Fall break is finally gracing us with it’s presence this weekend. And if you’re anything like me, you’re dying to push your school books under the bed and read something fun for once. Here’s what I’d recommend:
“The Dinner” by Herman Koch
One of the most unlikable narrators of all time tells the story of two couples navigating the most difficult decision of their lives, over the course of one extremely pretentious dinner. Their teenage sons have together committed a heinous crime, which brings forth the issues of classicism, ambition, dishonesty and how far a parent will go to protect their child. Fans of “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” and “Gone Girl” will love this.
“Delirium” Trilogy by Lauren Oliver
In this post-apocalyptic, young adult series (isn’t that the best genre ever?), love is a disease and when you turn eighteen, you undergo a surgical cure. Lena, our heroine, can’t wait to be cured of “amor deliria nervosa” until she meets Alex, a rebel from the outside. Lena learns not only about romantic love, but also familial love and the love of a friend. And, OK, yeah, there’s a love triangle. But I swear this one is pretty interesting. Fans of “The Hunger Games” and the “Divergent” trilogies will love this.
“Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness” by Susannah Cahalan
I’m not usually a fan of non-fiction, but this book reads like an episode of “House.” Susannah Cahalan goes from promising young journalist to essentially catatonic in the space of a month. A team of doctors spent weeks misdiagnosing her and many were ready to write her off to insanity. I won’t give away the final diagnosis, but trust me it’s fascinating. Fans of “House” and incredible stories of perseverance will love this.
“Cuckoo’s Calling” by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling)
So, I’m actually finishing this book up as I write this, so I couldn’t ruin it for you if I tried. Mystery isn’t really my genre, but I picked this up because J.K. Rowling is a goddess and I would read her grocery lists. That said, this book is pretty great. The characters are complex and interesting and the plot seems like it could have been ripped from a People Magazine headline. Fans of J.K. Rowling will love this because we are basically contractually obligated to.
“The Family Fang” by Kevin Wilson
One of the best books I’ve read in a long time, but it may not be for everyone. It follows a couple of performance artists and their long-suffered children. Despite having escaped their parents, Child A and Child B grow up to be hopelessly damaged. The family is brought back together by another of their parents’ artistic schemes. I won’t go into any more detail. Just know the plot twists had me gasping out loud, in public, on every other page. Jason Batemen is set to direct and star in a movie adaptation, so read it now, before everyone else finds out! Fans of Wes Anderson movies and “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” will love this.
