BY ILANA COHEN, MARIA JARMAIN AND SHABNAM SIDHU
Congratulations! You have made it to mid-semester break. It’s time to kick back and relax with a book to distract you from the hectic realities we call life. Want a light-hearted quick read or an exciting romance? Love channelling your inner Rory Gilmore? We’ve got you covered.
While the break is short and sweet, you can certainly squeeze in a quick read or 15. The recommendations below encompass a wide range of genres and narrative styles, so there is something for everyone on this list — whether you’re an avid reader or you buy books just to look cool and mysterious at the bookstore.
Here, three bookworms present a comprehensive list of books you might enjoy reading over the holidays.
Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple
This is a gripping tale of a mother-daughter relationship that is so devoting it will make you rethink familial love. This fictional novel addresses what it means to place someone at the centre of attention while having their narrative shift based on other people’s perspectives. A wealthy family living in Seattle, Washington, searches to the ends of this Earth for Bernadette. This is a quick read that might have you finish the book in a laughing-crying fit.
She and Her Cat by Makato Shinkai and Naruki Nagakawa
Switching between the perspectives of cats and humans, Shinkai tells the touching and heartfelt stories of four different women's intersecting lives as they battle different emotional turmoils. Set in Tokyo, Japan, a cat finds their way to each of these women and their lives are enriched and changed. Illuminating the simplistic beauty of everyday life, this novel can definitely be your next comfort book.
I Love Dick by Chris Kraus
Imagine falling madly in love with someone but instead of telling them, you write hundreds of love letters expressing exactly how you feel and all the things you would love to do together, or more so to each other. The best part, you get your husband in on it too.
A cult feminist classic, I Love Dick explores themes of desire, femininity, obsession and art. Written in first person, Kraus discovers what it means to be a woman entwined in a world filled with elitist male art critics and academics. She wishes to be taken seriously yet wants to break free from the shackles of patriarchy. So, she partakes in the most inexplicable, self-destructive but revolutionarily life-changing journey.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
A common book on lists these days, only because it deserves to be. Following a chemist in the 1950s, her life is taken on an emotional rollercoaster with society (seemingly) controlling the ride. From defying the patriarchy to landing a role on prime-time television to motherhood to love, Elizabeth Zott teaches us more than any lesson in chemistry ever could.
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jeanette McCurdy
While the title may come as a shock, McCurdy’s memoir is a heartbreaking account of her experiences with abuse, eating disorders, child fame and much more. Widely known for her role in the children's Nickelodeon show "iCarly", McCurdy exposes the devastating consequences of being thrown into Hollywood stardom at a young age.
Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi
So, you fake a pregnancy just so you can be taken seriously as a woman in corporate Japan? Yes, that is correct and it is exactly what the protagonist of this novel does. Except, she slowly starts to believe it — and nine months in she gives birth to a baby, or does she? That’s for you to find out.
This novel hilariously explores the consequences of a lie on the private and social life of an overworked, underpaid woman. At large, it is a commentary on the perceived role of women and their supposed role as mothers in society. If you love unusual female characters, you will love this book.
Normal People by Sally Rooney
You may see it recommended on every book and TV list, but it’s for good reason. Set in Ireland, Rooney tells the enthralling story of Marianne and Connell as they fall into the complex embroilments of love. The book takes us from their adolescence in high school all the way to their time at Trinity College in Dublin, as they battle to make sense of their complicated yet passionate relationship.
The Modern by Anna Kate Blair
Ever been in an in-between in your life? So has Sophia, the leading character in Blair’s debut novel. An Aussie living in New York City, working at MoMA, she finds herself wondering if working so hard actually led her on the right path. Exploring themes of sexuality, art, relationships, romantic and otherwise, Sophia navigates how to live in the Big Apple while figuring out her life at a newfound turning point.
Nightbitch by Rachel Yonder
TLDR: She turns into a dog.
This book is weird. If you’re a fan of Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis, then you’ll adore this feminist retelling of it. Nightbitch tells the story of a woman who is unable to cope with the demands of motherhood — and so, she steps into her inner ‘bitch’. If you’re stressed out and you feel like raging, then this book is for you. It will tap into your deepest, darkest thoughts on what it means to be overlooked and undervalued, and by the end of it, be prepared to howl with laughter.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Video games, fame, love, loss and redemption. This story about two people constantly finding their paths crossing either by accident or on purpose; get involved in the world of video games. Jumping back and forth from the past to the present, we find ourselves immersed in their real and virtual worlds managing success, relationships and bittersweet moments.
The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V. E. Schwab
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be immortal? Teenager Addie Larue sells her soul to the devil and in exchange for immortality. However, she is cursed to never be remembered by anyone; no matter who she talks to, they will forget everything about you as soon as she’s out of sight.
Taking us all the way from 1714 to 2014, Addie lives three hundred years of her life invisible to all, with the exception of the devil, disguised as the dreamy ‘Luc’. But when a man in a New York bookstore remembers her name, she is forced to confront her fate.
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Be prepared to be devastated, but only in the most heartbreakingly beautiful way possible. Set in Kerala in the late 1960s through to the 1990s, The God of Small Things at heart is a tale of a woman wanting to love freely but her desires are governed by the ‘love laws’ of society. Framed through the perspective of her two young children, this novel’s non-linear storytelling and utilisation of magical realism are bound to keep you hooked. It is both a critique of colonialism and the Indian caste system, whilst telling an emotionally complex story of the laws that define society and what it means to break them.
Who is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews
Nothing is ever as it seems. After landing her dream job working for a famous author, Florence Darrow is thrown into what can only be described as a whirlwind of chaos. While everything is calm in the beginning, the heat turns up with her boss takes her on a ‘work trip’ for her latest novel. Unbeknownst to Florence, she’s been caught up in lies, deceit and murder, all in a foreign country. It’s The Talented Mr Ripley but with a femme twist in Morocco.
Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton
"Mirror, mirror, on the grass, what's my future? What's my past?" Lola asks her shard of glass these very questions. Without knowing her own name, her birth father or where she’s from, Lola and her mother evade the government while living in their car in Brisbane. Despite her situation, Lola is a dreamer and fights with blood, sweat and tears to accomplish her dreams.
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
You’ll laugh out loud reading this book, one so many of us saw on screen. If you liked the movie, you’ll love the book. Kwan’s in-depth research makes for humour and humility to jump off the pages in this (realistic?) fictional romantic comedy. This first book in his trilogy revolves around Rachel Chu and the chaotic entanglement of her lover’s family in a setting full of the richest people in Asia. You’d think money grew on trees for some people.