by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse)
Hey, friends. Ashley here, and I'm circling back to this blog post from a couple of years ago to share some new favorite comfort reads to help with the blues. You'll see an asterisk by each new rec below.
Here's the original post:
Ostensibly, I love the fall season. I'm a huge fan of the changing leaves, I love boots and sweaters, and I can't get enough of butternut squash soup and pumpkin carving. Having been in places where the seasons don't change much, I also love the fact that I now live in a place where the seasons do change significantly, and I celebrate the start of each new season every year. (We're in Madrid as I write this, but that seasonal change holds true here, as well, and I'm loving the autumn here!) But on a level way below that surface, I always find myself in a slump this time of year. It took me a lot of my adult life to realize the pattern in what was happening, and it varies from year to year, but as the days grow shorter, I find myself turning inward. (For what it's worth, just recognizing the pattern was immensely helpful for me, and there's comfort in that awareness, even when I'm feeling down.) Sunlamps, exercise, and spending time outside all help, but I often imagine my life at this time of year as being colored by a filter like those on Instagram, and I just can't quite change that filter. Instead, I work to make the best of it and to be kind to myself during this season. I imagine many of you can relate!
At any rate, this seasonal change definitely affects my reading life! I'm currently reading a ridiculous number of books, largely because so few of them are working with my current mood. I wanted to share a few favorites that have risen to the top for me recently. All of these books are ones I've read this fall amid my funk, so I feel like I can honestly say that they stand up to the fall blues test (even this particular 2021 filter). These are great reads for other book lovers who also feel some seasonal blues. Hope you enjoy them!
Once Upon an Eid, edited by S. K. Ali and Aisha Saeed (Libro.fm | Bookshop.org) -
This is a fantastic middle grade collection of 15 short stories by Muslim authors. All of them focus on the celebration of Eid around the world, and while the experiences of the characters in the different stories are vastly divergent, all of the stories highlight the joy of Eid and the way that it brings people together. (The stories include celebrations of both Eid-al-Adha and Eid-al-Fitr.) I loved this one on audio! Check out my full review here.
*Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's The War that Saved My Life (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) -
It might seem strange to include a WWII book on this comfort reads list, but this is a beautiful, heartwarming story that I absolutely adored. (I loved the sequel, too!)
From my review: "As the story opens, we meet Ada as WWII approaches London. Ada is trapped at home, forbidden by their mother to leave their tiny apartment because of her twisted foot. Ada knows very little about the outside world because of her captivity and her mother's abusive treatment, but after her beloved little brother starts going to school, she decides to teach herself to walk despite the pain it causes her.
"When Jamie comes home from school with news that all of the children of London are being evacuated to rural areas for their safety, Ada decides she and her brother must escape their home to go with the rest of the children." Check out the full review here.
*Alexis Castellanos's Guava and Grudges (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) - I just listened to this lovely romance thanks to Libro.fm's ALC program, and I loved the story! This novel centers Ana Maria Ybarra, a Cuban American teen living in the PNW whose family feud with a neighboring Cuban family, the Morales, is woven into the fibers of her being.
Despite respecting her own family's wishes and boundaries, Ana Maria finds herself longing to help her parents widen their perspective by expanding the family's menu for their bakery whose dwindling popularity is showing as they lose customers to the Morales and their more modern ways. Enter a mysterious, handsome stranger from LA with a different last name who turns out to be with the Morales, and things get interesting!
Abby Collette's A Deadly Inside Scoop (Libro.fm | Bookshop.org) - I was surprised by just how much I loved this book! I honestly had not seen much about it, but it came up on a couple of cozy mystery lists, and I loved it right from the start. There's a great balance between Win's work to build up her family's ice cream shop and the central mystery within the story.
John Green's The Anthropocene Reviewed (Libro.fm | Bookshop.org) - Oh, wow. For me, this one is the most emotionally impactful of the ones on this list. I did almost stall out on this one since I sobbed my way through the beginning. But I circled back around to it and have found it so poignant and so beautiful. Green explores many topics from the mundane to the profound, and his insights are so impactful. He looks directly at the pandemic and its impact on him and on the world, and he also covers so many other aspects of our lives on this planet. I am finding such solace in his honesty and in his unique (and brilliant!) perspective. (Full disclosure here - unlike the others on this list, there were multiple times where I could have sat on the floor and wept with this one... but I wanted to include it because it still feels like the right fit for me during this season.)
*Jasmine Guillory's Royal Holiday (Libro.fm | Bookshop.org) - Ready to start doing some holiday reading? I absolutely loved this one, and it is a perfect fit for this list. Fast and fun and full of hope. I love the way this centers Vivian, an older mom who travels with her adult daughter to visit the royal family in England, and private secretary Malcolm, who has worked for the Queen for many years. With a lovely holiday setting, the background of British royalty, and a steamy romance at the center, I absolutely adored this book.
Uzma Jalaluddin's Ayesha at Last (Libro.fm | Bookshop.org) - This retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is outstanding. I absolutely loved each of the central characters, Khalid and Ayesha, and I thought the way that Jalaluddin showed the struggles of each of them with their work lives and familial expectations beyond the romance part of the book really elevated this one for me.
*Sangu Mandanna's The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) - This brilliant book is a perfect comfort read for dark days and long nights. From my book review: This novel focuses on "Mika Moon, a witch who spent her childhood being raised by a succession of nannies and tutors and who now spends her adulthood on the move with only her sweet dog and her magical koi pond as traveling companions. Mika faithfully follows the rules that govern the society of witches, which are largely imposed and enforced in her area of Britain by Primrose Beatrice Everly, who was also Mika's caretaker as she grew up. At 31, living alone and hiding her magic, Mika realizes that her isolation is suffocating." Check out the full review here.
L. M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables (Libro.fm | Bookshop.org) - I absolutely loved this beautiful book. Not only did I love the reading of it, but I also found such joy in the discussions surrounding the book. I thoroughly enjoyed talking with Jen and Sara about it (don't miss our book club discussion that just released Wednesday!), and I loved our book club chat on Instagram. It's so fun to learn about the experiences other readers have had with Anne and her adventures!
Julie Tieu's The Donut Trap (Libro.fm | Bookshop.org) - Oh my goodness, this book was so good! I listened to it on audio thanks to Libro, and it was excellent. I shared my review of this one recently as one of our Friday Book Reviews. You can't go wrong with this one. The descriptions of the donuts and the tender sparks of a budding relationship are both so great in this romance novel! I also love Jasmine's consideration of her parents' lives and their sacrifices as refugees striving to make life better for her and her brother. Despite her appreciation of their struggles, she realizes that she has to find her own way forward outside of the donut shop the family owns, and this central conflict is richly explored. And her romance with Alex? Love it!
Do the seasons affect your reading life? What works for you? What's a book you loved and would recommend? Let us know in the comments below or on Instagram!
(A note to our readers: click on the hashtags above to see our other blog posts with the same hashtag.)
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