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books books books
21
items I’ve been reading since I could talk and so this list is a mishmash of everything GREAT I’ve read. From books that have been adapted to absolute must-reads.
Sections
4
Must-reads
Adapted fantasy & dystopian
Adapted love stories
Adapted contemporaries
Must-reads
Books that shine. These are not yet adapted into any other format so if you want the story you need to read them here.
A sapphic love story set in the male-centered rat-race of 1980s space exploration. Heartfelt, uplifting, painful, everything you could want in a book.
Atmosphere: A Love Story (GMA Book Club Pick)
This book, and subsequent sequels, follows four women in 1870s Britain during the rise of the suffragette movement as they battle their need for freedom with falling in love. Hooked. Grappled. Never have I been so immersed.
Bringing Down the Duke
Madeline Miller writes the way classical music feels. Circe is my favourite. It’s a retelling of the infamous witch in a human, tragic, and compelling light. It is also a more uplifting book. If you’re looking for truly devastating, Song of Achilles ...
Circe by Madeline Miller
A feminist sci-fi battle cry inspired by Chinese history that grabs you by the neck and refuses to let go. There’s action, romance, violence, karma. Read read read.
Iron Widow (Book 1)
A white woman goes to extreme lengths to achieve her dream in the publishing industry by stealing the work, and base identity, of her Asian-American friend. Cutting, witty, psychological. Very fast read.
Yellowface (Reese's Book Club Pick)
One of the most unique, gripping, funny, and cynical memoirs I’ve ever read. Brilliantly written, a juxtaposition of loving and cursing nostalgia.
I'm Glad My Mom Died
Two journalists battle to get the chance to write the biography of an infamous celebrity. One of the rare times I felt the conflict between them. No one is doing romance like Emily Henry right now
Great Big Beautiful Life (B&N Exclusive Edition) (Reese's Book Club)
Two city-slickers get stuck in a small town for a few weeks to help their respective loved ones. Charlie Lastra is the love of my life btw.
Book Lovers
A bombshell actress from the Golden Age of Hollywood sits down for a tell-all about her infamous seven marriages, and a secret that could change perception of her forever. This book feels so real, so true, even with it being fiction
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Adapted fantasy & dystopian
fantasy and dystopian books that have been adapted to the screen but are still worth reading (and sometimes better than the adaptation!)
A dystopian society that breaks down the inevitable consequences of authoritatian rule and how propaganda shapes revolutions. The whole collection because they’re THAT good. Flawless book after flawless book.
Hunger Games 5-Book Box Set (Deluxe Edition) (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Sunrise on the Reaping)
A ragtag team of 6 desperate criminals embark on a heist to the backdrop of a high fantasy world. It’s phenomenal. Brilliant duology with unique characters and dynamics.
Six of Crows Boxed Set: Six of Crows, Crooked Kingdom
A woman vacationing in the Scottish Highlands is thrown back in time from 1945 to 1743 and fights to get back to her husband while battling her desire for another man. A book with a POWERFUL female lead that makes time travel feel real.
Outlander (Outlander Series #1)
A young boy discovers he is the child of a god, and is set on a quest that could determine the fate of the world. A generational story that questions how much responsibility children have for their parents’ messes.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians 5 Book Paperback Boxed Set (new covers) (B&N Exclusive Edition)
Adapted love stories
Romance-focused books that have been adapted to the screen but are still worth reading (and sometimes better than the adaptation!)
The original enemies to lovers. Two people who hate the fact that they can’t truly hate the other, because perhaps that person is the only one who actually sees them for exactly who they are.
Pride and Prejudice
Genuine opposites attract forbidden romance book that gives you more insight into the inner thoughts of the characters that isn’t explicit in the show.
Heated Rivalry (Game Changers #2)
The story of a perpetually independent woman trying to make herself known in a male-dominated world, as she fields off suitors and love. A classic. Thomas Hardy is one of the only men who is allowed to write women.
Far from the Madding Crowd
A woman’s coming-of-age from childhood to adulthood, following her through tragedy, poverty, love, loss, trials, and joys. A classic.
Jane Eyre
A woman returns to the place she spent her summers to confront a 12-year old secret and the lost love of her life. A very intimate, gentle book that feels like a sea breeze.
Every Summer After (Deluxe Edition)
Adapted contemporaries
Real-world stories that will probably, definitely, break your heart and make you believe in the world and humanity again. Proceed with caution because these have all been adapted to screen as well
Genius chemist Elizabeth persists in 1960s STEM, but is knocked down when tragedy strikes and has to share her knowledge in a revolutionary way. WARNING: this book broke my heart. One of the few books I actually threw across the room. 10/10 will neve...
Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel
Dealing with grief, and to spite her mother, a plus-sized girl entered the same pagent her mother won all those years ago. Romantic, heartfelt, beautiful.
Dumplin' (Dumplin' Series #1)
A desperate woman fresh out a prison accepts a job as a live-in maid to a wealthy family with a sinister secret. Everything unfolds exactly as it should in a very satisfying way.
The Housemaid