Written and illustrated by Sarah Nash

There is nothing quite like reading a book so wonderful, that you stay up late with a flashlight to see what happens next. From time to time, I have lost that connection to reading, and I might guess that you have too. Here are my suggestions for everyone who has the feeling that they ought to try again.

Oh-So-Mysterious Mystery: “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn, 432 pages

You’ve heard of it, you’ve maybe even seen the movie, and all of the great things you’ve been told? They are most certainly true. Gillian Flynn creates wild and manipulative characters that will toy with your trust. We begin with a young New York couple –– Amy and Nick –– who have moved to Missouri after the Great Recession. When Nick comes home to find Amy missing, the story takes off, starting with Nick telling his side from the present, and Amy telling her side through past diary entries. 

Although on the longer side of my recommendations, I assure you will fly through these pages. This book is best paired with out loud gasps, a few “I need to put this down”-s and possibly even result in you throwing the book across the room –– be careful with library copies please.

For The Classic Lovers: “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë, 480 pages

“Jane Eyre” tells a whirlwind tale of a girl who deals with cruel situations, and perhaps even crueler characters as she comes of age in Victorian Era England. Maybe you have learned about the Brontë sisters in your high school English class, or maybe even read one of their books –– I and many of my classmates fell in love with Wuthering Heights. In classic Brontë fashion, there are of course ghosts, orphans, and plenty of romance.

Jane carries the reader through her story as she works to be true to herself. If you are looking for a gothic tale with a headstrong lead, this may be the book for you. 

Fiction-Like Nonfiction: “Little Weirds” by Jenny Slate, 240 pages

As a long time lover of fiction, I don’t often pick a nonfiction story for a casual read. Jenny Slate’s comic ramblings, however, prove to be entertaining and strange as ever. “Little Weirds” follows unordinary stories and thoughts, self-claimed as a “book shaped thing.” I cannot tell you exactly what this book is about, but if anything, it is a peek into the head of a person with things to say.

You may know Slate from her role as Mona Lisa on “Parks and Recreation,” as a “Saturday Night Live” cast member, or her stand up work –– or maybe you will just know her as the teller of this tale. If you are looking for something heartfelt and unusual, this is the book for you.

A Page Turner: “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid, 400 pages

Taylor Jenkins Reid’s sophomore novel is certainly one of my favorite reads of this year. “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” is for lovers of old Hollywood, success stories, and of course, romance. When an aspiring journalist is mysteriously handpicked to write the memoir of a legendary film star, she learns the truth about a wild climb to the top of the heap. Evelyn finally wants to tell her truths, and as she is known for her many marriages, the truth about who was her true love.

I hope you enjoy this equally glamorous and tragic story. If you have seen its green cover in a friend’s backpack or on their desk, ask that friend to borrow it with a please, a thank you, and maybe even a kiss –– but be sure not to chip your tooth.

An Untraditional Story: “Ella Minnow Pea” by Mark Dunn, 208 pages

Upon reading this title out loud, you will think of...the alphabet song? “Ella Minnow Pea” brings you into the strange town of Nollop with equally strange and alphabetical rules. Out of reverence for their founder, the townsfolk only use the letters tiled on his grand statue when they communicate. Luckily, these tiles create a pangram –– or a sentence containing each letter of the alphabet –– so things go on as in any other town. When tiles begin to slowly fall off, however, things become a little more complicated. We follow Ella and others as the judicial system grows colder and the stakes grow higher.

This shorter novel contains witty characters and unimaginable scenarios. Dunn’s work itself is lipogrammatic, so just as the civilians of Nollop no longer use certain letters, the reader will no longer be able to read them. I hope you consume this book with great appetite, wondering which letter will be next, and even if you get the urge to peek at how the words end up, power through.