Bookish Thoughts
Make good choices, buy good books, said Emily Henry.
I rediscovered my love for reading in my mid-twenties like many women and have not looked back. Fortunately or perhaps unfortunately for my friends, I suffer from this condition of “I must tell you everything about what I just read,” better known as yapping. Something that my book clubs have helped, but not quite cured. Due to the sheer volume of books I read, I am forced to share my thoughts with the internet.
I am hoping to create this as a sort of blog where I express my thoughts on books through writing and linking my social platforms where you can find me talking about my latest reads and some other topics.
If you are looking for some book recommendations, here are my top five reads of 2024.
Betty by Tiffany McDaniel: A soul crushing coming of age story that chronicles the life of a mixed race girl growing up in the Appalachian who deals with violence and poverty, but has a love for stories thanks to her father and her sisters. One of the best books I’ve ever read, McDaniel's writing is so beautiful that you will cry your eyes out, but you will also retain hope of Betty’s strength and love for her sisters and her dad.
Beartown by Frederik Backman: The story of a hockey town that is fractured by an event that shakes its foundations and values. Who are we when we face uncomfortable situations? This book is about hockey, a town and its individuals but above all else, it’s a story about humanity at its best and its worst.
Shark Heart, a love story by Emily Habeck: Sure, the premise of a human transforming into a shark seems silly and yet, this is one of the best love stories I’ve read. Part screenplay, part poem, altogether a wonderful read. This book is about love and change and how to pick up the pieces after we have lost a loved one.
What lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall: So far, I’ve given you books that broke me and put me back together. If that’s not your jam, I have the perfect thriller that will keep you on your toes. This is the genre at its best with deep secrets and turns that you won’t be able to see coming and end up rendering you speechless.
Crying in H-Mart by Michelle Zauner: Typically I don’t read many memoirs or biographies, but this was able to pull me in. After the death of her Korean mother, Zauner explores her Korean-American identity and grief through food, the cultural rituals and the supermarket shopping trips she used to take with her mother.
Bonus:
I am an Emily Henry girl so I recommend all of her books.