Creating reading goals can be fun, but there's no need to panic if you didn't check everything off your list. This has been another years of highs and lows, so it's time to catch your breath with 21 easy books to read. From rom-com books to adventurous reads, you won't have to think twice about finishing them — I'm sure other book lovers will agree.
Without further ado, let's jump into these exciting titles so we can channel our inner lazy girl.
The Last Thing He Told Me
It's impossible to know everything about your S.O., but Hannah Hall is thrown for a loop when her husband disappears and leaves behind a cryptic note concerning the care of his daughter, Bailey. In order to learn what happened to Owen, Hannah and Bailey must put aside their differences. Will they realize nothing is as it seems, or will they reunite with the husband and father they love?
My Sister, The Serial Killer
My Sister, The Serial Killer is a bold novel filled with dark humor about two sisters who share a terrible secret — one of them is addicted to killing her boyfriends. Korede is the sister who cleans up the mess while Ayoola commits the heinous crimes that she gets a kick out of. Things take a turn for the worst when Korede's crush decides he's falling for the unknowingly unstable Ayoola, causing mass confusion for everyone.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Evelyn Hugo has a story to tell and she knows the perfect person for the job — Monique Grant. Despite her self-depreciating thoughts, Monique takes the job and travels to Evelyn's luxurious abode to bring the latter's story to life. As Evelyn details every part of her life — including talking about her seven husbands — Monique begins to get the impression that their lives are more connected than she'd liked.
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
Eleanor Oliphant's social anxiety is worse than you can imagine. She meticulously plans her outings to steer clear of most people and doesn't mind being holed up at home. However, her introduction to Raymond and Sammy thrust all of them into a world that isn't governed by intentional loneliness. Together, they learn that there's still love to experience.
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is also on Reese Witherspoon's book club list, so you know it's well worth the read!
People We Meet on Vacation
Poppy and Alex used to be the best of friends, but they haven't been able to stand each other after something happened during their last summer vacation. It's the kind of 'something' that maybe shouldn't have happened, but unlocked feelings they've tried to ignore. So, they decide to take one last summer vacation together to see if it's too late to set things on the right track. Will they be able to reignite their friendship and form something deeper?
It Ends With Us
When Lily meets the amazing Ryle Kindcaid, everything feels right in the world. The only issue is that he's not fond of relationships and her being the exception to that feels odd. Somehow this makes her think about the first man she ever loved — Atlas Corrigan. What makes it worse is that Atlas pops up out of nowhere and she has to decide which direction her heart will go in.
How Stella Got Her Groove Back
Stella is overworked and bored with the routine of her life. Yet, she's unafraid to make changes until she agrees to go on a trip that ultimately changes her life. She's captivated by the tropical breeze in Jamaica and the charming young man who wins her heart — despite the fact he's a couple of decades younger. Will she decide to take another chance on love or is she too stuck in her ways?
In Five Years
Dannie Kohan is a planner who doesn't have time for frivolous living like her bestie Bella does. However, her life changes when she keeps waking up and finding that her life doesn't look like it did the day before. As she continues to wake up five hours later each day, she can't help but feel she's grown attached to one particular scenario. Will she be able to find a way to get back to it or will she succumb to her carefully planned life?
On Rotation
Angela Appiah's life looks perfect on the outside. She's done what all successful immigrant daughters are supposed to do — pursue a degree in the medical field and bring home the equally successful man. But, everything starts falling apart and her parents begin to feel she's a disappointment to them. This causes her to question everything she thought she wanted to achieve and things are further complicated when she meets Ricky Gutierrez. Will Angela learn to define her own self worth, or will she decide that having others decide that is more important?
Farenheit 451
I fell in love with this book after reading it for a summer school assignment and find it ironic that portions of it relevant. It follows Guy Montag's position as a firefighter who starts fires by burning illegal books that are found in citizens' homes. But, he meets young Clarisse and he begins to question everything he's been taught about what's considered illegal. Will he completely abandon his station as the book-burning firefighter or will he remain desensitized to his actions?
