We All Need Escapist Reads Right Now
We All Need Escapist Reads Right Now
In early fall 2018 I took a research trip to Nantucket for my fourth book, The Cousins, which is set on a fictional island off the coast of Massachusetts. At the time, I had no idea when the book might release. But as I watched late-season beachgoers brave the cool weather, I imagined them pulling it from their totes in a couple of years, settling into a folding chair to read about the secretive Story family.
I couldn’t have predicted, back then, what 2020 would look like.
Much as I would have loved to see my latest book launch into a healthier, happier timeline, I hope it provides an escape for readers during this holiday season. Right now the days are dark, and the news can be even darker. So many of us are deeply engaged in the world around us, looking to make a positive impact on issues we care about. But, let's be honest, we also need the occasional break from reality.
I’ve always looked at reading as a way to both relax and recharge, and one of my joys this year has been getting lost in some truly phenomenal stories. If you’re looking to give year-end comfort to friends and family—or yourself—you can’t go wrong with any of these.
1) For the art lover: Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know by Samira Ahmed
bookshop.org
$17.47
Samira Ahmed never disappoints, and this book combines some of my favorite things: Paris, a literary mystery, and young women fighting to tell their own stories. A budding art historian, Khayyam, spends her summer in Paris investigating a mysterious 19th-century Muslim woman, Leila, who has been featured in works by notable authors and artists. Told in dual narratives across centuries, the story gives both woman a vibrant, heartfelt voice.
2) For the romantic: The Gravity of Us
Bloomsbury YA
bookshop.org
$16.55
Cal is a social media phenom who has to leave Brooklyn for Texas when his pilot father is selected for a highly publicized NASA mission to Mars. Cal finds himself falling for another “Astrokid,” Leon, while dealing with restrictions on his reporting by a program that’s keeping secrets from the public. It’s an original, upbeat, coming-of-age novel that seamlessly blends family relationships, first love, and following your dreams.
3) For the fantasy fan: A Song of Wraiths and Ruin
Balzer & Bray/Harperteen
bookshop.org
$17.47
Full disclosure: I’m a contemporary girl at heart, and often a hard sell for fantasy. But I loved this first book in a fantasy duology inspired by West African folklore, in which a princess and a refugee, both grieving their own losses, find themselves on a murderous collision course. Lush worldbuilding, high emotional stakes, and memorable characters all combined to leave me impatient for the next book in the series.
4) For the music lover: I'll Be the One
Katherine Tegen Books
bookshop.org
$16.55
This was the definition of a feel-good read: funny, sweet, and empowering. Skye, a bisexual Korean-American teen, wants to be the world’s first female plus-sized K-Pop star. When she enters a reality competition, it comes with a lot of pressure: fatphobic judges, sudden media fame, and a strained relationship with her mom. But along the way Skye also makes new friends, begins a romance, and proves that she doesn’t need to change herself to be happy and successful.
5) For the amateur detective: Truly Devious: A Mystery
bookshop.org
$11.03
As a mystery writer, I know how challenging it is to weave together clues, red herrings, and a satisfying ending in a single book, so I’m in awe of Johnson’s ability to do it across three: Truly Devious, The Vanishing Stair, and The Hand on the Wall. True crime enthusiast Stevie Bell is trying to solve a decades-old murder at the prestigious Ellingham Academy, but the bodies just keep piling up. Witty, twisty, and so much fun.
Idk about you, but these alternate realities seem pretty great.