Contributed Photo / Katie Bird
What better books to read than the ones made into a TV series so you can binge the book and the show back-to-back? Here are some recommendations for you!
An absolute must read is Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This book will take you on an emotional rollercoaster through the times of rock ‘n’ roll during the late ’60s. The book follows Daisy as she is living her life on the LA strip going from club to club. Even though she enjoys the drugs and random hook-ups, there is nothing that she loves more than the music. As Daisy gets older, important people start to notice her voice. Daisy is not the only one making it big in the music industry though. A man named Billy Dunne and his band, The Six, are off on their very first tour and just as they are getting started, Billy’s girlfriend gets pregnant. Billy quickly spirals out of control, leaving him and his band in a tough spot. Daisy and The Six fall into success, through the chaos and struggle, when their paths cross at the hands of a well-known producer. But success doesn’t always last forever, but it can leave something legendary behind.
Another amazing book with a show that will feed your undeniable obsession after reading it is Normal People by Sally Rooney. The book begins by introducing two polar opposite characters. Connell is one of the star soccer players on his school team, he has a lot of friends and never finds himself lacking in popularity. Meanwhile, Marianne is shy, has next to no friends and is counting down the days until school ends. All starts to change when Connell is picking his mother up from Marianne’s house, where she cleans. Despite the endless differences between the two, they find themselves with a connection that neither of them can resist, but can try and hide. A year later, the two end up in Dublin at the same college. Only this time, it’s different. Marianne is fitting in and making connections, where Connell can’t seem to find where he belongs. Over the years, they stay connected, unable to break their attachment. Eventually, they begin to find themselves on their own paths as Connell starts looking for meaning and Marianne goes through a hard time. Are they willing to take the risk and try to save each other?
The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary will have you believing that you can fall in love with someone you have never met. The book follows Tiffy Moore, who has just gone through a hard break-up and is looking for a place to stay. Leon Twomey is in need of quick cash, and what better way than to get a roommate? Some people might think having one room is a problem when looking for a roommate, but not when you only use the house for half the time. Leon, working night shifts, only needs the apartment from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tiffy just needs the place to sleep, so desperate, she doesn’t mind only using it from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. The deal is they never meet and they change sheets on the bed. Soon, Tiffy and Leon find themselves communicating through Post-it notes that start off as innocent reminders to take out the garbage, but eventually grow into something more.
All these books will have you so invested you won’t want them to end, but lucky when you close the book, it doesn’t have to. Both the TV series, Daisy Jones & The Six and Normal People, can be found on Amazon Prime Video, while The Flatshare is on Paramount Plus. All three are a must add to your reading list AND watch list!
