What does one (possible) dystopian future, one journey from self-loathing to self-acceptance, and one takeover by artificial intelligence get you? 3 to read!
Hey, fellow book lovers! Welcome to Bookstr’s Three to Read! I hope you’re prepared for this holiday as we got some great reads for you to try. I know this pandemic has been more than crazy but what better way to spend your time than deep in a book? Check out the full video below!
Hot Pick
Five Total Strangers
by Natalie D. Richards
Image via sourcebook
Synopsis:
She thought being stranded was the worst thing that could happen. She was wrong.
Mira needs to get home for the holidays. Badly. But when an incoming blizzard results in a canceled connecting flight, it looks like she might get stuck at the airport indefinitely.
And then Harper, Mira’s glamorous seatmate from her initial flight, offers her a ride. Harper and her three friends can drop Mira off on their way home, but as they set off, Mira realizes her fellow travelers are all total strangers. And every one of them is hiding something.
Soon, roads go from slippery to terrifying. People’s belongings are mysteriously disappearing. Someone in the car is clearly lying, and may even be sabotaging the trip—but why? And can Mira make it home alive, or will this nightmare drive turn fatal?
Why:
This thrilling new read will have you on the edge of your seat as you dive deeper into Mira’s journey home. Be careful with which stranger you trust.
Coffee Shop read
The Noel Letter
by Richard Paul Evans
Image via Simon & Schuster
Synopsis:
After nearly two decades, Noel Post, an editor for a major New York publishing house, returns to her childhood home in Salt Lake City to see her estranged, dying father. What she believed would be a brief visit turns into something more as she inherits the bookstore her father fought to keep alive.
Reeling from loneliness, a recent divorce, and unanticipated upheavals in her world, Noel begins receiving letters from an anonymous source, each one containing thoughts and lessons about her life and her future. She begins to reacquaint herself with the bookstore and the people she left behind, and in doing so, starts to unravel the reality of her painful childhood and the truth about her family. As the holidays draw near, she receives a Christmastime revelation that changes not only how she sees the past but also how she views her future.
Why:
What better way to get into the holiday spirits with this heartwarming story. If you’re looking for a read with courage, self reflection, and perfect to get you in the mood for the holidays, this read is for you!
Dark Horse
The Girl Who Wasn’t there
by Penny Joelson
Image via sourcebook
Synopsis:
Nothing ever happens on Kasia’s street. And Kasia would know, because her chronic illness keeps her stuck at home, watching the outside world from her bedroom window. So when she witnesses what looks like a kidnapping, she’s not sure whether she can believe her own eyes…
There had been a girl in the window across the street who must have seen something too. But when Kasia ventures out to find her, she is told the most shocking thing of all: There is no girl.
Why:
You should definitely check this story out as it’s perfect for individuals interested in diverse characters. Joelson explores real life issues and chronic illness with this read!
Hello, book lovers! Welcome back to Bookstr’s Three to Read, you wonderful humans. It’s getting a little colder, but that just means reading is getting cozier. We’ve got a Hot Pick, Beach Read, and a Dark Horse, ready for your TBR list, your Wishlist, maybe even your Christmas list… too soon?
In Rosario, Argentina, Camila Hassan lives a double life.
At home, she is a careful daughter, living within her mother’s narrow expectations, in her rising-soccer-star brother’s shadow, and under the abusive rule of her short-tempered father.
On the field, she is La Furia, a powerhouse of skill and talent. When her team qualifies for the South American tournament, Camila gets the chance to see just how far those talents can take her. In her wildest dreams, she’d get an athletic scholarship to a North American university.
But the path ahead isn’t easy. Her parents don’t know about her passion. They wouldn’t allow a girl to play fútbol—and she needs their permission to go any farther. And the boy she once loved is back in town. Since he left, Diego has become an international star, playing in Italy for the renowned team Juventus. Camila doesn’t have time to be distracted by her feelings for him. Things aren’t the same as when he left: she has her own passions and ambitions now, and La Furia cannot be denied. As her life becomes more complicated, Camila is forced to face her secrets and make her way in a world with no place for the dreams and ambition of a girl like her.
Why?
As far as I’m concerned, the world does not have enough feminist coming-of-age narratives, and thankfully, Furia fills that gap. Camila’s story is powerful and impassioned, with characters you’ll want to root for and an important message at its core. Featured by Reese Witherspoon, no less, Furia is already renowned as an incredible novel for soccer players, young women, soccer-playing young women, and everyone else, for that matter.
In recent years, nicotine has become as verboten as many hard drugs. The literary styles in this volume are as varied as the moral quandaries herein, and the authors have successfully unleashed their incandescent imaginations on the subject matter, fashioning an immensely addictive collection. Featuring brand-new stories by: Lee Child, Joyce Carol Oates, Jonathan Ames, Eric Bogosian, Achy Obejas, Michael Imperioli, Hannah Tinti, Ariel Gore, Bernice L. McFadden, Cara Black, Christopher Sorrentino, David L. Ulin, Jerry Stahl, Lauren Sanders, Peter Kimani, and Robert Arellano. Inspired by the ongoing international success of the city-based Akashic Noir Series, Akashic created the Drug Chronicles Series in 2011. Following The Speed Chronicles (William T. Vollmann, Megan Abbott), The Cocaine Chronicles (Lee Child, Laura Lippman), The Heroin Chronicles (Jerry Stahl, Eric Bogosian, Lydia Lunch), and The Marijuana Chronicles (Lee Child, Joyce Carol Oates) comes The Nicotine Chronicles, masterfully curated by blockbuster hit maker Lee Child.
Why?
The Akashic Drugs series has delivered before, and it doesn’t stop with The Nicotine Chronicles. The stories are edited by celebrated author Lee Child, and written by many of his esteemed colleagues. With it being a collection of short stories, this is the ideal read for your commute, your end-of-summer staycation, or your weekend chill.
“Sixteen tributes to America’s guiltiest pleasure…Even confirmed anti-smokers will find something to savor.” –Kirkus Reviews
A guard discovers an unusual lifeform on her remote moon outpost. She disregards protocol to investigate it, with catastrophic consequences.
The parasitic alien wears its victims’ skins and adopts their personalities. It’s a perfect disguise, and allows the creature to spread without being detected. By the time humanity realizes it’s facing extinction, a third of its six hundred space stations have already gone dark.
As the alien’s ruthless progress collapses communication networks, wipes out defenses, and leaves hundreds of stations to fend for themselves, a handful of remarkable individuals must find a way to battle the greatest threat the universe has ever encountered.
Why?
If 2020 on earth is too much, why not escape to a distant, parasite-infected planet in the solar system? It sure can’t be much worse. Parasite is a dark thriller that is sure to keep you up at night with your pulse racing. With different points of view from an array of characters, the narratives are threaded together in a fresh and engaging way that will have you questioning everyone.
Ridley Scott’s chestbursters are pop culture legend, and any mention of unwanted alien stowaways brings to mind John Hurt sprawled out on a table in Alien, blood spewing from his chest. But Darcy Coates’s parasites are interested in more than just gestating in their hosts before chewing their way out through the sternum.
– Book Riot
Check out the video in full below, and happy reading!
