If you’re anything like me, the thought of reading a new book excites you more than the release of your favorite artist’s new single, that A you received on your seven-page English paper and the fact that Christmas is practically right around the corner. Yes — Christmas! That book (or books, let’s be real here) you’ve been eyeing in the window of Barnes & Noble or Books-a-million could be yours in a few short weeks. At Christmas time, it’s possible to receive any book if you’re on Santa’s Nice List. If you’re a book nerd like me, you probably have a messily handwritten, mile long list of books you’re eager to read.
We’ve all heard that infamous phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but I want you to do just that. Judge books by their covers. Do it. I challenge you. I dare you. Stare at the cover of a book — any book — for five minutes before deciding if you want to read it or not. Chances are, the cover won’t even matter to you. In fact, the damn book could be coverless. You’ll want to read it no matter what because, again, if you’re anything like me, you won’t be able to resist the temptation of reading a new book and living, momentarily, in its fictional world.
If your book wishlist is severely lacking, check out the books on my own to-read list listed below.
1. Blueprints by Barbara Delinsky
A book about Caroline and Jamie McAfee, mother and daughter, in business together as the team that fronts the popular home renovation show Gut It! When the network wants to replace Caroline with Jamie as host, Caroline feels betrayed by her daughter.
Unsettled by the cast change and her mother’s anger, Jamie has little time to brood when a tragic accident leaves her two-year-old half-brother in her care. Jamie suddenly finds herself out of her depth, grappling with a toddler who misses his parents and a fiancé who doesn’t want to raise the child.
Caroline and Jamie revise the blueprints they’ve built their lives around. Mother and daughter need each other, but the right between them is proving difficult to mend. As the women attempt to rebuild their rocky relationship, they discover that strength and passion can come from unusual places. Caroline’s old friend resurfaces, and his efforts to seduce her awaken desires that have been dormant for so long. For Jamie, a new attraction allows her to breathe again for the first time in forever.
2. Paris for One: & Other Stories by Jojo Moyes
Nell is twenty-six and has never been to Paris. She's never even been on a romantic weekend away—to anywhere—before. Traveling abroad isn't really her thing. But when Nell's boyfriend fails to show up for their mini-vacation, she has the opportunity to prove everyone—including herself—wrong. Alone in Paris, Nell finds a version of herself she never knew existed: independent and intrepid. Could this turn out to be the most adventurous weekend of her life? Funny, charming, and irresistible, Paris for One is quintessential Jojo Moyes—as are the other stories that round out the collection.
3. Lady Unveiled by Pamela Bauer Meuller
During a compelling life that took her from Rhode Island to Cumberland Island, GA, Kitty Greene broke the bondage of tradition. Married to the legendary General Nathanael Greene, this controversial, independent woman charmed and inspired living icons: Benjamin Franklin, George and Martha Washington, Henry and Lucy Knox, “Mad” Anthony Wayne and others through the tumultuous times surrounding the Revolutionary War. Faced with challenges that would unnerve a less resourceful woman, Kitty made a name for herself. A churning mass of contradictions―beautiful, elegant and intelligent―she also made meaningful contributions to ongoing political discussions led by her husband and his friends. Drawn to the company of men at social gatherings, Kitty was slandered for bending the rules of propriety. Yet this enabled her to be instrumental in the development of the age’s most remarkable invention, the cotton gin. Because of the limitations of her era, she took no credit, giving Eli Whitney all rights of invention. Founding Mother Catharine Greene Miller's irrepressible spirit and influence altered the history of America.
4. Rich and Pretty by Rumaan Alman
Sarah and Lauren, friends since high school, have been through everything together—from the uncertainties of their twenties to the realities of their thirties.
Sarah, the only child of a prominent intellectual and a socialite, works at a charity and is methodically planning her wedding. Lauren—beautiful, independent, and unpredictable—is single and working in publishing, deflecting her parents’ worries and questions about her life and future by trying not to think about it herself. Each woman envies—and is horrified by—particular aspects of the other’s life.
Once, Sarah and Lauren were inseparable. Now they have drifted apart. Can these two women who lead different lives still call themselves best friends? Is it their abiding connection—or just force of habit—that keeps them together?
5. Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler
Tess leaves home at twenty-two to begin her adult life in New York City. Thus begins a year in a low-level job at “the best restaurant in New York City.” Grueling hours and a steep culinary learning curve awaken her to the beauty of oysters, the finest Champagnes and the appellations of Burgundy. At the same time, she opens herself to friendships—and love—set against the backdrop of dive bars and late nights. As her appetites sharpen, Tess is drawn into a darkly alluring love triangle that will prove to be her most exhilarating and painful lesson of all.
