10.) Iona Iverson’s Guide to Commuting
By Clare Pooley
What’s the gist:
This book is about an older woman named Iona who meets a lot of people on her commute on the London tube. In a place where people usually avoid speaking, she has a gift as an “agony aunt” for a magazine going on 30 years. She uses her people skills in hilarious ways as you also learn about several characters who all end up crossing paths on the tube.
What I loved about it:
I loved this book's character journeys and how it highlights people's inherent biases or preconceived notions. It feels like almost every character does a 180, or at the very least you get insights into their life that you would not expect. I would recommend listening to it on audiobook so that you get all of the beautifully accented voices.
Quotes:
“Darling, what is the point of being alive if you go through life unnoticed, without standing out and making waves?”
“If you’re going to get it wrong, Martha, make sure you get it wrong with PANACHE! Surely they’ll give you a mark for style, at least?”
“They want us to be small, so we have to stand tall. They want us to be invisible, so we have to be seen. They want us to be quiet, so we have to be heard. They want us to surrender, so we have to fight.”
Trigger Warnings?:
- Early onset Alzheimer's
- Grief tied to jobs
9.) The Silent Patient
By Alex Michaelides
What’s the gist
A therapist becomes focused on helping a woman process her trauma after she is convicted of the murder of her husband. Because of this situation, her art skyrockets in value and she becomes very well known. However, she is confined to a psych ward and has not spoken a word since. The therapist is convinced he can help bring her (and her art) back to life.
Fun fact, he makes a cameo in the book the author wrote before this, The Maidens.
What I loved about it
The evolution of the book is very intriguing, keeping you hooked like the entire read with an ending that is both dark and genius. I like that it kept me guessing and bounced around a little in storyline timing to understand the context of the two main narrative story perspectives.
Quotes:
“We are made up of different parts, some good, some bad, and a healthy mind can tolerate this ambivalence and juggle both good and bad at the same time. Mental illness is precisely about a lack of this kind of integration - we end up losing contact with the unacceptable parts of ourselves.”
“Somehow grasping at vanishing snowflakes is like grasping at happiness: an act of possession that instantly gives way to nothing. It reminded me that there was a world outside this house: a world of vastness and unimaginable beauty; a world that for now, remained out of my reach. That memory had repeatedly returned to me over the years. It's as if the misery that surrounded that brief moment of freedom made it burn even brighter: a tiny light surrounded by darkness.”
Trigger warnings?
- Perhaps if a psych ward or therapy environment has ever been tough it could be triggering
8.) Book Lovers
By Emily Henry
What’s the gist
A literary agent and her pregnant sister go on a month-long journey to a small town that is the setting for a book written by one of Nora’s famed clients. Nora is trying to gain new perspective when she runs into someone unexpected there who is tied to her job back in New York. The girl who has always felt like the failure version of a “hallmark story” in her personal life, starts to experience the “hallmark story” from a new perspective.
What I loved about it
It was my favorite Emily Henry book so far. She is enjoyable to read because she is incredibly witty and easy to connect to. Though I don’t always love the “guy and girl are enemies at first” trope, this particular one was written so well that it wasn’t annoying. Loved this book and would read it again!
Quotes:
“Maybe love shouldn’t be built on a foundation of compromises, but maybe it can’t exist without them either. Not the kind that forces two people into shapes they don’t fit in, but the kind that loosens their grips, always leaves room to grow. Compromises that say, there will be a you-shaped space in my heart, and if your shape changes, I will adapt. No matter where we go, our love will stretch out to hold us, and that makes me feel like … like everything will be okay.”
“Some books you don’t read so much as live, and finishing one of those always makes me think of ascending from a scuba dive. Like if I surface too fast I might get the bends.”
Trigger warnings?
- Sometimes love stories and sex can be triggering, so if that’s you too, heads up!
- Parental grief
7.) Lessons in Chemistry
By Bonnie Garmus
What’s the gist
A renegade scientist in the 1960s, Elizabeth is the only woman scientist researching a specific molecular topic in a male-dominated career, workplace, and culture. And she doesn’t have any problem with that. Paving her own path to success, she defies the stereotypes and maltreatment aimed at her in order to pursue her passion for science. Overall Eliabeth’s life is a display of the unexpected. She discovers (and steers) love in unexpected ways, opportunities in unexpected ways, and has a brilliant dog as a sidekick along for the ride.
