Back again with another seasonal faves post :) These are the best books I’ve read, movies I’ve watched, music I’ve listened to, and other great things I’ve found this fall!
Books
Reminder: ALWAYS check trigger warnings before reading! I have many listed in each book’s individual section, but you can look here to find a more comprehensive list.
All summaries are shortened from the synopses on Goodreads.
Sci-Fi
Iron Widow by Xiran jay Zhao (16+)
The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn't matter that the girls often die from the mental strain.
When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.
To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed.
Futuristic re-imagining of China's only female emperor! An instant #1 NYT Bestseller
Also has a polyamorous relationship <3
CW: violence, abuse, suicide ideation, discussion/references to SA, alcohol addiction, torture
Contemporary
Radha and Jai’s Recipe for Romance by Nisha Sharma (13+)
Radha is on the verge of becoming one of the greatest Kathak dancers in the world… until a family betrayal costs her the biggest competition of her life. Now, she has left her Chicago home behind to follow her stage mom to New Jersey. At the Princeton Academy of the Arts, Radha is determined to leave performing in her past, and reinvent herself from scratch.
Jai is captain of the Bollywood Beats dance team, ranked first in his class, and an overachiever with no college plans. Tight family funds mean medical school is a pipe dream, which is why he wants to make the most out of high school. When Radha enters his life, he realizes she's the exact ingredient he needs for a show-stopping senior year.
With careful choreography, both Radha and Jai will need to face their fears (and their families) if they want a taste of a happily ever after.
So cute & wholesome, but also tackles family relationships, mental health, and future uncertainty
Lovely incorporation of South Asian culture!
CW: anxiety, panic attacks, stroke, infidelity (mentioned)
Not Here to Be Liked by Michelle Quach (14+)
Eliza Quan is the perfect candidate for editor-in-chief of her school paper. That is, until ex-jock Len DiMartile decides on a whim to run against her. Suddenly her vast qualifications mean squat because inexperienced Len—who is tall, handsome, and male—just seems more like a leader. When Eliza’s frustration spills out in a viral essay, she finds herself inspiring a feminist movement she never meant to start, caught between those who believe she’s a gender equality champion and others who think she’s simply crying misogyny. Amid this growing tension, the school asks Eliza and Len to work side by side to demonstrate civility. But as they get to know one another, Eliza feels increasingly trapped by a horrifying realization—she just might be falling for the face of the patriarchy himself.
Academic rivals to lovers with important discussion about feminism, sexism, and intersectionality
CW: sexism, racism (both challenged), vomit, alcohol
You Can Go Your Own Way by Eric Smith (13+)
Adam Stillwater is in over his head. At least, that’s what his best friend would say. And his mom. But this pinball arcade is the only piece of his dad that Adam has left, and he’s determined to protect it from Philadelphia’s newest tech mogul, who wants to turn it into another one of his cold, lifeless gaming cafés.
Whitney Mitchell doesn’t know how she got here. Her parents split up. Her boyfriend dumped her. Her friends seem to have changed overnight. And now she’s spending her senior year running social media for her dad’s chain of gaming cafés—which mostly consists of trading insults with that old pinball arcade across town.
But when a huge snowstorm hits, Adam and Whitney suddenly find themselves trapped inside the arcade. Cut off from their families, their worlds, and their responsibilities, the tension between them seems to melt away, leaving something else in its place. But what happens when the storm stops?
Friends to enemies to lovers, forced proximity, Tweet Cute-style social media feud
CW: death of loved one (in the past, off-page), grief
So, This is Christmas by Tracy Andreen (13+)
When Finley Brown returned to her hometown of Christmas, Oklahoma, from boarding school, she expected to find it just as she left it. Christmas hasn't changed much in her sixteen years. But instead she returns to find that her best friend is dating her ex-boyfriend, her parents have separated, and her archnemesis got a job working at her grandmother's inn. And she certainly didn't expect to find the boy she may or may not have tricked into believing that Christmas was an idyllic holiday paradise on her grandmother's doorstep. It's up to Finley to make sure he gets the Christmas he was promised. This is Finley's Christmas. It's about home and family and friends and finding her place, and along the way she also finds the best Christmas present of all: love.
The absolute best feel-good holiday book - like a Hallmark movie wrapped up in a warm hug
Mystery/Thriller
The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe (14+)
Nora O’Malley’s been a lot of girls. As the daughter of a con artist, she grew up as her mother’s protégé. But when mom fell for the mark instead of conning him, Nora pulled the ultimate con: escape. For five years Nora’s been playing at normal. But she needs to dust off the skills she ditched because she has three problems:
#1: Her ex walked in on her with her girlfriend. Even though they’re all friends, Wes didn’t know about her and Iris.
#2: The morning after Wes finds them kissing, they all have to meet to deposit the fundraiser money they raised at the bank. It’s a nightmare that goes from awkward to deadly, because:
#3: Right after they enter the bank, two guys start robbing it.
The bank robbers may be trouble, but Nora’s something else entirely. They have no idea who they’re really holding hostage…
CW: very extensive, please see expansive list here
Music
"You Signed Up for This" - Maisie Peters (my favorites: "You Signed Up for This", "I'm Trying (Not Friends)", "Tough Act", "Outdoor Pool")
"CRUSHER" - Jeremy Zucker (my favorites: "Deep end", "Cry with you", "Therapist", "HONEST", "18")
“Happier Than Ever” - Billie Eilish
“Every Pretty Girl” - Andrew Barth Feldman
“Beginning Middle End” - Leah Nobel
“Black Butterflies & Deja Vu” - The Maine
“Ross and Rachel” - Jake Miller
“Backseat” - Lafrantz
“Never the 1” - ROSIE
“Social Stamina” - ROSIE
“10/10” - Troye Sivan
“gg bb xx” - LANY
“ilym” - john k ft. ROSIE
“suffice” - mxmtoon
"Summerland" - half alive
YouTube Channels
julia k crist: junior at Ball State University that posts technology, productivity, and college life content - super aesthetic, a lot of device organization videos & Apple product unboxings
MissKate: high school junior who makes school and lifestyle content
Breanna Quan: Canadian university student who posts lifestyle, productivity, and college life content - super satisfying and motivating
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