It is at this exact time of year, when classes end and exams pace in the distance with their hands on their hips staring you down, that I pick up a book. Like a solid paperback book. No more reading off my iPad from 12 pm until 4 in the morning. No, I’ve got daylight to spare. There are no more 8:30 classes and therefore I will wake up at 10, make a coffee in my “Joy Vey” mug, listen to The Beatles sing from my arguably cheugy CD player, and sit in our newly rearranged living room (the couch could now not be closer to the window) and read a book. Today’s book of choice: In Love by Amy Bloom. It is a very sad memoir written by a woman whose husband is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and decides to end his life. It has me crying before lunch, but always, always leaves me reeling with the privilege it is to read words of empathy grown from the worst moments of their lives. To be clear: I’m not always this sadistic, I like fun books too.
And with all this time on my hands (I am delusional – I have an Economics exam in one week – I am an English major), I’ve decided to plan my reading agenda for the next month of freedom. I’ve picked 12 books that I absolutely cannot read before the new year, but will try to relentlessly. These books cover all the genres I covet: Light and Lovely Romance, Heavy and TF Romance, HAHA Memoir, Take A Breather Memoir, The World We Live In 🙄 Nonfiction, Aggressively Recommended by my Mom and Sister Literary Fiction. The last one is most definitely under threat.
In no particular order, these are the books I wish to read: tanning on a damp chair in Mexico with a passionfruit mojito spilt on the sand or sitting crosslegged on my couch in Toronto, my sister seated across from me, feet nudging for more territory, the dog napping and yapping between us.
1. Out on a Limb
A Light and Lovely Romance
“Winnifred “Win” McNulty has always been wildly independent. Not one to be coddled for her limb difference, Win has spent most of her life trying to prove that she can do it all on her own. And, with some minor adjustments, she’s done just fine.
That is until she has a one-night stand with the incredibly charming Bo, a perfect stranger. And that one night changes everything…” (GoodReads)
My Prediction
See I thought this was the perfect romance to read on a public beach in Mexico. I thought I’d be looking up smiling, holding the book to my chest, taking a moment to breathe through the pretty words Win and Bo will say to each other. I thought it would be wholesome as fuck. But thennnn I go and look up the steam rating on Romance.io and it’s a 4/5?? And now I’ll have to read this book in the privacy of my home because gosh darn, I’ll never read smut in public! (That’s such a lie, by the way, I’ve got kindle unlimited on my phone).
2. The Color of Everything: A Journey to Quiet the Chaos Within
Take a Breather Memoir
“…After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and dropping out of high school, Richards subsumed himself in the worlds of photography and climbing, seeking out the farthest reaches of the world to escape the darkness. Then, in the midst of a wildly successful career in adventure photography, a catastrophic avalanche changed everything, forcing Richards to confront the trauma of his past, evaluate his own mental health, and learn to rewrite his story…” (GoodReads)
My Prediction
When I bought In Love at Indigo last month, I was very close to getting this book as well. Reading first hand experiences of dealing with mental illness will always catch my attention. Like I said, it’s a privilege to read empathy from bad times, and I will always be determined to read books like these. Yet at the time, I didn’t buy it. I thought with pragmatism, and chose to buy one book at a time (Indigo is expensive and I also bought a mug. Forced Friend Edit: Madomi was there). But THEN, I called my Mom and, of course, told her about the book, and she was very intrigued by the adventure disaster portion of the book, a part I slightly overlooked, and now I really want to get it immediately. I’m very easily persuaded by someone, anyone, else’s enthusiasm.
3. The Third Gilmore Girl: A Memoir
HAHA Memoir (but more like Hm.)
“Kelly Bishop’s long, storied career has been defined by landmark achievements, from winning a Tony Award for her turn in the original Broadway cast of A Chorus Line to her memorable performance as Jennifer Grey’s mother in Dirty Dancing. But it is probably her iconic role as matriarch Emily in the modern classic Gilmore Girls that cemented her legacy.
