“Reading is a way for me to expand my mind, open my eyes, and fill up my heart.” – Oprah Winfrey

Then She was Gone by Lisa Jewell – A mother copes with the disappearance of her daughter several years prior, the dissolution of her marriage, and her struggle to maintain good relations with her other children. One day a stranger walks into her life and she opens herself up to loving him and his daughter, who eerily reminds her of her lost child. This was a twisty thriller and super engaging to read. However, I saw the twist coming and wasn’t super surprised by any of the reveals, so keep that in mind if you hate not being surprised by surprised endings. Anyway, I’d recommend this if you’re looking for a quick weekend read for a cozy fall weekend!

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid – This book has a really promising premise of exploring many aspects of racism (harassment from police, micro aggressions, fetishism, performative white allyship, etc…) I came into it with an open mind, but I did not end up finishing this book. I really tried and read about halfway through but it was just taking me so long and I wasn’t excited to pick it up again after setting it down. The storyline wasn’t compelling to me and one of the main characters was just exhausting. She was (purposely) unlikeable but I my opinion she had no redeeming qualities. I assume this character was supposed to help people examine their white privilege and reflect on their internal intentions, but there was no nuance to the character that allowed me to relate to her. So it was easy to just put her in the villain category without my own world view feeling challenged. I usually don’t like to quit books, but this one just didn’t click for me.

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry – Okay, this book was really cute! The main character is a travel writer who has become estranged from her best friend from college. She invites him to join her on a The characters were a little overly quirky and some events were a little too convenient, but it worked for this book and this genre. Really a perfect vacation read, it was pure confection and serotonin. Highly recommend if you are looking for a quick, fun and easy romcom read.

Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot – I feel a little late to the party, I think everyone I know read the book several years ago when it was first published. But WOW. I knew a bit of the story of Henrietta Lacks and how her cells were taken without her consent. How they kept growing outside of her body and were used for experiments that led to incredible medical breakthroughs. But I really appreciated how much research the author did into who Henrietta was, how she was loved by her community and family, and how she is remembered by those who knew her. Her personal story was intertwined with the story of her cells and layered into that was a lot of commentary on inequality of healthcare for people who are poor and/or Black. And then you are left with the philosophical question of whether it is ethical to use a sample of someone’s tissues without their consent if the intention is progress in medical research. It was a surprisingly easy read for a book so packed with history, politics, social and ethical commentary. Highly highly recommend. Anyone and everyone should read this book. I hope it’s found it’s way onto high school curriculums as well!

The Magic of Found Objects by Maddie Dawson – Another quick, fun, easy read. The main character is a single woman in her late thirties living in New York City. After a year of leaning into online dating and having zero success, her best friend proposes an unconventional marriage, one without romantic love. He argues that none of their friends who married for love have been completely happy or stayed together, so why not marry your platonic best friend? This leads our main character to question her belief in love and examine her parents failed marriage a little closer. This book was full of really interesting characters and the story moved pretty quickly. As with most romcoms, there are some all-too-convenient plot points, but it’s all in good fun. Another feel-good vacation or weekend recommendation.

Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia – OMG. I can’t remember the last time I read a book as poetic and heart-breakingly beautiful as this one. The book centers around the women in a Cuban/Cuban-American family, what they fight for, and the struggles they face. Each chapter is an up close snapshot of life and jumps between characters and through time. If you struggle with following books like that, this might not be for you. But also, you can just step back and take them as short stories or vignettes without trying too hard to follow the timeline and I think it would still be just as impactful. Content warnings for drug use/addiction, sexual assault, and other violence. I would recommend this, especially if you’ve not taken time to consider the female immigrant experience. While I’ve read news stories, this was fairly eye-opening and impactful to me in the way that sometimes only a fictional account can be.