As our new way of living finally begins to settle in, our team at Hopeloft has restructured our approach to working and giving back to our community by taking care to carve out time for our own personal growth and development. And what better way than through some free-time reading? In hopes that you are searching for self-care through some good reads, we have asked a handful of bibliophiles in our staff to recommend their favorite books! Here is a short list we have compiled with books ranging from memoirs to horror—we hope you enjoy!
Kylee’s Pick:
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
“I’ve never read a Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie story I didn’t like, but Americanah has always stayed with me. I reread it about once a year and it comes to mind many times in between. It’s deeply moving, brutally honest, and very funny.”
Josie’s Pick:
Educated by Tara Westover
“I couldn’t put down this book. It truly transports you into Tara’s life growing up with almost no education and how she transforms her life and the journey she goes through to get there. It can be really difficult to read at times, but also gives so much hope for the future.”
Christian’s Pick:
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
“A book about another book about a documentary about a house. It sounds convoluted and it is—but House of Leaves is the most fun I’ve ever had reading a novel. It’s unlike anything I’ve read before or since. At its heart, this is a haunting tale of a family who move into a new house and discover something unusual about the architecture. With copious footnotes and no fewer than three narrators narrating the book, the other book, and the film, House of Leaves is just as much of a labyrinth as the house it’s named after. If you’re tired of being stuck indoors, well, let’s just say this story will make you think you’ve got it easy.”
Hillary’s Pick:
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Alborn
“Tuesdays with Morrie is a classic for me and has always been my go-to book that I recommend to people who don’t read often. It’s a quick read that discusses life, death, forgiveness, trust, and belief, while giving advice and wisdom to the reader.”
Annalisa’s Pick:
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
“This is one of my favorite books, if not my favorite. It is beautifully honest, vivid, sad, gripping, funny, raw, and poetic—but any attempt of mine to describe this book will only fall short of the soul of this transformative memoir. This is an essential work of literature, and everyone should read it at least once in their lifetime.”
At Hopeloft we are dedicated to serving our community, and in these stressful times we will continue to provide free and accessible self-care and personal development resources. If you are searching for more self-help resources, we have a regularly updated list located on our website, accompanied by other critical COVID-19 resources; you can also call our Hopeloft Hotline at 856-200-8274 Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for help with locating and accessing local resources.