Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
A shocking tell-all recounting the story of the crustaceans who performed “Under the Sea” alongside Sebastian in The Little Mermaid. The crawdads get real about Sebastian’s bursts of rage, Flounder’s worrisome coke habit, and how, in order to get her legs, Ariel traded not only her voice, but also Cold War-era secrets that led to the collapse of the Berlin Wall.
Becoming by Michelle Obama
A brief history of the bureaucratic red tape Michelle had to jump through to change her last name from Robinson, and become Michelle Obama. It took a few hours—she lost a whole afternoon!
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A perfect encapsulation of life in the 1920's. Notice telltale signs of the period such as: a lack of central AC, no one quotes a Beatles song, and the president is Warren G. Harding.
Circe by Madeline Miller
The Game of Thrones spin-off about Cersei. Surprise! The bricks didn’t kill her, but the elements might: she’s stuck on an island and can’t start a fire. The boar that killed her husband is her best and only friend.
Normal People by Sally Rooney
Two normal people have killer hot sex. They are normal, plain, and average. Arguably they are meek little mice people. They are the romantic version of a Staples. This is a sexy book.
Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow
Ronan is a scary man to fish with. Whenever he catches a fish, he throws it on the ground, hook still in its mouth, life still in its eyes, and stomps on it with his Doc Martens until its guts spew out. At the end of the book, he proposes to his now fiancé Jon Lovett.
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
America’s First Son falls in love with the so-called Prince of Whales. And get this: he isn’t an orca trainer at SeaWorld—he’s part of the British Royal Family!
The Shortest Way Home by Pete Buttigie
Pete Buttigieg describes his daily commute in Proust-level detail. Two whole chapters are dedicated entirely to him choosing what song to listen to on his way home. Every day the answer is “9 Hours of Rainforest Sounds.”
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
This book was written to launch the career of Noah Centineo. And it worked!
The Elements of Style by Strunk and White
An IKEA manual to help you build your very own Harry Styles. Apparently, every writer is supposed to read this book. I’m not sure why.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
This classic children’s book is an avant garde look at the greed spun by capitalism. Its thesis: no matter how much you consume, you will never enter the cocoon that transforms your socioeconomic status. The butterfly wings of oppression will never lend justice to those who crawl in the dirt. They’re burning. They’re all burning.
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Fucking phonies, am I right? No seriously, am I?