When I was little, I used to read all the time. As I have grown up and life has gotten busier, my availability to read a book – let alone a thoughtful one – is not as frequent. I wanted to take my time over the summer to get back into reading, and, with the help of TikTok, I rediscovered my love for reading and read a total of 13 books. While I enjoyed all the books I read, my three favorites were “A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara, “The Anomaly” by Hérve Le Tellier and “Girl, Interrupted” by Susanna Kaysen.
“A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara was a book I put off reading because I was too scared. It was the last book I read this summer, but it was one of my favorites. “A Little Life” was all over my TikTok ‘For You Page’ for months, and every single video described how brutal the book was. Already, I was intimidated by the intense plot, but the thickness of the book (nearly 900 pages) made me even more fearful. The book follows four college students, each deeply flawed but finding solace in each other’s company. As the group endures triumphs and struggles, Yanagihara depicts life worth living. I’d consider myself a harsh critic, and “A Little Life” hit all my marks for being a 5/5 star read. If you’re in the mood for something beautifully written and a plot that captivates your attention, this is the book for you.
Another book that stuck out to me over the summer was “The Anomaly” by Hérve Le Tellier. I had never heard of this book before I saw it in a random bookstore, and I’m glad I picked it up. Whenever I go to a bookstore, I look around for titles and covers that catch my attention. When I picked up the book, I was immediately intrigued. After reading the summary, I knew I wanted to buy it. I finished this book in three days, and it was one of the most interesting books I have ever read. The story takes place on a plane. Yet, the plane that landed had already landed months before, and it introduces a series of paradoxes, jumping back and forth from different perspectives to try and make sense of what happened. It was an interesting concept, and Le Tellier’s detailed writing style and comedic effect made it entertaining. I rated this book 4/5 stars and recommend it to everyone I can.
The final book I want to highlight is “Girl, Interrupted” by Susanna Kaysen. This is the shortest book I read, but it was overflowing with content. “Girl, Interrupted” takes a refreshing approach to mental health and the mental treatment facilities of the 1990s. It centers around a girl and her journey in the mental hospital and with the people she meets there. The book shows the patients and who they are beyond their mental health problems. The book is really well-written. It was ahead of its time in terms of discussing mental health, and it is still a great reference point when talking about this hard topic. I rated this book 3.5 stars and loved watching the movie afterward.
As school gets back in session, I know it’s hard to find the time to pick up a good book, especially one like “A Little Life,” which is 900 pages. However, after rediscovering my love for reading, I have made it one of my goals this school year to find the time to read. If you have some extra time and want to do something different, I highly recommend picking up one of the books mentioned above.
