Ok, I’ll admit it. I am not the biggest football nut. Shocker, I know. I have been known to bring a book to the couch as everyone gathers to watch the game – I like being surrounded by my friends and family and I like the excitement, but I like to have a little literary comfort as well. If you’re in the same boat, here are seven books best read in one sitting. Pick one up of these at 6.30 PM tonight and you’ll be done by the final touchdown. Now, that’s my kind of Sunday!
Fox 8 by George Saunders
A darkly comedic short story from the author of the Man Booker prize-winning novel, Lincoln in the Bardo. Fox 8 is different from the rest of his pack. They are uninterested in the “yumans” they share their world with, but Fox 8 has learned to speak the “yuman” language through hours of hiding in the bushes outside their houses. Funny and heartbreaking, this is incredible story with beautiful illustrations is best consumed all at once.
SHOP AMAZON SHOP INDIEStrike Your Heart by Amélie Nothomb
One of my favorite books of 2018, Strike Your Heart is a moving work in translation from French about the experience of being a daughter and a mother in a world of female jealousy. Concise and brilliant, Nothomb’s work shows the level of world building that is possible to accomplish in just 135 pages. This book begs to be reread as soon as you finish it.
SHOP AMAZON SHOP INDIELooker by Laura Sims
A debut novel with a Rear Window vibe. An unnamed narrator becomes obsessed with her celebrity neighbor, an actress she watches through her window. One interaction between the two takes a wrong turn and this obsession spins into a complete madness.
Looker is on Morgan’s TBR
SHOP AMAZON SHOP INDIEFrom the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
One of the best adventure stories of all time. In this middle grade novel, Claudia (11) and Jamie (9) run away from home and take refuge in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They are crafty and cunning – using all that the museum has to offer to their advantage. If I could inhabit the life of any character for a day, it would probably be Claudia.
SHOP AMAZON SHOP INDIEMy Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
A dark yet funny novel about a Nigerian woman, Korede, whose sister is, well, a serial killer. She has an unfortunate habit of killing all of her boyfriends. And each time, Korede comes to her aid – she’s got a special talent for covering the murders up.
My Sister, the Serial Killer is on Morgan’s TBR
SHOP AMAZON SHOP INDIE84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
A crowd favorite, this charming epistolary story is comprised of a 20 year correspondence between the author and the chief buyer of Marks & Co, a bookstore in London, England. A strong relationship forms between the two, though they’ve never met. The power of books to bring people together is strong.
84, Charing Cross Roadis on Morgan’s TBR
SHOP AMAZON SHOP INDIEElla Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
In the mood for a spunky female protagonist? Look no further than this middle grade novel. A retelling of Cinderella, Ella is given the gift of obedience at birth – she cannot disobey a direct order given to her. Trust me, if you’ve only seen the movie, you have to read the book. They might as well be two different stories entirely. And the book is so damn good.
SHOP AMAZON SHOP INDIE
Love this! Any time I’m forced to watch the Super Bowl, or any other sports ball game for that matter, I always have a book with me.
me too..
Hey Book Girl, thanks for the recommendations!