By Courtney Warren
I write a lot about fun fantasy books or new and upcoming releases, but let’s take a moment for the books that make us cry. I don’t mean tear up with a glistening tear sliding down your cheek as you read. I mean snot slinging, air gasping, chest grasping crying. If you haven’t read a book like that, you’re truly missing out.
My students have started saying something is “AI” if it feels forced, fake or just overall has bad vibes. The kids are going to be alright, in case you were worried. No matter how much AI may try, it will never replace the beating of a human heart, and no robot can replicate true emotions God instilled within us. Here are some books to remind you that you’re not a robot.
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
I mention this in my letter from the editor, and with good reason. It’s so wonderful! According to the publisher: One spring morning, a stranger named Theo arrives in the small Southern city of Golden. He doesn’t explain much about where he came from or why he’s there—but when he visits the local coffeehouse, where pencil portraits of the people of Golden hang on the walls, he begins purchasing them, one at a time, and giving each portrait to the person depicted. In exchange, he asks only for the person’s story. And so, portrait by portrait, person by person, secrets are revealed, regrets are shared, and ordinary lives are profoundly altered. A story of giving and receiving, of seeing and being seen, Theo of Golden is an unforgettable novel about the power of generosity, the importance of connection and the quiet miracles that happen when we choose kindness and wonder.
Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jiminez
As someone who has experienced losing a loved one without them passing away, Jimenez describes dementia so heartbreakingly well. According to the publisher: There’s no such thing as a perfect guy, but Xavier Rush comes disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes—all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediate yes. That is, until Xavier opens his mouth and proves that even sculpted gods can say the absolute wrong thing. Like, really wrong. Of course, there’s nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong ... unless, of course, he can admit he made a mistake.
But after one incredible and seemingly endless date, Samantha is forced to admit the truth - that her family is in crisis, and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her, to remember their night together as a perfect moment, as crushing as that may be. Only no amount of distance or time is enough to forget what’s between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life - and even a love - worth remembering.
The Women by Kristin Hannah
This book was so wonderful. It made it all the more special to read it before going on the annual Washington, D.C. trip with our eighth graders and visiting the Vietnam War Memorial. They were there.
According to the publisher: Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But, in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.
As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over-whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets - and becomes one of - the lucky, the brave, the broken and the lost.
But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
I gift this book so often. The explanation on the cover doesn’t do the book justice, so I will do my best to explain. The story is about three friends who create a video game together. Through the span of their lives and this creation, you get to see how their friendships form and change. While it’s a love story, it’s a love story to the concept of play, to friendship, and to our loved ones.
I couldn’t recommend these books more. They are so wonderful and, once again, reminders of the beauty that is humanity. Enjoy.
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