1. The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror By: Mallory Ortberg SHORT STORIES
This is a collection of short stories, each turning a fairytale on its head, embracing the gore and darkness of the original tales. I will read any and all retellings, which is what first drew me to this collection of short stories. Only within the past year or two have I started reading short stories without being prompted by my professor or my father. This is one of the first books I picked up to start exploring short story collections, and it's a big reason why I continue to pick them up today. A fascinating element of these short stories is how the author plays with gender pronouns, bringing attention to a current social debate. While these stories draw attention to this current issue, the piercing writing, and the unique twists the author manages to put on these familiar tales are the true shining glories of this collection.2. Rules of Civility By: Amor Towles HISTORICAL FICTION
Amor Towles has been getting tons of buzz recently, since A Gentleman in Moscow was released in 2016. I loved his most recent book, but I must admit I loved Rules of Civility just a tiny bit more. It might be because this was the novel that kept me somewhat sane throughout the chaotic, all weekend event that was my older sister's wedding. This novel follows the heroine, Katey, through 1930's Manhattan. The city is recovering from the Great Depression, and entering into a boom as WWII ramps up with the American economy. Katey stands out amongst the secretaries she works with due to her charm and wit, and lands a job at a hot-shot new magazine. This is when she starts socializing with high dollar society, partying at their mansions, drinking martinis, and attempting to live the carefree lifestyle. As Katey becomes more entrenched and enchanted with this world, she keeps running harder and harder from the life she left behind. Towles is a grand master of language, definitely one of the main reasons to treat yourself to one of his novels. Besides the language, the characters of this book intrigued me so much I just had to keep reading to see how all their stories ended. This book is definitely more of a slow build, but thanks to Towles engaging language, I hardly noticed this while reading. If you're a fan of historical fiction, amazing character development, and some seriously beautiful writing, you should definitely pick this up.3. Small Fry By: Lisa Brennan-Jobs MEMOIR
This is the memoir of Steve Jobs first daughter, Lisa, but it's about so much more than her father. This was one of my favorite reads last year, and I tore through this book in one night. Something about her writing and use of language sucks you right into the moment of time she's experiencing, and you don't want to break the spell by stopping. This book gave insight into some realities of one of the most influential persons in the world, and it was incredibly absorbing. However, the most memorable part of this memoir is Lisa, and the different ways she handled herself through the twists that life threw at her. Anyone who reads memoirs, and even those of us who don't read a lot of them, can appreciate this. I personally read very few memoirs compared to the amount of books I read in say fantasy or mystery, or most other genres really. This was one of the first memoirs I read, and it was a great introduction to the genre, whetting my appetite for more.4. No Word From Gurb By: Eduardo Mendoza SCIENCE FICTION
I enjoyed this strange, little book so much more than I thought I would. I only read this book because I heard it recommended on the All the Books podcasts by Liberty Hardy. In fact she recommended it so strongly that it lead to me discovering the InterLibrary Loan System, as my local branches didn't carry any form of the book. Both the book and the InterLibrary Loan system were amazing, life changing discoveries. This book centers around two aliens, the narrator and Gurb, who have landed in Barcelona for a research assignment. The story is told through the narrator's diaries as he struggles to fit in on Earth and searches for his friend Gurb, who has basically, hard core ditched him. This hilarious, satirical novel is a must read for lovers of science fiction, and I also think it's a great place to enter the genre. This book is so short, I honestly feel comfortable telling everyone to at least try it.5. The Silent Patient By: Alex Michaelides THRILLER
I've been coming across some pretty mixed reviews about this book since its release earlier this year, so I'll go ahead and throw my two cents in as well. Personally, I enjoyed this book a ton, while also acknowledging some faults with it. Very few books in this world are absolutely perfect, and this one is definitely not. However, that doesn't mean it wasn't a fun and exciting read because for me, it absolutely was. This book is told in shifting timelines with engaging language, and reveals an ending I never saw coming. Mainly, the audience follows Theo Faber, a criminal psychotherapist that feels destined to help save the silent patient of the psychiatric unit, Alicia Berenson. Alicia killed her husband by shooting him five times in the head, and hasn't spoken a single word since. She remained silent through her trial and sentencing, after which she was committed to a psychiatric hospital, the Grove. The author gives you insight into Alicia by inserting entries from a journal Alicia had been keeping before everything happened. Theo is determined to help her, and more importantly to convince her to speak. There's really not a whole lot more I can tell you without at least hinting at spoilers. So, I'll just say that if you love psychological thrillers with a bunch of twists and turns you don't anticipate, and can forgive a few flaws here and there, this book is definitely worth the read.
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