conspiracy theories documentary host, sets out with his film crew to follow the footsteps of an explorer from 1909. The explorer claimed to have located a lost cavern in the Grand Canyon that contained hidden treasures. Nolan and his crew manage to find the cavern, but it’s not what they expect. The cave soon turns against the crew and it’s a fight for their lives to get out.
Young Adult
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
During a fictional World War III in the 21st century, our main character, Elizabeth (who goes by Daisy), is sent by her father to live with her distant relatives in the UK. Here, she meets her aunt and her cousins, one of whom she later develops feelings for, Edmond. At first, Daisy is homesick, but the feeling subsides the more time she spends getting to know her family members. Daisy’s aunt travels to Oslo and she is stuck there after the war breaks out. Daisy and her cousins must fend for themselves as they learn to survive and lean on each other for support.
Nonfiction
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
A memoir written about Walls’ childhood that shaped her as a person today. Walls writes about her parents’ beliefs that they did not need most of the aspects of modern society and often lived a nomadic lifestyle across most of the Southwest. Her family eventually landed in West Virginia where her father grew up. Walls and her three siblings found the tenacity to survive as her mother considered providing for her family less important than painting and reading, and her father often disappeared for days when he was drinking. Walls eventually found a way to leave her home and start a life for herself.
Check out my full review of The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls!
There it is, my list of some of my top favorite books. I hope you found some great books to add to your TBR list! Leave a comment below with some of your favorite books.
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