Meredith's Picks
The Vacation Reader
(In no particular order)
Reading Style
I tend to gravitate towards what I would describe as "vacation novels" – a mix of light fiction, comedic self-help, and compelling memoirs.
Literary Likes
01
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Genres: Historical Fiction, Classic Literature, Cultural, Romance
In Memoirs of a Geisha, we enter a world where appearances are paramount; where a girl's virginity is auctioned to the highest bidder; where women are trained to beguile the most powerful men; and where love is scorned as illusion. It is a unique & triumphant work of fiction – at once romantic, erotic, suspenseful – and completely unforgettable.
02
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by
Mark Manson
Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help
In this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger cuts through the crap to show us how to stop trying to be "positive" all the time so that we can truly become better, happier people. For decades, we’ve been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is Manson's antidote to the coddling, let’s-all-feel-good mindset that has infected American society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up. Manson makes the argument, backed both by academic research and well-timed poop jokes, that improving our lives hinges not on our ability to turn lemons into lemonade, but on learning to stomach lemons better. A much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-look-you-in-the-eye moment of real-talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives.
03
The Amateurs by Marcus Sakey
Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
Alex is failing as a father. Ian keeps dangerous secrets. Jenn is pining for adventure; Mitch is pining for Jenn. Four friends just getting by. Every Thursday night they've found solace in a couple of beers & a couple of laughs. But months turn to years, & suddenly a decade is gone. None of them are where-or who-they hoped to be. And they've decided to do something about it. To stop waiting, and start taking. But what was supposed to be a victimless crime has become a bloody nightmare. People have been killed. A child is in danger. Ruthless men pursue them with relentless fury. And tensions they thought were long-buried threaten to destroy them. As their whole world begins to unravel, each will have to choose between their own life & the lives of others – including their best friends.
historical fiction, family dramas, thrillers
Literary Dislikes
horror, fantasy, anything too dark
What's on my bookshelf
Books on deck to read next
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
04
The Vacationers by Emma Straub
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Coming-of-age, Domestic/Family
For the Posts, a two-week trip to the Balearic island of Mallorca with their extended family and friends is a celebration: Franny & Jim are observing their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary, and their daughter, Sylvia, has graduated from high school. The sunlit island, its mountains & beaches, its tapas & tennis courts, also promise an escape from the tensions simmering at home in Manhattan. But all does not go according to plan: over the course of the vacation, secrets come to light, old & new humiliations are experienced, childhood rivalries resurface, & ancient wounds are exacerbated.
05
A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell
Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Psychological Suspense
She’s your best friend. She knows all your secrets. That’s why she’s so dangerous. A single mother's life is turned upside down when her best friend vanishes in this chilling debut thriller in the vein of Gone Girl & The Girl on the Train. It starts with a simple favor—an ordinary kindness mothers do for one another. When her best friend, Emily, asks Stephanie to pick up her son Nicky after school, she happily says yes. But Emily doesn’t come back. She doesn’t answer calls or return texts. Stephanie knows something is terribly wrong – Emily would never leave Nicky, no matter what the police say. She then receives the shocking news that Emily is dead. The nightmare of her disappearance is over. Or is it? Because soon, Stephanie will begin to see that nothing – not friendship, love, or even an ordinary favor – is as simple as it seems. A Simple Favor is a remarkable tale of psychological suspense – a clever & twisting free-fall of a ride filled with betrayals & reversals, twists & turns, secrets & revelations, love & loyalty, murder & revenge.
06
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
Genres: Nonfiction, Travel Literature
The Appalachian Trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in America—majestic mountains, silent forests, sparking lakes. If you’re going to take a hike, it’s probably the place to go. And Bill Bryson is surely the most entertaining guide you’ll find. He introduces us to the history and ecology of the trail and to some of the other hardy (or just foolhardy) folks he meets along the way—and a couple of bears. Already a classic, A Walk in the Woods will make you long for the great outdoors (or at least a comfortable chair to sit and read in).
07
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
Genres: Nonfiction, Autobiography, Travel Literature
At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State — and she would do it alone. Told with suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.