58. 4 books that remind you it's never too late
sure to break your heart and put it back together & some exciting book releases on January 14th!
You can live a thousand lives in one lifetime. These books can help you rediscover yourself. It’s never too late.
Recently, I’ve really curated some bookshop list recommendations, and this is one of the lists that sang to me. I hope something resonates with you. All four of these books are rather special to me (as you might be able to guess by my explanations), and I hope they become special to you as well.
Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton
A personal memoir/recounting of Dolly’s twenties - and a bit before. She touches so perfectly on the pressure points many of us feel throughout our lives. We’re supposed to be in love, have the perfect job, a lovely friend group - everyone makes it sound so easy. And it’s not, and we feel alone in that feeling when each one of us probably just needs a hug. Dolly makes you feel seen, heard, and not alone. She shares her lowest lows and highest highs, that life is a roller coaster, that love does not follow a set pattern. Love doesn’t necessarily need to be about your partner; some of the greatest loves of your lifetime are in the form of friendships. This book reminds you that you are not alone, that some of the greatest things in life are coming still, and that love is found in a thousand different ways.
Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
This quote changed my life: “As long as you are alive, it is never too late to be found.” With a special focus on sisterhood, Coco explores how different paths and difficulties lead you where you’re supposed to be. She shows how choices make the difference, how confronting your past allows you the freedom of your future. Our three sisters, born and raised in New York, come back together from all corners of the world to save their family home. They are messy and imperfect and addicts. They are scared of love and had neglectful childhoods. They fight like cats and dogs. They are real. If you are a sister, this is sure to hit you somewhere you can’t quite explain. If you aren’t a sister, you’ll still see that it is never too late to be found.
Good Material by Dolly Alderton
Dolly has a special skill with books that allow you to start over. Andy is a thirty five year old unsuccessful comedian, and his girlfriend of four years just dumped him out of the blue. Andy, as you might guess, is at his lowest of lows. We follow along with Andy as he navigates heartbreak in a brutally honest way with the realistic intricacies of family friends and trying to pursue a career. We learn that perhaps this breakup wasn’t out of the blue. We see how Andy is able to live another life - or perhaps the one he was meant for all along - as he grieves the loss of his past life. The hurt you experience in the past drives who you become in the future, and sometimes it is in the best of ways.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
One of my all time favorite authors, and the second book of his that I read. A Man Called Ove is a book you simply have to read, even if you don’t like it at first. Ove is a curmudgeon through and through. He has his routine and life, and he is set in it. A new set of neighbors upend that routine, and they manage to peel back Ove’s layers to discover the broken heart underneath. We see Ove and his wife as they fall in love. We see Ove lose her, his person. And we see how family doesn’t need to be defined by blood, and that even as an old man, Ove has something to learn and new people to love. There is always something and someone out there waiting for you to love them. (TW: suicidal thoughts and ideation)
A bare a piece of my heart to you in these books and explanations. If you’re curious to see my other book lists, you can visit my bookshop profile below.
Note, the links to books are affiliate links! We’re back with some big hitters releasing the week of January 13th.
The Big Empty by Robert Crais (Mystery): Jan 14, 2025
The Texas Murders by James Patterson (Thriller): Jan 14, 2025
Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney (Thriller): Jan 14, 2025
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix (Horror): Jan 14, 2025
What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange (Women’s Fiction): Jan 14, 2025
Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yahbao (Fantasy): Jan 14, 2025
Note: not only is this book gorgeous and sounds fantastic, but the jacket is ORIGAMI.
Babylonia by Costanza Casati (Epic Fantasy): Jan 14, 2025
The Favorites by Layne Fargo (Romance): Jan 14, 2025
The In Between Bookstore by Edward Underhill (Magical Realism): Jan 14, 2025
Flirting With Disaster by Naina Kumar (Romance): Jan 14, 2025
Books I’ve compiled from a variety of lists such as the New York Times, Indiebound, and the B&N Top 100, but also through what I’ve seen online. I’ve decided to simply add the books I haven’t before, since I’ve caught up to the new additions. If you’re curious, last week’s post can be found here.
Things are still backlogged from the holidays, so here are the recent releases I’ve heard amazing things about!
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yahbao
The Favorites by Layne Fargo
Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams
Just a reminder to comment any recommendations or email me: thesundayreads@gmail.com!
Um, any of the four above! All changed my life and way of thinking! Thank you! So good and life changing!
That’s all for today. Much love
Izzy
A Man Called Ove is one of my favourites of all time. That story held my hand when I really needed it — the warmth of the characters supporting Ove just fills me with hope every time
I read Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton about eight or nine years ago I think, and loved it! Definitely an important read while I was in my twenties.