Books To Add To Your Reading List: Babble's Top Picks This Month

Hello, again. I’m Brooke’s friend, Erika. And I'm back to Babble about the books we've been reading. We have quite an assortment this month - some old, some new, some short, some long... Hopefully we help you find your next good read!

As always, if you have something you think the Babble team ought to dive into, let us know.

What We've Been Reading

Recommendations from our Reading List:

And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

This is a collection of poems by the great Maya Angelou, originally published in 1978. This has been sitting on my bedside table for a while, so I decided to start the new year with it. I spent a weekend dabbling in these poems. It felt like a calm, peaceful - yet powerful - way to begin my 2025 reading journey. All hail Ms. Angelou!

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84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

Do you ever feel like a book finds you? This book found me. And it's quite possibly the most charming book I've ever read! This was first published in 1970. It is very short (I read it in one afternoon). It was made into a movie in 1987 staring Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins. If you need a "pick-me-up," a laugh, and a reason to have faith in humanity, check this one out. I don't think anyone could read it without smiling.

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Not Here To Make Friends by Jodi McAlister

January sucks. I needed a fluffy love story/beach read type book to pull me out of my "frigid bitch" funk. This was a fun little rom-com. And, if you're a fan of reality dating shows like The Bachelor, you'll love this even more. (I'm not a fan of those shows, but enjoyed this story.)

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The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

Whoa! This book had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I could not put it down. Neighbors, friends...a baby goes missing...secrets unfold...everyone has something to hide.

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The Nature Fix by Florence Williams

Most of us know that simply going outside can elevate our mood. Better yet, a hike or a day at the beach can change us emotionally for days or weeks. Nature really does change us on a cellular level, impacting our brains, our creativity and our health. This book explains why. It's nonfiction and shows us - scientifically - that nature is incredibly important to us as humans. This was well-written, but in an entertaining way that did not at all feel like reading a textbook. Nerd out on this one, then take a hike.

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Menopause Manifesto by Dr. Jen Gunter

Anyone else on this rollercoaster called "perimenopause"? If so, I highly recommend this book. My amazing OBGYN recommended it. It's funny, straight to the point, and organized in a way that makes sense. You can skip entire chapters if a particular topic isn't something you need right now. (All women will experience our own version of peri/menopause with our own specific-to-us cocktail of symptoms.) My favorite feature of this book is the "Bottom Line" synopsis at the end of each chapter - kind of like a cliffs notes feature. I know that books like this can be a drag sometimes, but this one wasn't.

(Bonus: It's available for free on Kindle Unlimited for those who subscribe.)

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Bonus Recommendation(s):

Bone of the Bone by Sarah Smarsh

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance

Alienated America by Timothy P. Carney

I'm posting these three books for a few reasons. If you read my 2024 Babble book post last month, you saw "Bone of the Bone" was listed. This was the last book I read in 2024 because my little local book club read this for January. It is incredibly timely (coming off a momentous election and inauguration). It reminded me of two books I read right after the 2016 election: Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance (now our Vice President) (also, the book was SO much better than the movie) and Alienated America by Timothy P. Carney. If you are interested in politics, learning more about the American working class, the economy, community...or maybe just looking for an explanation as to how America got to where we are today...I highly recommend all three of these books. They are well-written and eye-opening.

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Coming up in February…

Of course there will be a love story because it's February....and still cold and wet and winter and I need an escape. Plus some other fun books, possibly a murder mystery/missing person puzzle to solve. See you next month! -Erika

Find me on Good Reads and see what I'm reading in real time!

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