Winter Reads 2017
11.14.2017
Hello friends! It's been a while since we saw each other. I hope this post finds you well! It's that time of year again: the leaves have, fallen, the chill has set in, and the holidays are just over the horizon. I always find myself reading more in the winter, when it's too cold to leave my apartment and nothing sounds better than a mug of tea and a book. Whether you're travelling to visit family, or have some cozy mornings in your future, here's what I can recommend adding to your reading list.
PS I'm not a professional enough blogger to make commissions or anything, but I do have a book-themed gift guide for all the readers in your life. And we're all readers! Check it out if you're not sure what to get someone. Ok, on with our regularly scheduled program.
Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud
By Anne Helen Petersen
I expected this book to be yet another ranty read about how oppressed women are. While I think those books are important and read a lot of them, it's draining to read about the systemic problems and rarely be presented with solutions. "Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud" absolutely blew me away though. Petersen's writing is precise, intelligent, and clear, and I found myself having 'Aha!' moments at least once per chapter. A great read for any feminist (aka everyone).
How Music Got Free
By Stephen Witt
Another book I expected to be dull, but which turned out to be great! Rather than laying out the facts in chronological order, "How Music Got Free" wove together the stories from 3 people who contributed to the rise and fall of the pirated music industry. It's an epic story, told more like a novel than a non-fiction account. Thoroughly entertaining and interesting, whether you like (and pirate) music or not.
Tiny Beautiful Things
By Cheryl Strayed
I love everything Cheryl Strayed writes. If she wrote a phone book, I'd probably read it. Her work is consistently thought provoking, concise, beautiful, and profound, and "Tiny Beautiful Things" is quintessential Cheryl. A compilation of advice columns, "Tiny Beautiful Things" is all about understanding the human experience. Part poetry, part therapy, entirely worth reading.
Commonwealth
By Ann Patchett
This book may not be for everyone, but as a reader who loves a good cast of characters "Commonwealth" was right up my alley. The characters were rich and realistic, and the plot follows the story of a blended family we know all to well with an unexpected twist. An excellent low-stress read.
Big Little Lies
By Liane Moriarty
I know you already know this one, so let me just throw my recommendation in with all the rest.
Turtles All the Way Down
By John Green
Even if you're not a young adult, John Green's latest novel is a wonderful and quick read. It's narrated by the protagonist, Aza Holmes, a young woman trying to live with and manage obsessive-compulsive disorder while trying to be a good daughter, good friend, and a good detective. What I loved about it was that it helped me understand at least one person's experience of mental illness, and helped humanize and sympathize disordered thinking for me.
