Like all odd little books, I recommend enjoying this with a kind of passive acceptance. Stuck in the quagmire of ennui and depression, Melissa (with herself as the fictional protagonist) holds a seancé to contact deceased pop star Selena Quintanilla, and accidentally brings her ghost to the physical plane. A fever dream that explores mental health, celebrity, and what it means to be Latine, this book is both “ha ha” funny and “that’s weird” funny.

Ingrid Yang’s time is almost up. She’s 8 years through her PhD, desperate to finish her dissertation, with only some jumbled notes about “enjambment” and an addiction to antacids to show for it. As she is once again puttering through the archives of Chinese-American poet Xiao-Wen Chou, her interested is piqued for the first time in years by a cryptic note. What follows is a satirical wild goose chase exploring every part of academia, yellowface, “PC Culture,” and grad school.

All hail the queen of chick lit! Before there was Sophie Kinsella or Lauren Weisberger or Helen Fielding, Jacqueline Susann’s powerhouse book dominated the publishing industry. Three stunning women navigate fame and social climbing the only way they know how: drugs. A little bit tawdry, a lot salacious, and an interesting comparison exercise between the varied (and mundane) pressures of female celebrity. Valley of the Dolls is both dark and light, silly and serious, glamorous and grimy. No wonder the film adaptation shot Sharon Tate to stardom.

A jewel of a story just as beautiful as its cover, Emily Wilde follows the titular protagonist on her quest to study the most dangerous high fae on a remote Scandinavian island. Already struggling to fit in among the cagey locals, Emily’s exasperation grows when her charming colleague Wendell sweeps into town. Full of fairy lore and impeccable word choices, I wish I could read this cozy, cottagecore book over again for the first time.

Daphne Berg has worked hard to establish herself as a plus-size influencer and distance herself from an old toxic friendship. Until one day, her former best friend shows up begging Daphne to be her maid of honor at her high society wedding. The boon to Daphne’s career (and chance to spend time at a gorgeous Cape Cod mansion) proves too much for Daphne to resist. The wild events that follow mustn’t be spoiled – they have to be read.

If Richard Scarry and Murder, She Wrote had a baby, you’d get the Shady Hollow series. Vera Vixen works as the intrepid reporter for the local newspaper in the pastoral town of Shady Hollow. Sleepy, as well as Shady, the town turns upside down when Vera discovers the local curmudgeonly toad floating face-down in the mill pond with a knife in his back. Featuring lots of charming animal pals, and tons of cozy descriptions of food, these books make the perfect companion to a hammock and a summer day.

One of the foremost examples of stream-of-consciousness writing popular in the early 20th century, this novel follows Mrs. Dalloway in chronological order on a day in her life. The novel seamlessly blends multiple perspectives in a dreamlike way, and in addition to providing a detailed look at upper-class, post-war London, it serves as a useful reminder of the interiority we all possess. As a short novel, you can easily use it to pass a dreamy afternoon.

Host of Normal Gossip, a podcast that brings on normal people to divulge their juiciest stories, McKinney knows a thing or two about swapping stories. In this book of essays, she reflects on the role gossip plays in society. As the basest form of storytelling, McKinney shines a light on the way gossip connects us and serves a crucial social function (in a fun and engaging way!). This book sits in the perfect sweet spot of providing genuine food for thought, while keeping you company at the pool.

According to Chinese folklore, a fox can transform into a handsome man or beautiful woman, then find an unsuspecting woman and bleed them dry. Choo turns this myth on its head with the story of a fox who transforms into a woman to track down the man who murdered her cub. Set in 1908 in Manchuria, this story is filled with the promise and uncertainty of a new age, and the determination of a woman trying to win her life back.

Life at Redwall Abbey passes peacefully for its mouse inhabitants. Living under the legend of the Abbey’s founder, Martin the Warrior, young monk Matthias longs for more. When a one-eyed rat named Cluny declares war on the Abbey, Matthias gets his chance. Despite the charm of its anthropomorphic protagonist, the Redwall series encompasses betrayal, bravery, loyalty, and adventure in a surprisingly sweeping adventure.

One night, plus-size fashion influencer Bea Schumacher gets drunk and writes a searing polemic of her favorite dating show’s aversion to casting fat women. The next morning, she wakes up to an offer from the show’s producers – to lead the next season of the show. Soon, it becomes clear that Bea’s being set up to be the show’s next punching bag. But come hell or high water, Bea will show America that fat girls deserve love too (and maybe even find it).

This urban fantasy series follows a young beat cop in London, Peter Grant, who discovers a unique ability to talk to detect magic. Suddenly, he’s whisked away to a top-secret unit known as the Folly, and learns to become a wizard under the instruction of a captain of indiscriminate age. A fun, witty novel in its own right, narrator Kobna Holdbrook-Smith adds an extra layer of charm and humor with his standout performance.