Now, Bishop… shares some of her greatest stories and the life lessons she’s learned on her journey. From her early transition from dance to drama, to marrying young to a compulsive gambler, to the losses and achievements she experienced—among them marching for women’s rights and losing her second husband to cancer—Bishop offers a rich, genuine celebration of her life.” (GoodReads)
My Prediction
This is the kind of celebrity memoir I can get behind, when the life comes first and the fame comes second. Kelly Bishop, I’d like to know you, please. Why? Because I’m a big fan of Gilmore Girls, have often thought the female line in my own family compares well with the Gilmore lineage and Ms. Bishop, you were in A Chorus Line?! So was I!! (Well, not really. My class performed “I Hope I Get It” at our dance showcase in high school. I was not picked to sing.) This is a book I’d get without even looking at the synopsis. I’m a big cover judger, BUT, upon reading the summary, I’m even more intrigued. Beyond the biz they call show, she’s a woman whose had some remarkable experiences, marrying a gambler and fighting for women’s rights, all of which I’d happily learn more about.
4. I’m Sorry For My Loss: An Urgent Examination of Reproductive Care in America
The World We Live In 🙄 NonFiction
“In the aftermath of the 2022 decision to overturn Roe v Wade, 25 million women of childbearing age live in states with laws that restrict access to abortion, including for those who never wanted to end their pregnancies.
Rebecca Little and Colleen Long, childhood friends who grew up to be journalists, both experienced late-term loss, and together they… [work] to shatter taboos that have made so many pregnant women feel ashamed and alone…
I’m Sorry for My Loss is a comprehensive examination on how pregnancy loss came to be so stigmatized and politicized, and why a system of more compassionate care is critical for everyone.” (GoodReads)
My Prediction
One of my favourite books of all time is called Invisible Child by Andrea Elliot. It’s about the homeless system in New York and revolves around one girl and her family, over the course of eight years, in simplified terms, trying to escape poverty. What I adore about that book is the seamless blend of narrative and research, so that you are consistently learning something new without feeling overwhelmed by information. I think, and I hope, I’m Sorry For My Loss will contain the same journalistic weaving of fact and story. This book will astonish me and leave me breathless, I’m sure. That’s my prediction because I won’t even begin to explain how important this topic is today, yesterday, and all the tomorrows.
5. The Wedding People
…Fiction?
“It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She’s immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event… Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe’s plan—which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can’t stop confiding in each other.” (GoodReads)
My Prediction
I had a hard time categorizing this novel because on GoodReads it’s tagged as Romance, but excuse me while I find my reading glasses, but there is no MMC (male main character) in this little blurb right here! So I’m scouring the internet trying to decode this conundrum and Google AI says it’s a book that explores love and marriage (and it is a book so good job GoogleAI!) but @Electronic_Baby_9988 on Reddit says “I’m thirsting for romance right now, but will definitely leave it on my TBR for another time.” So I shall call it …fiction? because I am confused but gosh do I love a little peace sign and champagne so this is definitely a Mexico beach read. I don’t usually reach for literary fiction unless I’m forced (family guilt or school curriculum), but once in a while a pretty cover and an FMC will capture my attention. PLUS it won Reader’s Favourite Fiction on GoodReads this year, so I’m SOLD!
6. In The Likely Event
Heavy and TF Romance
“When Izzy Astor gets on a plane to go home, she isn’t expecting much. It’s the usual holiday travel experience: busy, crowded, stressful.
Then she spots her seatmate, who is anything but ordinary. Nate Phelan sports dark hair, blue eyes, and a deliciously rugged charm that Izzy can’t resist. Their connection is undeniable. Izzy never believed in destiny before, but she does now.
Just ninety seconds after takeoff, their plane goes down in the Missouri River…” (GoodReads)
My Prediction
Aside from the fact that I’ll be mispronouncing Nate’s last name as Phlegm the whole book, this sounds like a very engaging and earnest Romance. I’ve decidedly shown you half of the synopsis but essentially it turns into a military romance (I know, another weepy Dear John) BUT Izzy has become a politician in the time jump and I like that the FMC has a high power job, especially since a woman in politics is a work of fantasy fiction these days.
