LET’S TRAVEL T The Air You Breathe
Crazy Rich Asians
Dores, a nine-year-old orphan works on a sugar plantation in Brazil. Her life is changed when Graça moves to the plantation. Graça is wealthy and the polar opposite of Dores, but the pair bond over music, forming a deep connection. The duo leave the plantation in hopes of finding fame, with Dores writing the music behind the scenes while Graça becomes an instant celebrity. Newfound fame causes obvious rifts in their friendship throughout the novel, which moves from rural Brazil to Rio de Janeiro to Los Angeles and back again. This is a beautiful novel about friendship and fame and the details about samba and music are gorgeously written.
Let’s just chat about the entire series because it’s impossible to just read one of these! In case you’ve been living under a rock, this series follows Rachel who is in love with Nick, as she discovers he’s from one of Shanghai’s wealthiest and most prominent families. You’ll start with CRAZY RICH ASIANS because it’s adorable and well-written and funny, stay for CHINA RICH GIRLFRIEND because it’s the best book in the series and finish it up with RICH PEOPLE PROBLEMS because it’s such a satisfying end. I want to be best friends with Astrid and I want to wear all of their clothes and live in their gorgeous houses and EAT ALL OF THEIR FOOD. I loved all of these books so much.
Frances de Pontes Peebles
36
Kevin Kwan
The East End Kate Reed Petty
I clearly love the novels about wealthy people and so this thriller that takes place in the Hamptons was perfect for me! Corey is bored of living in the Hamptons, in the shadows of the massive estates owned by wealthy people who seldom spend time in their huge homes. He’s made a habit of breaking into homes with the intention of pulling an innocent prank to mark his territory. When he breaks into the home of Leo Sheffield, his mother’s boss, he comes across a tragic accident that will change the dynamics between Corey’s working class family and Leo’s life of wealth and privilege forever. This book takes place over a single Memorial Day weekend, which made for a lot of nice plot points like a fireworks show. Read if you love stories about wealth and class divides!
