Our staff breaks down their daily reads to keep our summer brain gears turning.
(Daisy Alejandre/ Rowdy Magazine Designer)
Quarantine may keep our bodies trapped inside, but she can do absolutely nothing to keep our minds there. Make your days feel a little less monotonous by actually reading more like you promised yourself you would back in March. If you have been looking for a sign to pick up a paperback or e-book, this is it! We asked our team what they've been reading to learn, grow and just stay sane this season. Whether you've been trying to get into poetry, short stories, comics or well-loved classics, there's a little something for everyone. Check out our break down below.
1. This Is Not A T-Shirt, Bobby Hundreds, Memoir
Isaac Grossman
Testament: "Pretty much the only and most accurate book on streetwear there is"
History of streetwear as told by the creator of The Hundreds brand, widely known for the "Adam Bomb
2. Nine Stories, J.D. Salinger, Fiction
Sol Weman
Testament: "Takes a unique approach to explaining those long sought after life questions in short individual stories"
Famous for Salinger's two most popular short stories "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" and "For Esmé –– With Love and Squalor"
3. Normal People, Sally Rooney, Romance
Sandra Salvatierra
Testament: “Will make you want to move to Dublin and fall in l*ve”
Recently adapted into a TV series on Hulu and BBC3 that made headlines for including 41 minutes of sex scenes (spicy!)
4. The Nightingale, Kristina Hannah, Historical Fiction
Brooke DeSantis
Testament: "Two bad ass women’s perspectives as they take on German-occupied France during WWII"
Currently in pre-production for a 2021 film starring Dakota and Elle Fanning
5. Gay New York, George Chauncey, Nonfiction
Melody Castillo
Testament: "Before WWII and the creation of the closet, men had New York and the Roaring Twenties"
Exploration of gender, urban culture and the making of the Gay World from 1890 to 1940
6. Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens, Mystery/Coming-of-age
Bianca Gonzales
Testament: "A beautifully told story of a girl living alone in nature as a murder mystery unravels"
Has been on the New York Times Fiction Best Seller list of 2019 and 2020 for 30 nonconsecutive weeks
7. Help In the Dark Season, Jacqueline Suskin, Free-verse Poetry
Ava Loomar
Testament: "What we learn from love in its many forms and the complications and joys that arise from it. Will force you to connect with your emotions."
Suskin writes poetry on-demand for customers about a topic they choose in a project called "Poem Store"
8. Perfume, Patrick Süskind, Thriller
Peyton Whittington
Testament: "Ever noticed that smell is the hardest sense to describe through the written word? Yeah, Pat thought so, too. So he wrote a book about a dude who murders a lady because she smells good. Oh, and there's an orgy at the end, too! It's a good book, I promise!"
9. Lore Olympus, Rachel Smythe, Webtoons.com
Ana Escalante
Testament: "Do you like beautiful art? Oh Boy Do I Got Something To Show You ... Modern Day retelling of the Classical Greek myth, The Abduction of Persephone."
May or may not pay for premium access for bonus content AND for an unaffiliated podcast... Yeah. I'm in too deep at this point.
If you've read it, slide into my DMs. I'm serious. I have a lot of thoughts.
10. The Alchemist, Paulo Cohelo, Fable
Andrea Wilson
Testament: "Super quick read that makes you wonder about your own connection to the universe"
Classic bestseller known for poignant quotes, so get your highlighter read