A FEW OF MY FAVES

Below are some of my favorite books, shows, newsletters, musicians, and more. Basically, these are things that bring me joy... & I want to share them with you in case they bring you joy, too.

BOOKS I LOVED AS A KID

I was a voracious reader growing up. The kid who stayed up way too late to read just one more chapter. These are some of the books I read in grade school/ high school that shaped my love for reading:

The Harry Potter Series - JK Rowling
The Hobbit | Lord of the Rings Trilogy - JRR Tolkein
The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
The Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
The Eragon Trilogy by Christopher Paolini
Trickster's Choice | Trickster's Queen by Tamora Pierce
The Green Rider series by Kristen Britain
The Giver | Gathering Blue | The Messenger by Lois Lowry
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Nancy Drew Mystery Stories by Carolyn Keene
any books by Agatha Christie
Bunnicula series by James Howe
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
poems & stories by Edgar Allan Poe

Once I started college, I fell out of the habit of reading. The few books I did manage to read were few and far between, though a couple of the ones that stick out for me right now are:

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Trilogy by Stieg Larsson
Gone Girl | Sharp Objects | Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

BOOKS I'VE LOVED AS AN ADULT

After college and as adulting set in, I continued to find myself busy with... other things, I guess. Then, like many, when 2020 hit, I fell in love with reading all over again. Here are some of my favorite books that I've read in the last few years:

Fantasy:

Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab
A Darker Shade of Magic Trilogy by VE Schwab
A Discovery of Witches Series by Deborah Harkness
Shadow and Bone | Six of Crows | King of Scars series by Leigh Bardugo
Ninth House Series by Leigh Bardugo
A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J Maas
From Blood and Ash series by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Book of Night by Holly Black
The Cruel Prince Trilogy & Tithe Trilogy by Holly Black
Serpent & Dove Trilogy by Shelby Mahurin
The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle Jensen
Daughter of the Pirate King Series by Tricia Levenseller
The Bargainer Series by Laura Thalassa
The Plated Prisoner Series by Raven Kennedy

Contemporary:

Book Lovers by Emily Henry
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
Off-Campus Series | Briar U Series | Avalon Bay Series by Elle Kennedy
Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
Things We Never Got Over Series by Lucy Score
Rock Bottom Girl by Lucy Score
Lovers & Writers by Lily King
After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Alone With You in the Ether by Olivie Blake
Funny Story by Emily Henry

Nonfiction:

The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark Manson
I'll Show Myself Out by Jessi Klein
Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
Dreamland by Sam Quinones
On Writing: A Memoir by Stephen King

UN-BOOK RELATED RECS

When I'm not reading, these are some other things I enjoy.

NEWS SOURCES

I hate the news. Absolutely despise the partisan nature of American's news cycle (and politics in general). However, I also want to be a semi-informed human being. Which is why I have carefully curated a few new sources that I find a lot of value in. I support their work and really appreciate the way they are bringing information to people. Reading their newsletters in my inbox each morning is actually an enjoyable way to start the day:

Tangle News
The Free Press

PODCASTS

Revisionist History by Malcolm Gladwell
Criminal by Phoebe Judge
Honestly by Bari Weiss
The Witch Trials of JK Rowling by The Free Press
Crime Junkie Podcast by Ashley Flowers and Britt Prawat

MUSIC

I listen to music the majority of my waking hours. Seriously, music makes my day a million times better. So, here are a few of my fave artists:

Noah Kahan
Yoke Lore
The Head and The Heart
Rainbow Kitten Surprise
The Lumineers
Mumford and Sons
Matt Maeson