books she loves

The warm sunshine puts a smile on my face, even as I look forward to a summer that's a little different than usual. From work to school to social activities, our daily lives have changed a lot in the last couple of months. As we all continue to adapt to what seems like a constantly evolving world, I wonder how your reading habits have changed. Are you reading more in place of the events and obligations that have now been canceled? Or maybe the stress of it all has made it difficult for your attention to stay focused on any book. What if the content you're reading has changed to keep you engaged in a different way? Or maybe it's all of those, depending on how you feel that day.

I'm firmly in the last camp. Some days I'm escaping into a great story for as long as possible; some days I can't stay focused no matter what. And generally I'm finding myself reaching for happy, feelgood stories and escapist reads that feel far removed from our current world. The most important thing is that I'm still discovering new books and that makes me happy, even if it looks a little different than before. Keep reading for some of my favorite escapist reads.

The Night Circus

by Erin Morgenstern

"The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not." These atmospheric first lines have me itching to pick up this magical book again. I've read it so many times, my beloved paperback copy is in rough shape and it never fails to capture my heart. Two young magicians, Celia and Marco, have been trained since childhood for a fierce competition of imagination and will. The circus itself is their battleground as they create magical illusions and fantastical attractions for the audiences who explore the black and white circus tents. As the game plays out, Celia and Marco fall deeply in love. But only one winner can be left standing in this deadly game and the fates of everyone involved, from circus performers to patrons, hang in the balance. From describing the atmosphere of the circus down to the delicious smells to the magic that permeates every scene, Morgenstern's writing will have you wishing you could visit "Le Cirque des Rêves" for real.

LOVED THIS?

Pick up Morgenstern's newest novel "The Starless Sea."

The Bride Test

by Helen Hoang

Khai doesn't feel big emotions like grief or love. He thinks he's defective and avoids relationships, but his family knows thats that his autism means he processes emotions differently. His mother decides to take matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him a wife. She interviews many candidates, but knows none of them are right for her son. Until she stumbles upon Esme working as a maid at the hotel. When she's offered the opportunity to go to America, Esme sees it as a chance to make things better for her struggling family. The meeting between Esme and Khai doesn't exactly go as planned, but she is determined to use her time there to better herself in any way possible. Esme soon finds herself falling for a man who claims he cannot possibly feel love. However, when Esme's time in the U.S. is coming to an end, Khai realizes he's been wrong all along and must find his own way to love. Esme is a strong, capable woman who works hard to do what she can for her family. This is an introspective, emotional story that left me feeling uplifted.

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Another modern romance I enjoyed is "The Proposal" by Jasmine Guillory.

Pride

by Ibi Zoboi

Retellings and adaptations of Jane Austen’s works are so numerous and widely varied I could fill these pages with lists of options. But one of my favorite things about these modern versions are the authors who are telling Austen’s stories through a different cultural lens. Pride is a smart remix of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice starring all characters of color and set in Brooklyn. Zuri Benitez has pride in her family, her neighborhood, and her Afro-Latino roots. But it can’t save her rapidly gentrifying neighborhood from becoming unrecognizable and the wealthy Darcy family moving in across the street only makes things worse. Her older sister, Janae quickly falls for charming Ainsley Darcy, but Zuri wants nothing to do with them, especially the arrogant younger brother Darius Darcy. Between her wild sisters, worrying about college applications and the cute local boy Warren vying for her attention, Zuri fights to find her place in this changing neighborhood. I especially loved Zuri’s poetry which is raw and beautiful. Zoboi skillfully uses Austen’s trademark social criticism to reflect modern explorations of culture, race and class among her young black characters as they navigate the world they live in.

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I'm also looking forward to reading "Ayesha at Last" by Uzma Jalaluddin.

Read one of these books? Tell us what you thought by using #areawomanbooks in your review.

