What to Read Next (Winter Edition)

Since the pandemic began more and more people have asked me for book recommendations. I’ve always considered myself a bit nerdy for being a book worm, but now reading is becoming the “it” thing to do. I read an article today that book sales are skyrocketing more than ever.

If you’ve also jumped on the reading bandwagon, here are a couple books I’ve read recently that might be of interest.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig: I was lucky enough to read this book in time to vote for it in the 2020 Goodreads awards, and it actually won best fiction book, receiving only five more votes than Fredrik Backman’s Anxious People. The concept is what drew me in. The main character is depressed and not satisfied with her current life. Suddenly circumstances place her into the midnight library, a place where she can try out different versions of her life assuming she had made just one change in her actual life. She’s forced to figure out if she wants to return to her normal life or one of these brand new exciting paths. Experiencing her different lives was fascinating, and I couldn’t put the book down. It probably also helped that it was set in a library, one of my favorite places!

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer: This book took me by surprise. I had no idea how good it was going to be. I can’t even remember how I heard about it, but I somehow put it on hold at the library and started reading it without knowing what to expect. I was swept away by the story. In an alternating storyline between WWII and the present, it follows the life of a woman learning about her grandmother’s past and the secrets that were never told. The story begins with her grandmother’s perspective; how her brothers were forced to go to labor camps in Poland while she stayed with her parents to help tend the farm. The man she was to marry disappeared, and she anxiously awaited any news on him and her brothers. It’s a fast-paced story that has many twists and turns. If you loved Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, you’ll love this book.

A Promised Land by Barack Obama: This book is a mammoth, and it’s only volume one in the series, but well worth the investment. Obama, as you can imagine, is an impressive writer. I knew I was in for a ride when I started crying, and I was only on page 65. I loved hearing the behind the scenes stories from the campaign trail and his experience at the White House, but honestly what I enjoyed learning most was his likes, his interactions, and more about his personal life overall. It makes Obama seem even more relatable and down-to-earth. I can’t wait to read the second volume!

What books have you read lately that you love? I’m always looking for more to add to my TBR list!