Amina al-Sirafi used to be a pirate. Well, she used to be a former pirate. Now that a wealthy benefactor has showed up on her doorstep, she’s once more drawn to the high seas in a quest to find the woman’s granddaughter and rescue her from a bloodthirsty Frank. It’s everything you want from a magical pirate adventure with an added emotional element of Amina’s dedication to her family. In short, it’s extremely fun with real substance in Amina’s characterization as a loving mother.

After writing one of my favorite books, I graduated to reading this lovely little sci-fi series by Becky Chambers. Set in a future where similarly intelligent life forms rub shoulders across the universe, the series zooms out on human behavior in a fascinating way. Chambers’s writing and world-building is mind-bendingly inventive, with the different alien worlds she creates. Each story is infused with a kind of tenderness you don’t often find in sci-fi.

Like Little House on the Prairie with less slaughter and racism, Betsy-Tacy is the first book in a series that follows Betsy from Kindergarten through getting married. Betsy has a wonderful life with her family in Minnesota, but no friends her age to play with. Everything changes when a little girl with flame-red ringlets moves in next door. These books shaped my young reading life, and I believe more people should know about them.

I’ve been obsessed with going to Africa since I was a little kid, and McCall Smith uses rural Botswana as the perfect backdrop for this charming mystery series. Precious Ramotswe has set up shop and she’s ready to solve all the mysteries that cross her doorstep in Gabarone. With her trusty guide to detecting, and her trusty companion Grace Makutsi, Precious finds missing husbands, tracks down con men, and more. Wildlife, witch doctors, and willful women abound.

No one does cynical southern gothic like Charlaine Harris, and no more is it on display than in the series that inspired True Blood. Sookie Stackhouse lives a relatively quiet existence as a waitress in Bon Temps, Louisiana. Except for the fact that she can read minds. When a man comes along whose mind she can’t read, Sookie is obviously intrigued. Only, he’s a vampire. And by dating Bill, Sookie gets an even bigger vampire hot on her trail.

Gerald gets along just fine as a mid-level manager at a PR firm in New York. His bosses don’t even care when his consciousness appears in its entirety in the company Slack software. In fact, he’s more productive than ever! With the help of his friend Pradeep, Gerald goes on a quest to find out what happened to his body (and maybe dig up some dirt on his company in the process). Told entirely through Slack messages, the book stands as a silly, modern-day allegory for work.

This book basically stole the plot from the 2007 film Good Luck Chuck but I don’t particularly care, because Jimenez pulled it off better. Justin and Emma have the same problem – every time they break up with someone, that person goes on to find their soulmate. As a traveling nurse, Emma gets an assignment near Justin and has a wacky idea: what if they date each other? They’ll break up at the end of the summer, each free to meet their respective soulmates. Only love, like life, turns out to be much more complicated than that.

In a rare turn of events, I read this book after I watched the series on HBO and liked it on its own merits! Set in a wealthy suburb of Sydney, Australia Big Little Lies follow women with children in the same Kindergarten class. Each woman has secrets that are uncovered throughout the book with varying degrees of darkness. Equal parts gossipy and a searing indictment of the pressures of modern maternity, you’ll enjoy this book a lot.

The third book in Christie’s classic Hercule Poirot series, this book follows the tiny Belgian as he moves into a new town just after the murder of the titular Roger Ackroyd. Slowly but surely, Poirot puts his little grey cells to work interrogating Ackroyd’s acquaintances to untangle the web of deceit around him. Unique in that it’s told in first person, though Roger Ackroyd is not the most famous Christie novel, Poirot enthusiasts generally agree that it’s the best one.

The Kalotay family have guarded a library of magical books in their rambling Vermont house for centuries. But over the years the magic has driven a wedge between them. While one sister, Esther, fled to Antarctica, the other, Joanna, bears the magical weight of guardianship. When their father is found dead in the midst of reading a mysterious book, seemingly bled dry by said book, the sisters must reunite to discover the truth of his death.

Mixed-race. Gay. Son of immigrants. Michael fights every day to find where he fits in modern London. When Michael discovers a local Drag society everything changes. Suddenly, Michael has the tools to discover – and establish – his identity. This award-winning YA novel-in-verse has caused a firestorm or two for its queer content. Whether or not you’re a gay teen discovering Drag, Michael’s struggle to define his identity as a young adult is a universal experience. Watching Michael blossom is a treasure.

This anthology, taken from decades of Oliver’s published works, follows the breadth of her poetic voice through the years and the subject matter. Dedicated to the witness of nature and the organic cycle of life, these poems will encourage you to slow down and look around you. They are also perfect for keeping on your nightstand and reading a few before bed.