Anna Maria Richards
If you are a regular reader then you must understand what I mean by suitcase-packing being a troublesome activity. Imagine that your awaited and well-deserved week off is approaching, while you are still struggling to choose the books worthy of the space.
Going on vacation after a long time can indeed be overwhelming for some people. Alongside packing your essentials, purchasing literature can be a similar challenge.
The pace of publishing is continually increasing as the book market is becoming a rapidly growing industry. I’m sure that you have also experienced this after walking into a bookstore and not recognizing a single cover or author.
But what about the current bestselling novels? Which one should you buy for your upcoming beach vacation when there are so many unfamiliar titles and names?
Literature has a subjective quality, meaning that your interests may differ from others’. You may be very invested in topics such as the best books about basketball, while others may enjoy some contemporary detective fiction instead.
Below you can find 4 easy-to-read bestsellers that could help you break from the pressures of everyday life, whether that is a stressful working environment or family-related issues.
1. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman.
The winner of the British Book Awards Crime and Thriller Book of the Year 2021 tells the story of four elderly, sherry-loving friends solving unsolved murder cases on Thursdays in their retirement village.
Osman, however, takes the reader on an adventure once Coopers Chase becomes the location of multiple murders and disappearances. He uses the members of the Thursday Murder Club to satirize the efficiency of the police as the pensioners are seen to be also working on the case, and perhaps even more successfully.
Osman’s debut novel is filled with witty British humor and references that can make you laugh out loud. The book is also packed with unexpected twists and concludes to be a truly amazing modern-day Agathe Christie solve.
Alongside the detective theme, Osman presents both relationships and friendships between the elderly in a beautiful way. Nevertheless, it is not only Osman’s effective presentation of mystery that makes it a part of many people’s ‘must reads,’ but his view of love.
He manages to capture the essence of life and the finite nature of time. It’s this that makes The Thursday Murder Club a mesmerizing read and a book that could help you recharge.
2. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.
Delia Owens’ 2018 novel was a #1 New York Times Bestseller, remaining on the bestselling list for 124 weeks, up until January 2021.
What makes Owens’ book deserving of its awards is its unique storyline as it follows a physically isolated, young girl, Kya Clark, from her childhood to the brim of her adult years.
Owens’ narrative effectively introduces wilderness not only through the description of the marsh next to the fishing village of Barkley Cove but through Kya herself. Kya’s odd behavior demonstrates the rare perspective of childhood isolation and how it can affect one both socially and intellectually.
Through preaching the beauty of naturalism, Owens also shows the significance of community and belonging in life. She uses Kya’s alienation and murder at the town to create a thought-provoking plot, also evoking sympathy within the reader.
Perhaps Where the Crawdads Sing’s captivating story of the “Marsh Girl” could be the ideal read for you to relax and take a break from reality!
3. Normal People by Sally Rooney
Sally Rooney’s second novel, Normal People, won the British Book Award for Book of the Year in 2019 and was also nominated for the Man Booker Prize in 2018.
Rooney’s novel allows you to accompany its two main characters, Connell and Marianne, through high school and university, all the way until their first successful job search.
Rooney uses the two characters’ alternating narrative to show their constantly intervening fate, proving that perhaps sometimes two people are purely meant to be and it’s not just coincidence.
By reading about Connell’s and Marianne’s life you don’t only witness their personal growth, but partake in a psychological rollercoaster based on their emotions and social status.
Rooney’s close focus on higher education, specifically the Trinity College in Dublin, paints an accurate image of what it’s like to go to university and the experiences that you can be a part of.
In a fast-paced world, full of technology we often lose track of time, so if you wish to relax and detox from social media, maybe Rooney’s nostalgic Normal People could be something to try!
4. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
Celeste Ng’s debut novel won the Amazon Book of the Year Award in 2014, also receiving great critical reception from both The Guardian and The New York Times.
Celeste Ng’s novel takes place in a small town in Ohio, during the 1970s. Ng’s story is about a Chinese American family and the mystery regarding their daughter’s body found in a nearby lake.
However, Ng’s novel is not only a page-turner due to its mystery plot, but because of the way it explores human connections, also showing how to survive a toxic relationship.
Everything I Never Told You exposes the hidden truth regarding family life, including disputes, secrets, and the past in some characters’ cases. It is truly a gripping read, packed with intense emotions and action. If you want to break away from the usual then Ng’s novel may be the one for you to take with you!