What I loved about it
I found the book to be hysterical and creative. The author drew out notes on sexism from an era where it was prevalent using a woman who was not halted by the way she was being treated. Her love life isn’t like everyone else’s and her work comes first. Not from the sense of “work is life” but from a sense of contributing with true passion and unique gifting to understand and process scientific topics in ways other people cannot. I love the way the author used this gift in different settings and the blunt personality Elizabeth brings which I found refreshing and unique. I also love the random nature of the situations Elizabeth finds herself in and the attitude she embraces to empower herself and others.
Quotes:
“Whenever you feel afraid, just remember. Courage is the root of change - and change is what we're chemically designed to do. So when you wake up tomorrow, make this pledge. No more holding yourself back. No more subscribing to others' opinions of what you can and cannot achieve. And no more allowing anyone to pigeonhole you into useless categories of sex, race, economic status, and religion. Do not allow your talents to lie dormant, ladies. Design your own future. When you go home today, ask yourself what YOU will change. And then get started.”
“Imagine if all men took women seriously. Education would change. The workforce would revolutionize. Marriage counsellors would go out of business. Do you see my point?”
Trigger warnings?
- Major grief/loss
- Sexual harassment and violation
- Hostile work environments
8.) Midnight Library
By Matt Haig
What’s the gist
A woman is depressed and decides to end her life. By doing so, she is taken into a magical space where she can revisit all of the perceived regrets in her life and experience different life outcomes based on making a different decision.
What I loved about it
It opens your eyes to the reminder that just because you think “if I only did this” OR “if (insert name) only did this, then I could have done this” doesn't mean that the situation would have actually turned out better. This was such a creative way to also grow in valuing life as it is, shedding light on things to be grateful for. A LOT of great quotes from this book, for example:
Quotes:
“And that sadness is intrinsically part of the fabric of happiness. You can’t have one without the other. Of course, they come in different degrees and quantities. But there is no life where you can be in a state of sheer happiness forever. And imagining there is just breeds more unhappiness in the life you’re in.”
“If you aim to be something you are not, you will always fail. Aim to be you. Aim to look and act and think like you. Aim to be the truest version of you. Embrace that you-ness. Endorse it. Love it. Work hard at it. And don't give a second thought when people mock it or ridicule it. Most gossip is envy in disguise.”
Trigger warnings?
- Depression/suicide/death (tbh the beginning of this book was a bit hard for me personally but it was absolutely worth hanging in for)
- Grief/loss
5.) Local Woman Missing
By Mary Kubica
What’s the gist
A girl escapes from where she has been abducted and held, and many suspect it is the little girl from a missing persons case that went unsolved. The story unravels what happened 11 years ago when a girl and her mother went missing, as well as another woman in town. Secrets are revealed, and the truth comes to light in the most unexpected of ways.
What I loved about it
I loved how completely thrown off I was by the truth of any of the storylines the are woven throughout the book to guide you to who was guilty. It was a very well-written mystery with a unique storyline. Mystery novels are often hard to share about because you don’t want to give anything away (even by saying ‘you won't guess it” makes someone guess the characters they would not normally guess only because someone said that).
Quotes:
“I never noticed the whir of the ceiling fan, but the absence of it I do. The absence of it is deafening.”
“According to her husband, Shelby had gone for a run that night. From what we read, it was after ten when she left. It was dark outside. Bea and I both thought the same thing: that was too late for a woman to be out running alone.”
Trigger warnings?
- Child abuse, abduction, sexual abuse
4.) What Happened to You?
By Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce Perry
What’s the gist
This is a conversation-style book between Orpah and a childhood-trauma-focused doctor, Dr. Perry. They both share stories to highlight how so much of what shapes our lives revolves around what happened to us. They are prompting us to replace the more cultural assumption, “What’s wrong with you?” with a compassionate question: “What happened to you?”
What I loved about it
This book pulled stories from both Oprah’s personal journey and Dr. Perry’s decades of trauma work specifically tied to children. It felt very scientific in that it breaks down a lot of concepts, including parts of the brain that are activated in different situations. I feel like I underlined 80% of the book. It was both easy to read and very insightful. It takes heavy topics and breaks them down really well over the course of the book.
Quotes
“A child who is struggling is not going to say, “This poor teacher simply doesn’t understand ‘state-dependent’ functioning and the impact of trauma on my ability to learn. He should be helping me regulate, not conjugate.” They say, “I must be dumb.””
“It is very difficult to meaningfully connect with or get through to someone who is not regulated. And it’s nearly impossible to reason with them. This is why telling someone who is dysregulated to “calm down” never works… if you stay regulated ultimately they will “catch” your calm.”
Trigger warnings?
- This book tells many traumatic stories about children, they are often pretty extreme examples and thus rare. Part of the trickiness of reading books about trauma is that they can hit sore spots, but they do this alongside explanations which is so helpful.