Binti

by Nnedi Okorafor

This short novella is the perfect quick-read for the next chance you have to spend an hour or two with a great book. On the surface, this is a comingof-age story about a young woman who leaves her home to find her own way. Binti is the first of her people ever to be offered a place at the prestigious Oomza University, the finest institution in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family and leaving her home to travel to another planet. There she will be among strangers who do not share her ways or respect the customs of the Himba people. Binti is willing to pay the cost for the knowledge she will gain, but her journey will not be easy. As she is traveling to Oomza University with her fellow students, she finds herself face to face with the Meduse, an alien race that has become the stuff of nightmares during their long war with the Khoush people of Earth. Binti must use the gifts of her people and her own talents if she hopes to survive. In the end, this is more than a simple coming-of-age story. Binti may have been taught to fear the Meduse, but she shows the reader that really listening to those who are different than you is a way to a better solution.

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Keep reading as Binti’s story continues in books 2 and 3.

The Girls at the Kingfisher Club

by Genevieve Valentine

This is a reimagining of the German fairy tale “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” by the Brothers Grimm, set in Manhattan during the roaring twenties. Twelve Hamilton girls live upstairs during the day, never going out in public according to the rules set by their controlling father. The olders, Jo, protects her younger sisters and negotiates with their father, earning her the nickname of “The General.” She is the one who taught them to dance and helps them sneak out each night to spend the evening dancing away at their favorite speakeasy, the Kingfisher Club. But what are they to do when their father decides it’s time to marry them off to the highest bidder? I loved getting to know the Hamilton sisters and I loved the way they followed their passions both by sneaking out to go dancing and in the ways they found their feet after leaving their father’s house.

Sucks to Be Me

by Kristen Painter

Author Kristen Painter has joined forces with 12 other authors to define a place for books with midlife heroines. They’re calling these books Paranormal Women’s Fiction and they all feature women who are over 40, with all the wisdom life’s experiences have granted them. Painter’s book follows 49-year-old Belladonna Barrone who’s mobbed-up husband does her the favor of dying in a car accident. Donna is finally free of the crime family she unwittingly married into, until the boss tells her she must finish her husband’s last job. Of course, the job goes sideways before it starts and Donna wakes up suddenly looking years younger and craving blood. That’s right, she’s a vampire (they’re real?) and her new life is more complicated than ever. With the help of the First Fangs Club for newly turned vampires and her own strength and determination, Donna will have to make a new life for herself. This is a fun, spellbinding read with a smart, strong protagonist who takes life in her own hands.

LOVED THIS?

Check out the Paranormal Women’s Fiction books by all 13 authors at paranormalwomensfiction.net.

People of the Book

by Geraldine Brooks

Rare book expert Hanna Heath is offered the job of a lifetime: analysis and conservation of the famous Sarajevo Haggadah. One of the earliest Jewish volumes ever to be illuminated with images, this priceless and beautiful book is full of mysteries Hanna hopes to unlock. As she discovers a series of tiny artifacts in the book’s ancient binding, the reader traces the books journey backwards to its creation. A Muslim risks his life to protect it from Nazis in World Ward II Bosnia. In Vienna, the book becomes a pawn in the struggle agains the city’s rising anti-Semitism. A Catholic priest saves it from burning in inquisition-era Venice. The scribe who wrote the text in Barcelona in 1492 watches his family being destroyed by the agonies of enforced exile. And in Seville in 1480, the secret of the Haggadah’s extraordinary illuminations is finally revealed. As Hann’s investigation unlocks the past, her belief in herself and the man she has come to love is tested. I loved this grand historical novel as it moved backwards through the extraordinary history of the Haggadah and the people who saved the book from certain doom.

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I also recommend reading "The Lost Sisterhood" by Anne Fortier.

Imagine Your Story Summer Reading Program

As you and your family are reading this summer, be sure to check out the summer reading program at the Fargo Public Library. This year, the annual summer reading program is taking place online with fun for readers of all ages. Kids can redeem points for prizes, including a free book. Adults will be entered into weekly prize drawings. For more information, visit fargolibrary.org.

Read one of these books? Tell us what you thought by using #areawomanbooks in your review.

but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

ISAIAH

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