Fall is coming, and what better way to celebrate than to curl up with a good book? Take a break from your regularly scheduled television and dive into a book that perfectly matches the vibe. Whether you’ve been binging Ted Lasso, The Summer I Turned Pretty, or The Bear, we have the book recommendations for you!
For all of our Ted Lasso fans, Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby is perfect for you! With football at its core (yes, we are talking about soccer here), Fever Pitch mimics Lasso’s passion for sports. This memoir perfectly encapsulates what it feels like to be a die-hard fan of a team and how that can affect your daily life. Pulling in comedy and real-life experiences, this book is a great read for anyone waiting for season four of Ted Lasso to hit our screens!
Wednesday, the show, not the day, is taking control of pop culture with every episode. With Jenna Ortega’s captivating acting and Tim Burton’s creations coming to life, the show is one everyone can obsess over. But what do you do when you’ve finished the series? I got it! Read a book that reminds you of the daring plot you miss so much. Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez can help with that. Tying in family history, spooky stories, and grief, this book will keep you on your toes and have you reading “just one more chapter” over and over. And of course, anything by Edgar Allen Poe is bound to hit all of your Wednesday desires as well.
The Summer I Turned Pretty is currently releasing its third season, and just like you, I’m DYING every week for each new episode. As the cold weather is slowly coming in, there’s no better time to pretend you're on a beach (or in Paris) with attractive men at your side. When looking for a friends to lovers gone wrong plot that features drama on the beach, Every Summer After by Carley Fortune is the book for you. Just like Belly, the main character of this novel, Persephone, has lived her summers beach side with a boy she comes to love. But what happens when everything goes wrong? You’ll just have to read and find out.
As school is kicking back in gear, I know all of you have Abbott Elementary on your mind, and if not, you’re missing out! This award-winning show features all of the ups and downs of working as a passionate educator in an underfunded public school. With lovable characters and a relatable plot, who wouldn’t love sitting down to watch an episode? Season 5 is still a month away, so let’s let the time pass while reading Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin. This time, dive into the teacher career with the perspective of someone with different dreams. Ayesha is a teacher by day and a poet by night, giving the novel a beautiful balance of dreams and reality. With romance and personal drama sprinkled throughout, Ayesha at Last will have you ready for season 5 when it comes this October!
Just like everyone else, I, too, enjoy the guilty pleasure of reality television. Whether it’s Love Island, The Ultimatum, or Love Is Blind, I am glued to my seat with a bowl of popcorn and a refreshing drink in hand. If you’re looking to gasp and gossip, One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London is your book! Featuring a plus-size woman as the romantic prize in a Bachelorette-esque dating show, One to Watch dives into conversations about body positivity while also keeping you up to date with Bea’s dating life on Main Squeeze. This contemporary chick-lit will not only have you hooked with every twist and turn, but will also make you consider your outlook on the image of reality TV.
Running for a whopping 8 seasons, Game of Thrones has had a chokehold on fantasy lovers for years. If GOT was your jam, a world of fantasy novels is waiting for you, including the original novel series the show was based on! As you enter this new world, Red Rising by Pierce Brown is a book to check out (get it? Library pun). With high-stakes politics and ambitious characters at the core of both series, GOT lovers have been eating up Red Rising. This book features Darrow hard at work to make Mars livable for future generations, but as he uncovers the secrets of this project, Darrow is forced to sacrifice everything for the people he loves. Phew, I can’t think of any better alternative to re-binging Game of Thrones for the fifth time.
Now, I’ll be honest with this one, I’ve never seen an episode of The Sopranos, but boy oh boy have I heard about it. Why is it that we all lose our minds over mob-based media? Whatever it is, there’s plenty of media you can dive into to distract you from the aching feeling of watching The Sopranos again. A lesser-known novel, Double Dare by Edward Keyes, tells the true story of a restaurant owner stuck between the mob and the law. Main character Tony strikes a deal with a mob, but when the police find out, everything must change. Dive into this read to see the inner workings of making a deal with a mob and how the fallout might affect life around you. If you’re looking to be on the edge of your seat, this book is for you.
Chicago’s The Bear has me coming back time and time again for the story of Carmy and the restaurant he knows and loves. The show provides watchers with an insight into the fast-paced culinary world of a working restaurant. Bringing his culinary knowledge to The Beef of Chicagoland, Carmy blends upscale cuisine with the classics. With a similar look behind the swinging kitchen doors, Notes from a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi & Joshua David Stein gives readers a story about falling in love with cooking and how our passions can save us. Follow as Kwame evolves from selling drugs to owning a fine-dining restaurant all by the age of 27. Just like The Bear, this story is an emotional rollercoaster and will have you rooting for yet another young chef!
What’s a better way to relax outside of your 9-5 than to read or watch a Sci-Fi about work? Blending the reality of workplaces with the imagination of dystopian concepts, Severance is a TV show everyone is talking about. If you could separate your “innie” and “outie” memories, would you? Keeping the workplace drama alive and sharing a name with the beloved TV show, Severance, by Ling Ma is the perfect book for anyone who loves the show. Candace, our leading lady of the novel, is so stuck in the routine of her day-to-day life that she barely notices a plague spreading around her city. As all infected around her are plagued to repeat their routines until the end of their time, Candace begins to question her own routine. Is your 9-5 worth dedicating everything to? Or is it better to have no memory of what it entails? The choice is yours; all you must do is dive into the story.
Have you ever wanted to dive into the mind of a potential serial killer? Shows like Dexter do exactly that. With the rise of true crime documentaries and TV shows, the psychology of sociopaths is easily accessible. Dexter gives us insight into the mind of a vigilante killer, but what does it look like when those impulses start seeping in at a young age? I Am Not A Serial Killer by Dan Wells features a very self-aware teenager who is worried that his obsession with serial killers is getting to be too much. As John does everything he can to hide his innermost secrets, he is met with a challenge as danger comes into town. Dive into this book to understand the fight between the urge to kill and the desire to keep to a moral compass. If you’re a true crime junkie, add this title to your TBR!
Whether this article put you onto new books or new TV shows, we hope you had fun along the ride. Don’t forget to stop into the library to find your next binge-worthy check-out. I can’t guarantee that we’ll have everything you’re looking for, but I can promise you’ll be met with a smiling face and someone on staff who is ready to geek out just as much as you are. We wish you well on your journey down one path of an overwhelming amount of similar media. May your couch have a perfect butt imprint, your snacks be the right level of crunchiness, and your drinks be thirst-quenching. Happy binging to all who participate!
Sources:
Penguin Random House, Early Bird Books, W Magazine, & The Lineup
Posted by Bri Campbell, Teen & Adult Program Coordinator! :)
