Five gentle books to ease you into Semester one

We’re all guilty of letting our reading habits slip once classes start up again. We get busy, and it’s hard to find time for books, physically, digitally or on audiobooks. Whether you’re new to the city or returning, here is a selection of gentle books to scratch every itch and keep you ticking along towards your yearly reading goals. 

Who Will Run the Frog Hospital? By Lorrie Moore

It’s no secret that friendships get a bit weird at university, whether it’s making new ones or maintaining others. Lorrie Moore covers it all in this brief breeze of a book, following two girls as they navigate their changing relationship as they get older. Funny and sweet, this is a beautifully short book that will ease you into the weirdness of the start of the year. 

Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector

Sometimes all you need is a short, sharp book that hits you right where it hurts. Hour of the Star follows a downtrodden woman named Macabéa through the eyes of a distant narrator who is constantly negotiating between what he sees and what he portrays to the reader. It’s sad, funny, thought-provoking, and all in under ninety pages. A perfect book to read in one sitting and to get you out of a slump.

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

A bit of a guilty pleasure for me, this is a true 'turn your brain off' book, but without sacrificing quality. The way Reid constructs a myriad of fictional successful women is impressive in itself, and Carrie Soto happens to be the best of them. A very compelling story about a tennis great returning from retirement to defend her world record. Incredibly enjoyable and easy to get through, especially on audiobook.  

Brian by Jeremy Cooper

One of my favourite books, published in beautiful Fitzcarraldo blue, Brian is a wistful book that follows a man named Brian as he moves from his solitary existence into one filled with community, friendship, and most importantly, films. This book perfectly scratches the itch for me, bridging my love of reading and watching films, and I relish the descriptions of the seemingly endless films Brian watches at the BFI Southbank. A great one if you fancy something meandering and introspective, whilst also picking up some films for your watchlist. 

Letter to My Daughter by Maya Angelou

Written as a collection of letters to the daughter Angelou never had, this book is one of the most comforting things I have ever read. It is shamefully the only of her works I have read, and yet it is one I come back to repeatedly. It explores love, life, creativity, and the search for meaning, but never in a way that feels forced. Her advice is gentle and wise and always feels like Angelou is gently putting her hand on my shoulder and telling me everything will work out just fine. A must read if you feel like Semester one has left you adrift.