Wishing for Normal

Contemporary and Romance Recommendations from Librarians

Contemporary

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
The prose debut from Elizabeth Acevedo is somehow just as powerful and poetic as the spoken word she is most known for. With the Fire on High follows Emoni Santiago, a young girl who must juggle caring for her daughter and grandmother, her dreams of becoming a chef, and the complications of high school romance. Emoni finds herself torn between responsibility and desire when she learns of a trip her culinary arts class is meant to take to Spain. Full of truth and fierce, unconditional love, this is a read that will take you across the world and set your heart alight.

Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert
[Warnings: Discussions of suicide]Danny Cheng feels like his future as an artist is finally coming together when he receives a scholarship to RISD, even if it means he will no longer be beside his best friend, Harry. However, everything soon changes when Danny discovers family secrets that force him to reexamine his place in society and the parts of life he had previously taken for granted. This is an ambitious story that tackles family, culture, mental health, grief, love, and what it means to belong to a community.

Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
Charlie has lost everything. Everything. Her mother has abused her. She is homeless. She has witnessed tragedy after tragedy, and she makes herself feel that pain through self-harm. After losing insurance coverage, she leaves therapy, heading to Arizona in pursuit of romance and restarting her life. Faced with rejection and another toxic relationship, Charlie learns to put the pieces of herself back together. What I love about this novel is that it is a story of independence and survival. My hope for you that if you choose to read this book you will see that we all are a little broken (or a lot broken) and with support we can put the pieces of ourselves back together.

Without Merit by Colleen Hoover
Say hello to the Voss family--the most dysfunctional family you’ll ever meet. Merit, our main character, takes us on a journey of how secrets and lies that are told with the best of intentions can rip a family apart. To add on, the mental health journey Merit takes during this story is eye-opening, heartbreaking, and beautiful. TW: depression, suicide, sexual assault.

More Contemporary Recommendations

Romance

Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed
Maya wants nothing more than for her peers (and the world) to see her for the person she is rather than see she is a Muslim. She loves making movies and wants to attend NYU, but she knows her parents won’t allow it not only because of the different dreams they have for her but also because of the violence and hatred they must survive all because they are Muslim. Why this book is important to read is that it opens readers’ eyes to the hatred that exists in this world and the hatred that many marginalized groups face every day. Maya just wants to be a “normal” teenager who is able to do what she loves and be with the young man that she loves.

Anna K by Jenny Lee
Escape your problems by reading about rich people’s problems! This modern retelling of Anna Karenina is set against the backdrop of the upper east side of Manhattan - it’s Gossip Girl meets Russian tragedy. If you loved the drama of Crazy Rich Asians, you won’t be able to stop reading this!

Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But, Lina is dying to leave the sunshine and gelato behind and go home until she is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina and the charming neighbor Ren are uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires them, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. Librarians love this title because it’s a fun summer romance and adventure with a beautiful setting that will have the reader googling flights to Italy.

Love, Life, and the List by Kasie West
If you didn’t know, Kasie West is the queen of fluffy romances, and this one just happens to be my favorite. A friends-to-lovers story that has its ups and downs, we follow Abby as she tries to come to terms with her feelings for her best friend and to make a life of her own when she realizes that friendship and unrequited love has become a crutch for her. A story of finding and standing up for oneself and of course a swoony romance makes this a really awesome, bingeable read.

More Romance Recommendations