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9 Books To Read Going Into The New Year

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Ghosts

Dolly Alderton

This “chicklit” novel addresses the life of main character and early thirty something Nina — a confident, independent and single cookbook author. The pressures of being single at her age, surrounded by friends marrying and starting families, lead Nina to download a dating app. This is where she meets Max. After months of dating and professed love, Max ghosts her: hence the name of the novel. 

This read is a wonderfully written and witty novel about “real” things — love, life, relationships, trust, heartbreak, loneliness, etc. Dolly Alderton does a great job of being reflective and sharp-eyed about the trials and tribulations of life. Her writing is the perfect combination of smart and amusing, while still making you feel deep empathy and pain right along with her characters. 

Definitely pick up this book if you’re looking for an entertaining and quick read with a modern day and relatable plot line. 

This book can be purchased at your local book shop, any large book retailer, Target or Amazon.

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Atomic Habits

James Clear

“New year, new me” may be a cheesy and cliche motto...but there’s a lot of validity in the statement. While any season of the year is perfect to reinvent yourself, create a new routine and implement new habits, the start of a new year is a motivating time to change your lifestyle. 

Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear is a worldwide bestseller and and highly rated self-help book that serves as a comprehensive guide to change your habits and better yourself everyday. 

In his book, James Clear maps out how to make small changes that lead to impactful results. Learn how to break your bad habits, implement good ones and stick to them. Get back on track. Gain motivation and create an environment and lifestyle that better serves you. 

While self-help books are quite often super gimmicky, this one actually provides helpful and attainable tips to aid in changing your mindset. 

If you want to create a fresh routine for yourself in 2022 and implement new habits and stick to them, definitely pick up this book. 

This book can be purchased at your local book shop, any large book retailer, Target or Amazon. 

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We Are the Weather

Jonathan Safran Foer 

If you’re looking for a non-fiction, science-based and thought-provoking book to read in the new year, We are the Weather by Jonathan Safran Foer is a great pick. This book explores climate change and the effects of human activity on our planet through a personal essay collection.

This read is recommended especially for anyone who wants to learn more about climate change or anyone who wants to start living a more sustainable lifestyle this year. 

This book can be purchased at your local book shop, any large book retailer, Target or Amazon. 

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Journey to the Heart

Melody Beattie

For anyone looking to reflect, meditate and practice mindfulness in the upcoming year, Journey to the Heart by Melody Beattie is a must to pick up in 2022. This book is a collection of 365 entries of insightful, daily reflections. 

Pick this book up at the beginning of the year and read a page each day to help you reflect, set daily intentions and live a more mindful life. This is perfect for those who want to read more and be more intuitive in the new year, but prefer something low maintenance that doesn’t take a lot of time from their day. 

This book can be purchased at your local book shop, any large book retailer, Target or Amazon. 

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The Secret History

Donna Tartt

This book is a contemporary fiction novel by the best-selling author of The Goldfinch. It’s difficult to go into detail about this novel without giving anything away, but just know that this book is unique and enthralling and consuming. 

If you’re looking for a book that combines fiction, mystery, thriller, psychological drama…definitely pick this read up. While this description of this remarkable novel may be vague, you’ll understand the brilliance if you just give it a read. 

This book can be purchased at your local book shop, any large book retailer, Target or Amazon. 

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Beautiful World, Where Are You

Sally Rooney

In her newest release, bestselling author Sally Rooney follows the lives and relationships of Alice, Felix, Eileen and Simon — friends in Ireland just trying to figure things out. Written in Sally Rooney’s signature writing style sans quotation marks, the dialogue and content explores desire, friendship, loneliness, communication, social class, redefining success, feeling hopeless in our current world and more. 

Sally Rooney never fails to write introspectively and in a unique tone that makes her readers really get to know her characters and illustrate their every thought and feeling to accelerate her story. And not all of her characters are lovable, but there’s realism in that — you don’t like every person you meet in real life, so you’re not going to like every character you read. But you still learn something about the world, or yourself, through their musings. 

If you haven’t read anything by Sally Rooney, this book is a definite must read to make you think about the world and the relationships in your life. 

This book can be purchased at your local book shop, any large book retailer, Target or Amazon. 

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Beach Read

Emily Henry

If you’re looking for a romance novel to make you feel warm and hopeful going into the new year, look no further than Emily Henry. Her bestselling book Beach Read is a hit for a reason. 

The story follows January Andrews, a romance author in a major writer’s rut because she doesn’t really believe in love anymore, and Augustus Everett, a bestselling fiction author who thinks January can only ever write happily ever afters. January and Augustus are also college rivals — and now next door neighbors for the summer. 

This enemies-to-lovers novel is captivating, sarcastic, sweet and just an overall delight to read. You won’t want to put it down and it will put you in the best mood. 

This book can be purchased at your local book shop, any large book retailer, Target or Amazon. 

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The Midnight Library

Matt Haig

The Midnight Library is a science fiction novel that explores the choices that go into leading a fulfilled life. 

Matt Haig writes about a library that’s between life and death where the shelves go on and on for infinity. Each book in this library allows the main character, Nora, to live her life in a different way. She can redo any decision she regrets or go down any path to reveal a different existence. 

This book explores the trials and tribulations of life. While hard-hitting at times, it’s a beautifully written and exquisite story about decisions, regrets, humanity and life’s most precious moments.

This book can be purchased at your local book shop, any large book retailer, Target or Amazon. 

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The Versions of Us

Laura Barnett

New year, new decisions. If you want to read a book all about how even the slightest of decisions can shape our lives, pick up this romance novel by Laura Barnett. 

This love story focuses on the “what if” factor of life. What if we said this? What if we did this? Eva and Jim, 19-year-old university students at Cambridge, cross paths for the first time in 1958. The book then follows three different courses their life could take after that first introduction. 

The concept of this book, its plot line and its characters are carefully and creatively crafted. The plot line explores love, heartbreak, missed opportunities and more. This is the perfect read for all romance lovers looking for an enthralling and touching story. 

This book can be purchased at your local book shop, any large book retailer, Target or Amazon.