From my shelf to yours: my winter break reads

Olivia Barone

Editor in Chief

I am often the first to admit that I missed being active at RIC over winter break, but I do not miss the free time I had to read at home, warm under a blanket without worrying about waking up early to clean the snow off my car. Thanks to these subzero temperatures, I had ample time inside to tackle the unread books on my nightstand. Here are the highlights. 

Photo by Olivia Barone

“Normal People” by Sally Rooney

I remember when Rooney’s second novel, “Normal People” popped up in bookstores in 2018. It quickly surpassed its competition and gained a cult-like following among teens and young adults looking for an accessible novel that explores the gritty human experience. The novel did not originally pique my interest, but once it was in my hands, it took me a mere two days to complete. Main characters Connell and Marrianne are on the cusp of adulthood and are forced to navigate its complex social world. In classic enemies-to-lovers style, they begin as academic rivals in two different social circles: Connel is popular yet low-class, while Marianne is a wealthy social outcast, already subverting readers’ expectations. The pair quickly find that their paths continuously intersect and begin to explore a budding relationship that spans years. Rooney’s prose is purposeful and straightforward, making “Normal People” a worthy book for any kind of reader. 

“I’m Glad My Mom Died” by Jennette McCurdy

McCurdy’s ongoing press tour for her new fiction novel has reignited excitement over her record-breaking memoir, “I’m Glad My Mom Died.” Published in 2022, “I’m Glad My Mom Died” spent more than 80 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list and was recently announced to have an Apple TV+ series adaptation in the works, produced by McCurdy herself. Bookstore regulars should recognize the cover, on which McCurdy is pictured smiling and presenting a bright pink urn, lending to the absurdity of the memoir’s title. The cover’s tone is reflected in McCurdy’s blunt writing style that is unafraid to face the struggles it discusses head-on. Beginning in childhood, the memoir follows McCurdy as a budding actress until she struck fame on Nickelodeon’s “iCarly,” uncovering the truth about what viewers at the time assumed was a glamorous life. A brutally honest glimpse into McCurdy’s life, “I’m Glad My Mom Died” is an astonishing debut novel that has since opened doors to conversations about the severity of eating disorders and the impact parent-child relationships can have on one’s future. 

“Yellowface” by R.F. Kuang 

“Yellowface” is like McCurdy’s memoir in that it serves as a critique of an industry that can be as treacherous as acting: publishing. Kuang’s novel is fictional but is written based on the author’s own observations of the publishing world as a successful Chinese American writer. She writes from the perspective of June Hayward, rival to the gifted Asian American author Athena Liu, who seems to be living every writer’s dream. Athena’s debut novel was an undeniable success and immediately earned her a book deal with one of the top publishing companies in the country. June consequently grows sour and takes Athena’s sudden death as an opportunity to steal her notes for a future novel and pass it off as her own. June finally reaches stardom and, despite her guilt, goes to great lengths to justify publishing Athena’s historical fiction about Chinese laborers involved in World War I as a white woman. “Yellowface” unashamedly tackles “cancel culture” and navigates the ongoing debate of who gets to tell which stories. 

“Monstrilio” by Gerardo Sámano Córdova

Lastly, “Monstrilio” was my favorite read and, admittedly, this list’s oddball. Gifted to me by a friend for my birthday in October, this bizarre novel sat on my nightstand for months, waiting to be opened. The red-eyed creature on the cover peered at me until I finally decided to give it a try. Encouraged by its description as “a modern ‘Frankenstein,’” I expected something sci-fi, complete with a science experiment gone wrong. Instead, “Monstrilio” is rooted in folklore and features the devastation that follows a mother’s grief. The novel begins in Mexico City while Magos grieves the death of her sickly son, Santiago. Not wanting to let go, Magos cuts the culprit from her son’s body: his significantly smaller and weaker lung that had inhibited him since birth. She keeps the lung and feeds it until it grows into a sentient creature and later, a copy of her son with animalistic instincts. The novel’s point of view is passed through four different characters as the creature attempts to mold himself into something human. Córdova’s prose is intimate and the perfect amount of horror for this story of loss. 

What kinds of books did you get into over break? Let us know by sending us a DM on Instagram: @rictheanchor.