Happy final week of school! This year has been such a great year and I think we’re all ready for a great summer. Doing my weekly book recs has truly been a highlight of my year—I’m sad that this will be the last of the year. I’ve recommended books from a variety of topics—holidays, genres, national months—this has given me the opportunity to recommend so many books that I love. But, there have also been a couple of books I’ve wanted to put on a list but didn’t find a place for—that’s my recommendations for this week. Here are some great books that I haven’t had the chance to recommend previously.

(In no particular order)

• Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado: Machado is easily one of my favorite authors of all time—she is unique, poignant, funny, thought provoking, and this book is no exception. This is an anthology about women and their bodies—beautiful bodies, monstrous bodies, mysterious bodies, dead bodies, or even their lack of body. Each chapter had me on the edge of my seat with its provocative imagery and devastating symbolism—a beautiful, experimental commentary on the concept that is the female body, viewed through a feminist lense.
• Educated by Tara Westover: This gripping memoir follows a girl navigating her family’s off-the-grid lifestyle—after never attending school and spending much of her childhood doomsday prepping, she attempts to enter the outside world at 17, feeling like a fish out of water. Still, she is resilient and shares with us her struggles and accomplishments in her journey into a new, different, and hopefully better life. This book is gripping and it does not hold back—it is about religious extremism, childhood abuse, going through change, and of course being educated.
• Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg: I can’t describe the catharsis of reading this book for me—one of the most raw, painfully honest portrayals of the genderqueer experience I’ve ever seen—I’m not exaggerating when I say this book changed my life. We follow Jess, a genderqueer butch, throughout her life—starting in the ‘40s, an era where it was not easy to live as queer. This book is truly brutal at times and yet it is completely necessary—this book is queer history that everyone should read.
• House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski: This book is somewhat of a legend online and for good reason—it follows several perspectives, with experimental and disorienting typography, and it is full of paradox—what more could you ask for? On one level, this book is about a house with an ever-changing interior. On another level, this book is about a young man being driven mad by a mystery. On yet another level, this book follows like six other intertwining plot lines with varying degrees of importance that I can’t even begin to describe. This book is difficult to explain, you kind of have to experience it for yourself—and yet, it is a wonderful experience. If you like paradoxical mysteries, this book is for you.
• We Mostly Come Out at Night edited by Rob Costello: I love anthologies with multiple authors, and this is one of my favorites. This book is a collection of short stories—all queer and monster-themed. This is a book that reclaims the villainization many queer people experience. The chapters range from funny to heartbreaking to wonderfully weird. This book is also a great way to discover new authors—I started following like 5 new authors after reading this book. Largely lighthearted with great authors and beautiful stories—very much worth reading.

I’m glad I got a chance to recommend these awesome books and to do these articles this year. It’s been a wild ride and I hope it brought readers some joy—have a good summer, see y’all next year.