Books That Will Almost Make You Want to Stop Watching TikTok…

As the year comes to a close and it somehow still feels like March, we thought you might need some books that fill you with joy and keep you entertained. It’s quite the understatement to say that 2020 has been a strange year, and we’ve probably all spent a record-breaking number of hours staring at screens for work, school, and entertainment. You know when you scroll through TikTok for 15 minutes but somehow two hours passed? Here are some books that will make you feel the same way!

Click on each book title for links to access through the University Library, or check out your local public library.

The Wangs vs. the World by Jade Chang

The Wang family is super wealthy. At least, they were. When they lose their fortune, the Wangs pack their few remaining possessions into an old car and drive from California to New York. Filled with humor, charm, and a healthy dose of awkward reality, this book will also fill the void of Schitt’s Creek being over.

 

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Hahn

Whether or not you’ve seen the Netflix film adaptation, this book is worth the read. Lara Jean Song has written a letter to every boy she’s ever loved, and they’re all tucked away in a secret box. Somehow, her letters get mailed and now she’s being confronted by all her past crushes that she may or may not really be over.

 

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
(not available through UIUC, link goes to Champaign Public Library)

While everyone in her small town is completely obsessed with prom, Liz Lighty just wants to escape to college. But winning prom queen comes with scholarship money, so even though she thinks she’s too poor, too Black, and too awkward for her classmates, Liz decides to do whatever it takes to win that prize. She doesn’t like the spotlight, but she does like spending time with the new girl who is also running for prom queen…

 

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

If you love dramatic reality shows, this book has that same addictive, guilty-pleasure feeling. Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nick, but he fails to mention that his family is outrageously wealthy and their home is more like a palace. Since Nick is one of the island’s most eligible bachelors, Rachel finds herself with a target on her back in this world of gloriously insane wealth. After you read the book, there’s also a film adaptation!

 

When We Were Vikings by Andrew MacDonald

Zelda is a 21-year-old Viking enthusiast born with fetal alcohol syndrome. She lives with her older brother, Gert, and traverses life’s difficulties by adhering to some simple rules and ideals. After finding out that Gert has some questionable methods of making money, Zelda embarks on a heartwarming quest and discovers what makes a hero.

 

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

For a non-stop joyride, look no further than this novel about the son of America’s first female president. Alex Claremont-Diaz is charming and popular, in fact, he gets along with everyone – except for England’s Prince Henry. The two long-time nemeses make international news after causing a commotion at a royal wedding, and now they have to stage a fake friendship to do some damage control. The two have more in common than they realized, and their fake friendship evolves in a way that could have serious consequences for them and their nations.

 

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell

This graphic novel is filled with fall vibes, friendship, and fun. Deja and Josiah have worked together every fall at the world’s best pumpkin patch, and this is their last shift together before they head to separate colleges. They decide to turn it into an epic night, eat all the best snacks, and finally talk to the girl Josiah has been mooning over for the past three years. Finding the girl isn’t as simple as they expect, but Deja and Josiah find lots of adventure along the way.

 

We hope you enjoy these books, let us know what you think!

 

Written and edited by: Nicole

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Dystopian Novels That Don’t Feel Like Fiction…

Escapism is great. Many of us have been watching a lot of Great British Baking Show and playing Animal Crossing through the pandemic. But sometimes, in the face of crises, it can feel satisfying to watch or read something that reflects what’s happening around us. Often, we are drawn to fiction that vocalizes something we have experienced but have never been able to fully understand or explain. Maybe that’s why these books feel so comforting and exciting right now. The following novels are all fictional, of course, but their apocalyptic and dystopian plots resonant a little bit more than usual. If you’re looking to pick up novels exploring what it’s like to live through pandemics, climate change, and political turmoil, check out some of these titles.

Click on each book title for links to access through the University Library, or check out your local public library.

Black Wave by Michelle Tea (2015)

This apocalypse novel takes place in California in 1999, but in a version of 1999 where the world is officially ending in a year because the environment is too messed up. Michelle, the main character, leaves the San Francisco Queer scene for L.A., trying to escape drug problems and failed relationships. But with only a year left, people begin dreaming collectively, and the lines of reality are increasingly blurred. Somehow, this book will quell your existential dread about climate change, at least temporarily.

 

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler (1993)

Written by science fiction icon Octavia Butler, Parable of the Sower takes place in a dystopian version of California in the 2020s. The state is plagued by fires, water shortages, drugs, lack of jobs, and violence. Meanwhile, teenager Lauren Olamina struggles to survive and to protect the people she loves while living with hyperempathy, a condition causing her to feel the pain of others. Meanwhile, she develops a new religion she hopes can save humanity. Needless to say, there is a whole lot going on in this book, and its iconic for a reason.

 

The Last Man by Mary Shelley (1826)

Frankenstein author Mary Shelley’s dystopian apocalypse novel is set in the late 21st century after a plague has destroyed humanity. The plague first hits warmer regions of the world, sending refugees north to England. But eventually it spreads and kills almost everyone, along with other climate disasters like floods and extreme weather. Eventually, the narrator is the only human left on Earth, and the book is ultimately about isolation, something many of us have become more familiar with lately.

 

Red Clocks by Leni Zumas (2018)

In this near-future dystopian novel, abortion and in-vitro fertilization have become illegal in the United States with the Personhood Amendment, which grants rights to fetuses. The book follows five women living through the consequences of this legislation. If you liked The Handmaids Tale, this one’s for you.

 

The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin (2015)

Another one about climate change. This sci-fi novel takes place on a planet with one supercontinent and a fifth season that hits every few centuries, bringing devastating climate change along with it. Other planetary woes include a complex and oppressive caste system and a collapsing empire. Meanwhile, a woman tries to rescue her daughter as the world falls apart around her.

 

Zone One by Colson Whitehead (2011)

Written by Colson Whitehead, author of The Underground Railroad, Zone One is another novel about a pandemic. In this one, the virus is finally receding, but the zombies it created are still roaming Manhattan. Civilians team up to try to rid the island of zombies and resettle the city.

 

Severance by Ling Ma (2018)

Candance Chen is a millennial and a first-generation American living in New York City during a pandemic of Shen Fever, a fungal infection originating in China. Her boring office job is replaced with a cross-country trek for survival. It’s a science fiction satire of capitalism, with some eerie similarities to the pandemic we are all living through.

 

A Song for a New Day by Sarah Pinsker (2019)

In this science fiction novel, the government has made large public gatherings illegal due to virus outbreaks and terror attacks. Luce Cannon was a successful musician until concerts were banned, but she still plays illegally. Rosemary Laws, on the other hand is used to doing things virtually, until she goes out scouting musicians for her new job. This one isn’t exactly dystopian, but music lovers missing live shows will appreciate this story about sharing art and connecting in difficult times.

 

If you need a break from reality after reading these almost-real-life novels, check back next week for books that are easy to escape into!

 

Written by: Izzy

Edited by: Nicole

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