MEUF Winter reading list
Winter Reading List
Winter, a time spent in the interior. As the days quickly fade away, proximity to a good book is a necessity. We spent the last days of November scouring through our to be read lists for cozy evening favorites and current reads, to find you a book for every mood. Because what is winter if not spent with a novel in your left hand and a cup of black tea in your right?
We encourage you to visit local, used bookstores and public libraries before buying new copies. When you are finished, pass it on to the next lucky reader.
“Devotion” by Patti Smith
This is a book I keep turning back to since I first read it. The esteemed writer Patti Smith documents her creative process as she roams the halls of Albert Camus’ house, the grave of Simone Weil, and the garden of the publisher Gallimard, where the ghosts of Nabokov, Genet, and Mishima are almost tangible. She makes it her mission to answer the easiest question to ask a writer, and yet sometimes the hardest question for a writer to answer - Why do we write? - Diana C. Sánchez González, Editor
“Nine Stories” by J.D. Salinger
Touching stories of dysfunction that are worthy of endless revisiting. The fictional glass family was an inspiration for the best movie of all time: Wes Anderson’s “The Royal Tenenbaums” - Audrey Abrahams, Contributing Artist
“Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar” by Cheryl Strayed
This book, which is a collection of essays from Cheryl Strayed’s advice column “Dear Sugar,” is the perfect book to cozy up with on a cold winter day. Strayed’s advice is heartwarming, and the entries are quick, entertaining reads, making for a warm and wholesome way to pass the time while hiding from the snowfall as you sit on the couch. - Alexa Donovan, Contributing Writer
“The Message” by Ta-Nehisi Coates
“The Message” is the type of book that slowly builds an existential crisis in you, but the kind we need to critically recognize the wrongs in our world. Coates writes personally about his experiences with racism and white supremacy in the United States, drawing connections between the oppression of the Palestinian people and human struggles across Senegal, South Carolina, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem - revealing the systems of oppression that link global issues. - Isabel Meléndez, Contributing Writer
“Martyr!” by Kaveh Akbar
“Martyr!” is on my TBR this winter after hearing Akbar read a passage at the National Book Award Finalists reading. “You just chip away everything that doesn’t look like David.” - Alexandra Rozmarin, Contributing Writer
“The Unbearable Lightness of Being” by Milan Kundera
A disturbing and beautiful take on a multitude of stories that intertwine through acts of self destruction. If you are intrigued by the details of “erotic friendships,” commentary on communism in the Czech Republic, or the dissection of human character, slip this into your bag this winter. - Marisa Sandoval, Editor in Chief
“The Bell Jar” by Sylvia Plath
While admittedly not the most fun and festive read, “The Bell Jar” will forever be inseparable from this time of year for me. A frank and easily readable portrayal of a very difficult and emotive topic - women’s mental health. - Esther Arthurson, Contributing Writer
“The Forest of Enchantments” by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
This beautiful retelling of the classic epic Ramayana from the perspective of Sita offers an honest and important depiction of a woman’s love, suffering, and honor. - Trisha Gupta, Digital Director
“Moonlight” by Guy de Maupassant
Guy de Maupassant is considered a master of the short story, and the seven stories in this collection make clear why. Ranging from romance to suspense, each world is more intoxicating than the last. It’s a concise collection best read by the fireside. - Elliana Brown, Contributing Writer
“Tailor of Gloucester” by Beatrix Potter
A sweet nostalgic kid’s story about the holiday season, it’s perfect to relax with on a colder night. This book is beautifully illustrated and the perfect classic English fable for this time of year. I always come back to it! - Madeleine Smith, Editor
“Lost On Me” by Veronica Raimo
A coming of age story set in Italy and the funniest memoir you will ever read. It’s got a voice you won’t forget that unsurprisingly, talks about mothers and daughters and life and death and love and loss and tiny rooms you can’t escape and having a crush on the local drug dealer .- Lara Elise Tanner, Contributing Writer
“Journeys North” by Barney Scout Mann
A heartfelt adventure through the trails and mountains of the pacific crest trail. Narrated by “Scout,” we follow the trail from Mexico to Canada meeting friends, each with their own past and reasons for taking on the challenge of the 5 month hike. This book is a journey you feel like you are a part of right alongside Scout and his friends, plus the lovable dog, Pacha. - Olivia Venneman, Contributing Writer
“Ruined” by Lynn Nottage
Based in a brothel in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lynn Nottage’s play explores some of the horrifying grueling aspects of war in unexpected places. These include bargaining, sexual violence, and the power of the female figure in a sea of men – a read you will never forget. - Talia Shamoun, Managing Editor
