An Epic 11 Book Library Haul: Fiction, Romance, YA, and Fantasy
So here's the 11 books I Brough home with me on my first library trip.
Fiction
Less
by Andrew Sean Greer
When I worked at a bookstore, this one was always at the front of our fiction displays, and I always wondered about it, but I never bothered to pick it up. It resurfaced in my mind because a YouTuber, Lexi, that I watch pretty often has recommended it a number of times. Lexi makes vlogs and beauty/lifestyle content, but lately she's been talking about getting into reading a ton. It's really been inspiring.
Summary: A love story, a satire of the American abroad, a rumination on time and the human heart, by an author The New York Times has hailed as “inspired, lyrical,” “elegiac,” “ingenious,” as well as “too sappy by half,” Less shows a writer at the peak of his talents raising the curtain on our shared human comedy.
Daisy Jones & The Six
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I've wanted to read this book for so long, but it's always checked out when I go to read it. This one was also by Lexi, and she described it as almost fanfic like, which I feel like is the perfect book to get back into reading. I know it's told completely in a transcript-like style, which I feel like will make it a faster read than a regular fiction book. Also, how can I resist a book about a bunch of rockstars?
Summary: A gripping novel about the whirlwind rise of an iconic 1970s rock group and their beautiful lead singer, revealing the mystery behind their infamous break up.
Mary Jane
by Jessica Anya Blau
I saw this book make a ton of appearances on Best of 2021 lists and thought I would pick it up in case I really enjoyed Daisy Jones and the Six. I always find it interesting when fiction aimed at adults is written about a teenager. One of my favorite books of this year from Celeste Ng centers on a teenage character as well, so I figured I'd try it out.
Summary: "Almost Famous" meets Daisy Jones and the Six in this funny, wise, and tender novel about a fourteen-year-old girl’s coming of age in 1970s Baltimore, caught between her strait-laced family and the progressive family she nannies for—who happen to be secretly hiding a famous rock star and his movie star wife for the summer.
Romance
Beach Read
by Emily Henry
I was super interested to find out that Emily Henry, who has made such major waves in the romance space lately, is also a YA writer, and I'd actually read her YA books years ago without realizing. These books are super popular, and while I didn't absolutely love People We Meet on Vacation, I still wanted to give this book a try since there was a lot I liked about that book. I really like how Henry writes lead characters who are writers as well.
Summary: A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters.
While We Were Dating
by Jasmine Guillory
This is another book I picked up thanks to a variety of year-end lists. I didn't realize till I got on Goodreads that it seems like this is some part of a series or thread of connected books, but the summary makes it sound like a standalone so I'm a bit confused. But I'm always going to fall for a Hollywood romance story, and it's interesting to read about people with jobs in the modern world like working in advertising in LA. I tend to find romance books to feel more up to date and modern than the books that are considered literary fiction, so I tend to gravitate towards the category.
Summary: Two people realize that it's no longer an act when they veer off-script in this sizzling romantic comedy by New York Timesbestselling author Jasmine Guillory.
Dial A For Aunties
by Jesse Q. Sutanto
So many of my friends on Twitter have been loving this book, and it sounds like heaps of fun. More romance and comedy than mystery from what I've seen online, it seems like this is going to be a really interesting, family rooted read.
Summary: What happens when you mix 1 (accidental) murder with 2 thousand wedding guests, and then toss in a possible curse on 3 generations of an immigrant Chinese-Indonesian family. You get 4 meddling Asian aunties coming to the rescue!
YA
Girl Crushed
by Katie Heaney
This book sounds like a messy queer girl romance with a pop star girlfriend to make it even better. YA really has the best LGBTQIA stories, and I've loved this cover since I saw it back in the spring, so I decided to finally pick it up. It seems like my favorite kind of YA contemporary.
Summary: Leah on the Offbeat meets We Are Okay in this pitch-perfect queer romance about falling in love and never quite falling out of it--heartbreak, unexpected new crushes, and all.
These Violent Delights
by Chloe Gong
Chloe Gong is one of my favorite authors in the YA space, but I've never managed to actually read her book! I've checked this one out a number of times, but something always happens and I never get around to it before it's due. I think I tend to put off reading it because I don't tend to read historical fiction or fantasy, but I love the idea of a really fresh Romeo and Juliet retelling. Maybe this month will finally be my time.
Summary: Perfect for fans of The Last Magician and Descendant of the Crane, this heart-stopping debut is an imaginative Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, with rival gangs and a monster in the depths of the Huangpu River.
Margot Mertz Takes It Down
by Carrie McCrossen and Ian McWethy
I saw this book on the shelf of new YA at the library and was intrigued by the cover. When I picked it up, I was even more drawn in. It seems like a smart YA contemporary that's really current. I'm also always interested in YA with teens that have jobs or run inventive businesses.
Summary: Veronica Mars meets Moxie in this hilarious and biting YA contemporary novel following Margot Mertz, a girl who runs an internet cleanup business and embarks on a quest to take down a revenge-porn site targeting the girls in her school.
Battle of the Bands
This YA anthology that has intertwining stories by many YA authors about one band performance definitely speaks to my interest in musical books. This one has been on my radar for a while, so I figured I'd give it a try when I saw it on the shelf at my library.
Nonfiction
Where Am I Now?
by Mara Wilson
I've heard about this essay collection a number of times over the years, and I've been meaning to read it for a while. As a former child actor, I think Mara could have a really interesting perspective to bring to this set of essays and to offer on themes like growing up and finding your place in the adult world.
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