I will be completely honest—I have been burnt out, to the point where I have been struggling to find joy in reading and even finding reading books for my job a burden. I am sure a lot of you have been feeling the same way. But as I went searching for ways to engage with the world around me, I found that there were a number of ways to respond via my reading habits. I could read literature that would inspire me to fight back, literature that allowed me to wallow and heal through catharsis, or truly escape through literature that is as far away from today as possible. And so, here are the three books that I read as I tried each path.
Kicking and Screaming: Unbecoming by Seema Yasmin
According to Seema Yasmin, Unbecoming began its’ writing journey during the summer of 2019, back when a world where abortion was illegal in the United States could be considered speculative fiction. Nowadays, Laylah’s story of a pregnancy she is desperate to abort but is unable to due to her living in Texas is all too real. Laylah and her best friend Noor (who is pansexual) already knew how important the fight for bodily autonomy is—they have been writing an essential guide to getting an abortion and are in the last few weeks before it goes live. While Laylah desperately tries to keep her pregnancy a secret and to find those elusive abortion pills, aspiring investigative journalist Noor works to uncover a conspiracy between the wife of her mosque’s Imam and a local politician.
Unbecoming is a passionate cry for resistance and revolution. It is hard to read this book and to not feel a mixture of anger, hopelessness, determination, and trepidation. And unfortunately, Yasmin shows the readers that this is not a recent development—the discussions of the 1976 forced sterilization program in India mesh all too well with those of modern-day American politics. The plotline does get a bit confusing near the end, but I choose to look at it as a creative choice: neither Noor or Laylah know clearly what to do and neither should the reader. Unbecoming is a great read for people who are angry and want to read about people who are actively resisting.
Despondent and Anxious: We Could Be Rats by Emily Austin
If you have read Emily Austin before, then you will know her books will make you think a lot, and We Could be Rats is no exception. This epistolatory novel tells the story of Sigrid in three sections. The first section tells the story of a girl who hates working at her local dollar store but does not want to be a standard-size adult. The second section is penned by her sister Margit, who visits Sigrid one day and finds a card on her front door that reads “Don’t come in—I’m dead.” The third tells the story of two sisters finding their way back to each other through childhood imagination and shared experiences.
I will say that We Could Be Rats is not a light read. If you are sensitive to stories containing suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, rape, domestic abuse and violence, drug use, and homophobia, find another story. With that said, I think We Could Be Rats is one of the most important stories one could read nowadays. This book pays tribute to the many versions of ourselves: to the adult trying to figure out what we are meant to be doing, to the child reaching out to our loved ones, and to the reader holding the book. I think this will be a great pick for fans of John Green and of the movie Lady Bird.
Escapism at It’s Finest: Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove (releasing June 3rd, 2025)
This was supposed to be a simple trip to Alpha Centauri B Habitation 004, with 312 human passengers and various assets. Demeter Unit 22113160 (known as Demeter) has done countless others, but never before with the ancient evil known as Dracula stowing away and killing everyone on board. Thus begins a string of cursed voyages where Demeter’s passengers rarely survive and she is deemed “the ghost ship.” Out of these failures rise a werewolf, a Frankenstein, a mummy, and a vampire hunter, all determined to find Dracula and bring justice to those he murdered.
I adored how immersive Demeter’s perspective is. In a time dominated by AI being used to replace humans, it is heartening to read a narrative where the AI is truly helpful and almost emotional. The relationships that Demeter builds with her friends/charges are beyond that of robotic servant and master: she fights for their happiness and wellbeing and them for hers. It is truly reminiscent of when people would stick googly eyes onto their Roombas and develop a bond with them. This will be a great read for people who love gothic fiction and speculative fiction.
As always, you can get any of these books through your local library, indie bookstore, or through the Bookshop links above! Happy reading!
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