Back from Summer break!
And a couple of dystopian/post-apocalyptic reads to get you ready for darker weather
Hello Book Buddies,
At the beginning of June, Christopher and I decided it would be in our best interest to get a puppy, so we did. Now Bert is in our lives and consistently consuming my reading time with his neediness. But he’s cute so it’s not all that bad. I still managed to get some reading done this summer and here are my favourite books to share with you.
Three novels for those who prefer terrifying dystopian reads instead of feel-good romance:
- The Testaments by Margaret Atwood: One of the reasons I enjoyed this sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale so much was because Atwood not only mastered weaving together three fascinating stories but answered a lot of questions I had from the first book.
- How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu: This is a collection of short stories that illustrate how humankind deals with an ancient disease, the Arctic Plague, that decimates the population in the year 2023. Each story connects to another in this post-apocalyptic world. Even though some of the stories were downright horrifying, I finished reading this feeling hopeful about the resiliency of humanity. If you liked Station Eleven, you’ll eat this one up.
- Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling: Like the two above novels, this one has various narratives woven together — a trait I love in a novel. Camp Zero is set in a Northern Canadian settlement as the climate crisis ravages Earth. Sterling builds the novel like a puzzle, adding piece by piece when the time is just right and keeping the reader intrigued the whole way through.
A book for those who want to feel thankful they’re not in high school anymore:
Tremendous Things by Susin Nielson
- Ninth grader Wilbur’s school band is partaking in an exchange program with another school band from France. Instead of enjoying these experiences, Wilbur deals with insecurity, embarrassment, difficult friendship dynamics, and of course, falling for someone from France. Everything about Wilbur is awkward and silly but he is oh so likable. This novel made me laugh and I am grateful to be past that point in my life.
A novel for those who don’t want summer to end:
Happy Place by Emily Henry
- Harriet and Wyn broke up months ago, but still haven’t told their tight-knit group of friends. When the group’s annual summer vacation arrives, the two end up having to pretend they're still engaged. Unlike a lot of romance novels, this one didn’t seem to rely too heavily on tropes or feel incredibly predictable. I’ve enjoyed all of Henry’s books thus far, and this one kept my faith in her. Take this to the beach before the weather gets too cold.
A novel for those who want to learn more about the deaf and hard-of-hearing community:
Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino
- Not much about this book is fantastic, but I like it because the book’s protagonist, Lilah, narrates her struggle with “not being deaf enough” as she works at a summer camp for deaf and hard-of-hearing kids. Sortino voices many obstacles the deaf and hard-of-hearing community have to deal with that I have never considered before. This novel will probably be more entertaining and interesting to high school students (the intended audience) but I still found it to be a useful educational resource for me.
For those who crave chaos:
Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey
Maggie is 29, going through a divorce, and entering her chaotic era. This book was quite hilarious and even heartwarming at times. I loved listening to the audiobook of this while walking Bert.
Other things to note:
- I’ve spent my second summer now working at a daycare, therefore I must update you all on my favourite picture books! Expect a picture-filled Blurb soon.
- What have you been reading? I’m going through a post-apocalyptic phase right now so I could use a good novel to mess with my head a little. Let me know if you have any recommendations!
- Here’s a fun list of the best books to read in the Fall. Lots of backlisted titles and some dark classics.
Thanks for reading another installment of Carissa’s Book Blurbs.