Recently, in an effort to use my sister’s two $25 Barnes and Noble’s gift cards, I have gotten back into reading! In no particular order, here are three recommendations of some books I’ve read recently:

1. Midnight Library by Matt Haig, tw: suicide

The main character, Nora, attempts to take her own life when she finds herself in a library. In this library, the books are filled with stories of her life, each one differing based on decisions she’d made. As she spends more and more time in this library, she learns more about the strange environment and more about herself. 

Although this book is pretty repetitive, it’s a really simple read for people to enjoy. Each section is like its own mini story where Nora uniquely lives and learns. The book was definitely not about the ending but rather the journey to get there. 

1. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

A journalist named Monique Grant is called to interview the most famous icon of her time, Evelyn Hugo. Hugo has lived a very scandalous life with seven (seven?) husbands and a lot of secrets. And surprisingly for Grant, she’d not been interviewed in decades. Throughout the book you follow the perspectives of Hugo and Grant to answer the question — who was Evelyn Hugo?

This book was an extremely fast-paced book especially given its formatting. The twists were thoroughly thought out and super unpredictable. All of the characters’ arcs were so heartwarming and ended in very satisfying ways. Overall, I think everyone would be able to appreciate this book.

1. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Four siblings host a party every year. But this time, the house will be burning down by the morning. Each sibling (and many other characters) has their own secrets that are all revealed in this night. Will relationships fall? Will hearts be broken? And most importantly, will the family still be a family?

Unpopular opinion — I actually liked this book more than Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. The descriptions of the beach and absurd but heartbreaking relationships really sold me. The book flips back and forth between past and present which causes the story to be fairly slow. In addition to the flashbacks, the book also flips perspectives constantly, with some very short chapters. However, seeing these connections between so many different people all at this party really made this a fascinating book.