Ahh the love of books. Being in the midst of reading a great book is, in my opinion, like having a little gift to look forward to at the end of the day. I love devouring books- sometimes I become so engrossed that I cancel social outings because I’d rather have a one-on-one with whatever novel has me raptured. And now that I have a little downtime away from my studies, I’ve been consuming them on a weekly basis. Here are a few of my recent favorites:

1. The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a true story based on the lives of Lale and Gita, two prisoners enduring the concentration camps at Auschwitz during the Holocaust. As a tattooist of the incoming prisoners, Lale is afforded certain privileges that he utilizes to help those around him, often risking his life in the process. In the midst of so much death and destruction, Lale and Gita still manage to fall in love. Note: get your tissues ready- I finished this book while in an airplane and probably looked like I was having a mental breakdown.
2. Where the Crawdads Sing chronicles the life of Kya, a young girl living in the swamps of North Carolina in the 1950s. Abandoned by her family, Kya learns to be self-sufficient, resourceful, and independent. Despite her reclusive lifestyle, her natural beauty catches the eyes of local boys, some of which don’t have the best intentions. When one of these boys goes missing, the community begins pointing the finger at Kya. Note: this book was beautifully written and I could not put it down. Easily in my top 3 favorite books and wishing I could erase my memory of it just so I could fall in love with the story all over again.
3. The Silent Patient is a thriller about married artists Alicia and Gabriel. When Gabriel is murdered, allegedly by his wife, Alicia becomes mute and is sent to a mental institution instead of receiving jail time. When psychotherapist Theo begins working at the institution in hopes of getting Alicia to speak again, things get veryyyy interesting. Note: this book was hard for me to get into but worth pushing through in the end. The conclusion is shocking and one I won’t forget!
4. Everything I Never Told You is about a Chinese-American family grappling with the death of their daughter, Lydia. On the surface, Lydia appears to be the perfect child- obedient, smart, plenty of friends, and a great student. However, this is merely a facade and the family is left to pick up the pieces and reflect on just what went wrong (so many things!). Note: this book was book was frustrating to read at times because you want so badly for the characters to just communicate with each other and be real. Although tragic, it was a reminder that sometimes things need to fall apart in order to come together again.