Besides the plot, however, the real reason this book is on here is because I love Rebecca Yarros. The woman is the author of Fourth Wing, a relatively new Romantasy that is so good, it rivals Sarah J. Mass for attention on BookTok. Her ratings are insanely high for a romance author on GoodReads, especially one that has written more than 20 novels. I’ve only read the series that Fourth Wing belongs to, but her other novels The Last Letter and The Things We Leave Unfinished are both on my list for the new year.
Break Time
Hi everyone, let’s take a breather. 12 books is a lot. Granted, half the text on this page is directly quoted from GoodReads, and I’m not even ChatGPT summarizing, but still, why so much text? Don’t worry about it. Here’s what we can worry about: My Econ exam is now in six days. I am still an English major. Perhaps a book on Economics would fit well in this list. Show you I’m financially solvent…. PSYCH BORING!!
7. Being Henry… The Fonz… and Beyond
HAHA Memoir
“Henry Winkler, launched into prominence by his role as “the Fonz” in the beloved Happy Days, has transcended the role that made him who he is. Brilliant, funny, and widely regarded as the nicest man in Hollywood (though he would be the first to tell you that it’s simply not the case, he’s really just grateful to be here), Henry shares in this achingly vulnerable memoir the disheartening truth of his childhood, the difficulties of a life with severe dyslexia, the pressures of a role that takes on a life of its own, and the path forward once your wildest dream seems behind you….” (GoodReads)
My Prediction
Look at that beautiful smile, I love Henry Winkler! I expect to be laughing out loud good-naturedly at Henry when I hear about his funny times working on Arrested Development and Barry. I expect to hear anecdotes about Bill Hader and Will Arnett I will promptly repeat to my parents right before we watch a movie to remind everyone, Film is Good. I expect to say AWW Henry! when I read those surprisingly vulnerable chapters on his childhood (did you know this man, the FUNcle of Hollywood was a child once?? Me neither!!) I expect to be terribly depressed when I finish this book. I expect to never be able to look at Henry the same again, that cold smile hiding secrets of shame… Until it’s rewatch season and Henry I’m laughing again!!!
9. The Seven Year Slip
Light and Lovely Romance
“Sometimes, the worst day of your life happens, and you have to figure out how to live after it.
So Clementine forms a plan to keep her heart safe: work hard, find someone decent to love, and try to remember to chase the moon… The love part is hard because she doesn’t want to get too close to anyone—she isn’t sure her heart can take it.
And then she finds a strange man standing in the kitchen of her late aunt’s apartment… The kind of man that, before it all, she would’ve fallen head-over-heels for…
Except, he exists in the past. Seven years ago, to be exact. And she, quite literally, lives seven years in his future.” (GoodReads)
My Prediction
If I’m going to be honest, this book has been in my TBR for months now. I always see it recommended on BookTok, emphatic brunette girls clutching it like the wallet they lost last night. And I have to say, that feeling is what we, the romance community, search for, the ultimate chemistry, the ultimate swoon. I’m sure this book will do that for me, I’m just having a hard time getting past the magical realism aspect. It’s not my favourite genre to read, I’m more of the opinion that if we’re going to go fantasy, we’re going to go full throttle. I want a map to the kingdom and a list of Turkish sounding names I’ll definitely mispronounce. Let’s not half-ass it with semi time-travel. But then I think, hey Mal (My name is Mal), what a limited, traditionalist, point of view, and then I feel sad and say I’m going to read this book next because I am not my father (I’m just kidding, Dad. I’m projecting with literary finesse).