The Bean Trees
Taylor Greer is as feisty as she is unsure and The Bean Trees paints a beautiful tale of that. When she's silently forced to care for a young toddler she nicknames Turtle, she finds herself inheriting the one thing she's been trying to avoid - becoming a mother. It's a daring tale of love, confronting certain evils, and taking risks.
Pigs in Heaven
If you happen to fall in love with Taylor and Turtle, you'll love reading their follow-up story in Pigs in Heaven. When a chance encounter thrusts them into the spotlight, the validity of Turtle's adoption comes into question and Taylor decides to make a run for it. This leads them down a harrowing journey that ends with new family ties being formed.
Big Little Lies
Big Little Lies unfolds in a told where three women find their worlds intersecting. Madeline, Celeste and Jane's community is connected by little lies that they seem to play a part in. Can truth be found in their big little lies, or will they stop at nothing to protect the things they cherish?
The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby is one of the easiest reads that always breaks my heart. It starts out promising enough when we're introduced to Nick Carraway and the illustrious Jay Gatsby. Nick soon learns that there used to be a love shared between his cousin Daisy and Gatsby, which causes confusion that ends in horrific tragedy.
When Life Gives You Lululemons
No one could have predicted that Emily Charlton would reside in a neat little community in Greenwich, CT after leaving Miranda Priestly's side, but here she is. She's since helped stars reshape their image, but she can't shake the feeling that something is missing. Unbeknownst to her, an opportunity by the name of Karolina Hartwell isn't far away.
When Emily realizes it's going to take a miracle to create something positive for Karolina, she must turn to the one person she never thought she'd rely on again — the same woman who used to make her life a living hell.
The Midnight Library
Nora Seed enters the mysterious world of the midnight library and finds herself faced with different versions of her past, as well as her future. She's able to revisit past relationships and even pursue an alternate reality where she accomplishes her career goals. In the midst of so many changes found in the magical books she reads, will she be able to find a reality she's actually willing to live?
Nine Perfect Strangers
Nine Perfect Strangers is hands down one of the most beautiful pieces of literature I've been able to read. It's about nine strangers who decide to embark on a life-changing visit to a health resort ran by an unsettlingly calm woman. What is everyone looking to fix or run away from? Better yet, will they find that they're only going to meet themselves wherever they go?
The Spanish Daughter
Puri grew up loving everything about chocolate and is ecstatic when she inherits her father's cocoa estate. She and her husband decide to work at keeping it the estate alive, but that's not met without tension. This tension leads to the death of her husband and she quickly escapes. The issue is that her inheritance comes with more baggage than she could've anticipated, leading her down a slippery slope of learning the truth about her father.
The Rosie Project
Don Tillman is searching for the perfect woman, but can't seem to find her. Eventually, his best friend Gene introduces him to Rosie and the former feels like she's the last person he'd want to marry — except she's so charismatic. He then agrees to help her find her real father, but meets a woman who's perfect on paper. The issue is that this 'perfect woman' isn't attractive to him for a number of reasons and he begins to realize that Rosie has an effect on him that no list could ever compete with.
The People We Keep
April Sawicki is determined to change her life even if it means defying her father and leaving everything behind. At each stop on her journey, she forms kindred friendships with the people she meets — especially at Cafe Decadence.
Waiting to Exhale
Four friends — Savannah, Bernadine, Gloria, and Robin — find themselves contemplating their love lives for different reasons. Savannah can't seem to find a man who isn't a womanizer while Bernadine's world is rocked when her husband asks for a divorce. On the other hand, Robin has a hard time committing to a man who doesn't fit her physical requirements while Gloria finds herself scared to fall for a new neighbor. Will this group of friends redefine their love lives or will they remain chained to whatever they think is working?
Need more reading recs? We've got you covered on all things books at Brit+Co!
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