3.) Fourth Wing | Iron Flame
By Rebecca Yaros
What’s the gist
This book is written within a magical world where dragons exist. The main character is the daughter of a general, and she is training in her first year at Basgiath War College as a dragon rider- a coveted and dangerous role. We follow her journey as she makes friends and enemies, faces many challenges (many life-threatening), and ends up with unforeseen bonds that defy everyone's expectations.
The second book leads further into a brewing war and the maturing of skills as challenges are still consistently faced.
What I loved about it
The book gets you hooked very quickly, though it is a magical world so there is a lot to learn. Think: divergent, meets Hunger Games, meets Harry Potter, meets How to Train Your Dragon. I loved the whole “special super girl” trope, as Violet shows up ready to accomplish what everyone thinks she can’t. I love the magical world and the unique quirks built in.
I do not recommend this book on audio, though it may be tempting because of how big the book is. The sweet girl they have reading the audio has only one or two emotional tones, and none of them feel organic outside of a moment of spite or frustration.
Quotes:
“A dragon without its rider is a tragedy. A rider without their dragon is dead.”
“Fascinating. You look all frail and breakable, but you’re really a violent little thing, aren’t you?”
Trigger warnings?
- Like most stories in this genre there is sentimental death
- There are a few abuse scenes that can feel uncomfortable
2.) One to Watch
By Kate Stayman-London
What’s the gist
Bea defies the cultural “beauty standard” of dating shows by being the first girl who is not a “size 0”. She dates a slew of men on the show and learns about herself, about the internal voices that she has learned to listen to, the cultural pressures that cause her to doubt who is being honest on the show, and ultimately fights to find true love.
What I loved about it
I loved the way this book highlighted every feeling on the feelings wheel and the cultural biases woven from judgments around women and weight. It felt like a fresh narrative as well as a gut check. It was also really funny!
Quotes:
“Everyone wanted so many things from her—to believe in herself and see her own true beauty, but not to be conceited, to know her place. Be more than your looks, but never speak out of turn. Don't be defined by love, but remember, you're nothing without it. Be a princess. Find your prince. You don't need a man to complete you. Stand on your own two feet.”
“You don't have a boyfriend?"......"And spend my fifteen seconds of free time every week handling some man's emotions because he's not capable of dealing with them himself? Um, no.”
Trigger warnings?
- Because of the nature of the narrative of this book, I can imagine there would be some triggers relating to some of the cultural judgements around weight
1.) Ready Player One
By Ernest Cline
Many of you may have seen the movie, but trust me the book is a million times better and I was kind of mad that the movie was even made if it was going to be so different.
What’s the gist
A man who created an entire digital gaming world leaves behind an “easter egg” for someone to find in one of the games. Finding this easter egg would mean the rights to the entire gaming world, Oasis, and billions of dollars. An impoverished teen and several others join together along the way as they discover the gates and keys needed to find the final egg. They have to face challenges from defeating monsters to verbatim quoting 80s movies to continue to new levels. The biggest challenge-physical, life-threatening challenge- is facing the corporations that have hundreds of people working together to find the egg.
What I loved about it
This book is nostalgic, heart-warming, intense, and fascinating. It is my favorite of the year because of the way it is written- it builds a world so full of detail that is actually easy to track (compared to other fantasy books). I love the way that the book engages with the futuristic world where the digital experience trumps the physical and shares the downsides of this. The intensity is built in smart ways and the underdog has character beyond many (if not all) of his peers in this competition. This is a key area that the movie really doesn’t nail… in the book this kid is so incredibly generous and selfless. I highly recommend giving this book a read, specifically on audio!
Quotes:
“I created the OASIS because I never felt at home in the real world. I didn't know how to connect with the people there. I was afraid, for all of my life, right up until I knew it was ending. That was when I realized, as terrifying and painful as reality can be, it's also the only place where you can find true happiness. Because reality is real.”
“I felt like a kid standing in the world's greatest video arcade without any quarters, unable to do anything but walk around and watch the other kids play.”
Trigger warnings?
- Honestly, none that I can think of.. perhaps feelings of loneliness at times.
I have read some incredible books this year. In fact, I’ve read more books in one year than I have ever read in a year or thought I was capable of reading in a year (though my number doesn’t hold a candle to my friends).
If you read any of these, lmk! And if you want to be Goodreads friends, let’s!
Runner’s Up
- Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (about a boy growing up in Appalachia)
- The IT Girl by Ruth Ware (an Oxford college who-done-it that bounces between past and present)
- Verity by Coleen Hoover ( a very dark novel about a woman who takes over an unfinished book by a famed author who is injured mentally/physically)