9. Hello Beautiful
Aggressively Recommended by my Mom and Sister Literary Fiction
“William Waters grew up in a house silenced by tragedy, where his parents could hardly bear to look at him, much less love him. So it’s a relief when his skill on the basketball court earns him a scholarship to college, far away from his childhood home. He soon meets Julia Padavano, a spirited and ambitious young woman who surprises William with her appreciation of his quiet steadiness. With Julia comes her family…
But then darkness from William’s past surfaces, jeopardizing not only Julia’s carefully orchestrated plans for their future, but the sisters’ unshakeable loyalty to one another…” (GoodReads)
My Prediction
This is also a book that’s been sitting on my bookshelf, however, in person and at home in Toronto. Every time I walk downstairs, my eyes zero in to its beautiful cover, surely baiting me to take it on. And I will. Because if I don’t, my sister will skin me alive. And I’ve got nice skin so I’ve included this book here. Really, it’s one of dozens that’s been recommended by the females of my family but it does stand out to me, plot wise. There’s a romance stabilizing the character structure of the book which is always pleasant to read. And then you have three personalized sisters, which is a plot point I’ve concealed from the summary, not for any auspicious reasons (don’t get weird), but their descriptions are quite lovely and it reminds me of Little Women… What a solid recommendation I’ve laid out for you (me).
10. Strong Female Character
HAHA Memoir
“A summary of my
1. I’m diagnosed with autism 20 years after telling a doctor I had it…
3. My friendship with an elderly man who runs the corner shop and is definitely not trying to groom me. I get groomed…
5. Stripping.
6. More stripping but with more nervous breakdowns…
9. After everyone tells me I don’t look autistic, I try to cure my autism and get addicted to Xanax.
10. REDACTED as too embarrassing” (GoodReads)
My Prediction
This is so chaotic and I’m so excited to read this. Fern you absolute nut, I fully believed this to be a Take a Breather Memoir but it’s not!! It’s funny! I cannot wait to chuckle out loud in public, especially when the cover looks so serious and literary. What will people think? They’ll definitely be confused and intrigued and I’ll say, yeah. And then saunter away with a sashay of my hips. Because I already feel sassy writing this, I wonder what I’ll do after I’m done reading her. Perhaps I’ll wear a robe to the library.
11. Just For the Summer
Light and Lovely Romance
“Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it’s now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They’ll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work…” (GoodReads)
My Prediction
Oof, another book pulled from the TBR shelf. But this one is real. I love Abi Jimenez! I think she’s my favourite romance novelist of all time. Her books are just so well thought out, so incredibly real and well-paced and large. But with all of that emotion waiting for me in one thick book, I get nervous. I overthink. Am I in the right headspace to start this book? Will I have time to finish it? Is the dog-bitten couch the right place to read this book? Well no more overthinking! I’ve had this book for too many months now and summer has come and gone (clearly the correct season to read this in) and now I’m going to Mexico, which is perfect, absolutely perfect for this book to be demolished. But I will buy a hard copy instead of the kindle copy I have now. Who brings their iPad to the beach? (me. that damn glare foils me every time).
12. Good Morning Monster: A Therapist Shares Five Heroic Stories of Emotional Recovery
Bonus: Zoe’s Recommendation!
“In this fascinating narrative, therapist Catherine Gildiner’s presents five of what she calls her most heroic and memorable patients. Among them: a successful, first generation Chinese immigrant musician suffering sexual dysfunction; a young woman whose father abandoned her at age nine with her younger siblings in an isolated cottage in the depth of winter; and a glamorous workaholic whose narcissistic, negligent mother greeted her each morning of her childhood with Good morning, Monster.
Each patient presents a mystery, one that will only be unpacked over years. They seek Gildiner’s help to overcome an immediate challenge in their lives, but discover that the source of their suffering has been long buried.” (GoodReads)
My Prediction
This book was recommended by my beautiful friend Zoe a few days ago. She texted “I think you’d like the book ‘good morning monster.’” I responded, “Have you read it?” (because sometimes I miss obvious cues) and she said “Ya I rly liked it.” Well that was that and now I’d like to read this book because I trust Zoe’s taste in books and the summary mentions The Glass Castle and Educated as similar books, and those are some of my favourite memoirs ever. Plus, it’s got that whole, empathy in dark times potential, so how could I say no? Great job Zoe, I’ll let you know how this one goes.
The End
Well there you have it folks. 12 books to read before school begins anew. Speaking of school, I’m off to learn about profit-driven crimes and OxyContin! Yeah you thought it was boring economics but you were wrong. Look at how silly you look, thinking my procrastination was justified. Nope! BYEE!!!
Darling Reject 
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