Theater & Arts
BREAK MODE! For the past few weeks, deadlines have quieted down, Canvas tabs have remained closed, and you have had moments to breathe without the weight of academics. Before the rush of the new semester begins, it is time to pick up a book that doesn’t require a highlighter. Whether you’re in the mood for heartbreak, magic, or enigma, VantReads has your perfect escape lined up.
Romance
Today, Tonight, Tomorrow (2020) by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Romance meets rivalry in Today, Tonight, Tomorrow as it follows two high school academic enemies, Rowan Roth and Neil McNair. Forced to team up for their senior class’s yearly scavenger hunt, their unexpected situation urges them to reflect on their dynamic and wonder if their rivalry might mean something more. This lighthearted and fun-filled story guarantees that your romcom needs are met, as the novel has plenty of wholesome moments that are sure to make you swoon during the holiday season.
Recommended for: Readers who enjoy a heartwarming read to romanticize their academic life.
Flatshare (2019) by Beth O’Leary
In Flatshare, Tiffy Moore and Leon Twomey find themselves in an unusual living situation: they share an apartment but have never met. Tiffy occupies the flat at night, while Leon uses it during the day. Their only form of communication? Post-it notes. What first starts as a practical living arrangement slowly turns into something more, as their notes slowly shift from basic household instructions and time arrangements to genuine connection and closeness. It’s a story packed with laughs, heartache, and small, everyday moments that show how relationships can form even in the most unexpected circumstances.
Recommended for: Readers navigating college life with a secret crush and mismatched schedules.
Fantasy
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) by Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a classic novel that follows a handsome, fresh-faced man named Dorian who wishes to remain eternally young. He becomes the muse of artist Basil Hallward, resulting in his portrait. As Dorian plunges into a world of opulence, excess, and corruption, the painting of himself continues to degrade. Throughout Dorian’s journey, Wilde’s wit and vision remain entertaining and relatable, as readers feel the anxiety and paranoia of the protagonist’s lavish and gluttonous lifestyle.
Recommended for: Readers who like to live life on the fast lane and are looking for a novel to match their pace.
The Midnight Library (2020) by Matt Haig
After hitting a low point, Nora Seed finds herself in The Midnight Library, a place where every book contains a version of a life she could have lived. As she steps into these alternate worlds, she begins to see that no life is free of pain, regret, or loss. Each choice carries its own weight, and perfection remains an illusion. Hence, what Nora truly needs isn’t a flawless existence, but the courage to embrace the imperfect one she already has.
Recommended for: Readers who are overwhelmed by pressure and seek a reminder that it’s normal not to have everything figured out yet.
Coming of Age
Flush (1933) by Virginia Woolf
Growing pains unfold through the cocker spaniel dog named Flush. Woolf crafts an imaginary biography of English poet Elizabeth Barrett’s beloved pet, tracing how the small animal learns to be a loyal companion. As Flush assimilates to the bustling city life of London, he slowly grows out of his puppy years and learns what it means to be a woman’s faithful best friend. Beyond being a novella about a dog, the story also presents an interesting look into the life of Barrett and what it means to be a female writer during the Victorian era.
Recommended for: Readers who are looking to explore the meaning of growing up alongside important people in their lives.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1943) by Betty Smith
Set in the early 1900s, the novel follows Francie Nolan, a young girl growing up in poverty in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Through her love of books and quiet resilience, Francie learns to navigate a world that is both tender and cruel. The tree that grows outside her apartment becomes a symbol of her persistence as life insists on surviving in the hardest soil. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn isn’t loud or flashy; it’s a slow bloom of a novel, one that reminds readers that sometimes surviving is already its own kind of success.
Recommended for: Readers who romanticize the grind a little too often.
Horror
Perfume (1985) by Patrick Süskind
In 18th-century France, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born with a supernatural sense of smell—but without a scent of his own. As he grows obsessed with capturing the “perfect” fragrance, Perfume shifts from historical fiction into a far darker story, tracing how his genius slowly curdles into madness and murder. Süskind’s novel moves with an unsettling beauty, pulling readers deeper into a world where desire becomes distortion.
Recommended for: Readers who crave moody, unsettling reads and are fascinated by obsession and ambition.
The Vet’s Daughter (1959) by Barbara Comyns
The Vet’s Daughter begins in the stark reality of domestic cruelty before slipping into the uncanny. Alice Rowlands lives under the cruelty of her father, a London veterinarian whose home feels more like a cage than a refuge. In the middle of this grim everyday life, Alice discovers an uncanny gift: levitation. Her strange ability becomes both an escape and a metaphor for survival. Comyns turns grief into weightlessness, crafting a story that lingers not because of ghosts, but because of how accurately it captures the eeriness of girlhood.
Recommended for: Readers who’ve been feeling stuck or weighed down and have dreamt of escaping to another world.
Mystery
In Cold Blood (1965) by Truman Capote
Considered to be the trailblazer for the true crime genre, Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood chronicles the 1959 Clutter family murders, where ex-convict Perry Smith and Richard Hickock killed all four members of their Kansas home. Capote’s novel transforms journalism by retelling the story through his own masterful narration, rather than a neutral, third-person storyteller. Alongside his best friend, Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, Capote includes rich details about the incident, using bone-chilling commentaries that would challenge the way standard newspapers reported the murders.
Recommended for: Readers looking for a riveting story to make their semester break all the more exciting.
If We Were Villains (2017) by M.L. Rio
At an elite Shakespearean conservatory, a group of young actors live and breathe their art until the line between performance and reality begins to blur. When a tragedy fractures their once-unshakable bond, Oliver Marks is left to make sense of broken friendships, ambitions pushed too far, and the mistakes that come with loving too deeply. Told years later as a quiet confession, the novel unfolds like a memory: part mystery and part elegy for youth and the love of creation. Rio’s If We Were Villains perfectly captures the ache and wonder of giving yourself entirely to something that consumes you.
Recommended for: Readers seeking comfort in their own passions and friendships, especially as a respite from their intense school life.
Cozy up this holiday season
You’ve spent the semester reading to keep up, now it’s time to read to slow down. As we head onto the next semester, let these recommended stories remind you that there is always a chance to start fresh and keep going. Follow lives full of wrong turns, surprises, and setbacks; and remember—one misstep does not mean you’re off track.
To help ease you into a cozy reading session, click here to also enjoy a playlist we’ve put together just for the occasion.
