Books

Staying Indoors This Memorial Day? Here's A Reading List

by Melissa Ragsdale

Memorial Day weekend heralds the start of summer — which most importantly means the start of summer reading! With the three-day weekend coming up, you'll hear lots of talk of heading to the beach or having a picnic in the sunshine. But as for me, I'm really looking forward to staying inside and buckling down with some great books. This Memorial Day you'll find me curled up on my couch with some snacks and a giant stack of reads.

As any bookworm knows, there is no greater joy than being swept up by a good book. Getting caught up in a story is the ultimate way to take a break from the daily grind. I love books that make me laugh out loud, and books that have me frantically turning the pages to know what will happen next. Even after all these years of being a reader, it still amazes me how a book can instantly take you away from the real world and send you on an adventure.

Here are some books that will sweep you up all weekend long, from light and fun reads to intense page-turners. So this Memorial Day, kickstart your summer by plunging into a fantastic read.

1'Alex and Eliza' by Melissa de la Cruz

Hamilton fans will be especially thrilled to read this book. This epic YA novel tells the love story of Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler. Trust me, you'll fall hard for this gorgeous book.

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2'The Wangs vs. the World' by Jade Chang

This book is so smart and fun. The story of a wealthy Chinese-American family who, upon losing everything, sets off on a road trip across the United States, each with their own mission for how to bounce back.

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3'Saga' by Brian K. Vaughan

Whether you're diving into this incredible comic series for the first time, or you're getting caught up on the newly released seventh volume, this creative universe is sure to sweep you up and away. When two soldiers from opposite sides of an intergalactic war fall in love and have a baby, their family is chased across the universe by a plethora of enemies.

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4'All Grown-Up' by Jami Attenberg

This sensational book is sure to have you hooked. The story of Andrea—a 39-year-old single, childless woman in NYC whose spunk and brutal honesty will make you feel so many feelings as she tries to figure out what it means to "figure it out."

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5'Sycamore' by Bryn Chancellor

This startling new suspense novel is both exquisitely written and impossibly hard to put down. Set in a small town in Arizona, when a young woman's body is discovered, dangerous rumors begin to circulate.

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6'The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet' by Becky Chambers

Everyone's talking about this feel-good science fiction. In this space opera, we follow the crew of the Wayfarer, a ship making its way to a distant galaxy. You'll fall for the characters in this book, and every interaction they have with each other is pure gold.

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7'The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir' by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich

An intense mystery that's true. Working a summer job at a law firm in Louisiana, Marzano-Lesnevich found herself inexplicably drawn to convicted murderer Ricky Langley. As she delves deeper into his life and the crime he's accused of, she is forced to confront her own history.

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8'Strange the Dreamer' by Laini Taylor

This beautiful, brilliant YA fantasy will get your heart racing. Lazlo Strange is an orphan and junior librarian who has spent his entire life dreaming of the mythic lost city of Weep. But when he accidentally encounters a hero called the Godslayer and his band of legendary warriors, he winds up on an epic search for the mythical city.

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9'When All the Girls Have Gone' by Jayne Ann Krentz

Ooh, a romantic suspense novel is just what you need! And this book by Jayne Ann Krentz is delicious. (And it's the first in a series.) When Charlotte Sawyer's stepsister disappears, she teams up with private investigator Max Cutler to rescue her sister and discover the truth.

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