BB Book Club: Leah’s October Picks
Sometimes I hit lulls and feel like I have nothing to read. In my opinion, word of mouth is definitely the best way to get recommendations. I’ll write down books people mention in conversation, ask my mom what she’s been reading, and I’ve even made an Instagram Q&A where I had people message me their suggestions. That was the quickest way for me to accumulate a list of 10 books to devour.
It’s fun to see what sort of books people hold dear to their hearts, what great stories they want others to experience. Once you know their preference, then you can finish a book and think, “This novel is right up Jenna’s ally!” or “I can’t believe Grandma reads such risqué literature!” You not only expand your own library, but you create a database for dishing out recommendations. For example, my dear friend Frankie once recommended The Goldfinch to me, and now I can suggest books to her that have similar themes and messages that I think she may enjoy.
When you find yourself in a lull, set some reading goals to push yourself into a book. When I’m visiting my family in AZ, sometimes I tan while I read, and set goals like if I read 100 pages, then I can go inside. It often becomes a race between heatstroke and getting through my last twenty pages. Or I even set mini goals: after I finish this chapter, I’ll make some lunch. Some people have a hard time reading in their free time and prefer watching TV to zone out. OR a long book seems too daunting to start with a busy schedule. If either of these statements speaks to you, but you also want to get into reading more, you can set a goal of reading three chapters before you throw on Vanderpump Rules. You might get so sucked into your book that you read past your goal, or you finish your three chapters and watch five hours of Vanderpump – either way is perfectly acceptable. This first book is a thicc boy, so you’ll def want to set some goals...
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
My biggest take? Daddy issues galore. Recommend? Definitely. The Goldfinch is a beautiful story of a young boy growing up in the wake of his mother’s death. You can’t predict what’s going to happen in this book, and with over 700 pages, a lot happens. I also recommend not watching the movie. I watched with my mom, who hadn’t read the book, and she told me if I wasn’t there to explain, she would have had no idea what was going on. There’s too much detail in the book that did not translate well enough into the movie.
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
This was a great book to read after The Goldfinch. That said, there is some heavy content in Eleanor & Park (re: an abusive stepdad). But, it was a good choice right after the aforementioned novel because the chapters were short and split up between the two main characters’ points of view. It was also a nice change up from The Goldfinch’s length. Rowell writes a Young Adult book where, again, I can see where these characters are coming from for feeling different in high school. It’s also a relatable story and conclusion, which I appreciate even more. Not every part of life has a happy ending!
CHECK LIST:
Set reading goals to get through that thicc book!
Change up the length of your books every now and then!!
Ask for recommendations from your friends and family or a coworker or a complete stranger!!!
