By Savannah Aleksic
Photo by Eugenio Mazzone on Unsplash
The world of adult literature can be daunting at times, particularly for readers more familiar with young adult (YA). Although the YA genre has a lot to offer, the adult genre deserves to be explored!
I used to be terrified of picking up an adult book and being bored to death. I always assumed they were written for an older audience. But there are so many options to choose from—the possibilities are truly endless. Here are five approachable books I think YA readers should read if they’re trying to get into the adult genre.
1) Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
This book is satire at its best, but discusses real issues of racism and historical practices of yellowface in the media. The term “yellowface” refers to the derogatory practice of wearing makeup in imitation of East Asian persons.
I personally really enjoyed this book because it was written from the perspective of a struggling writer who stole her dead competitor’s work. We get a behind-the-scenes look into this experience, as well as what might be said in order to excuse such actions. In the acknowledgements, Kuang states that she sees the book as a “horror story about loneliness in a fiercely competitive industry.”
If you need more from Kwang after reading this one, she wrote another series called The Poppy War trilogy, which is an intriguing Chinese military fantasy take.
2) The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
If this title didn’t intrigue you, you’re lying. This book chronicles a nineties true-crime-loving women’s book club as its members begin to suspect that their new handsome, mysterious neighbor is a blood-sucking creature. Once kids start to go missing, the members begin to perform their own investigation.
I could not put this book down. This book definitely fits within the Southern gothic genre. It’s gross but engaging. Dark, but hilarious. If you’re not sure about reading lengthy, older books like Dracula but want the same vibe, I recommend you read this book. If you would like a similar vibe but in the YA sphere, Hendrix also wrote the equally eccentric horror My Best Friend’s Exorcism.
3) The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Hardly any books have had me as invested in the characters and their lives as I was with The Vanishing Half. In this book, we follow the Vignes twins as they grow up in a small Southern Black community. Each runs away at the age of 16, choosing to part ways and lead separate lives. We follow each of these girls as they grow up into women and see how their families, communities, and racial identities shift. Eventually, as their stories unfold the daughters lives will intersect again.
I don’t think I’ve read another book that has left me with such a tight knot in my chest. There’s not much else to say besides read. this. book. The familial and sister dynamics are wonderfully written and so complex, just like in real life. Every character jumps off the page. You won’t regret picking up this book, unless you don’t have tissues on standby.
4) Circe by Madeline Miller
The slightly lesser-known sister of The Song of Achilles, Circe is a feminist retelling of an oft-villainized character in Greek mythology. Zeus is threatened by Circe’s power and so he banishes her to live alone on a deserted island. Here, she comes across many famous figures and perfects her occult craft, encountering the wrath of both the gods and mankind.
I personally enjoyed reading this book slightly more than Miller’s The Song of Achilles, but that might just be because this one didn’t absolutely rip my heart out and stomp on it in the dirt. But I do love the narrative voice in this book, as well as the details and research that must’ve gone into it. I highly recommend this to those who like mythological retellings, as this is an easy one to get into.
5) Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Last but not least, if you would like a book that makes you feel like you need a good cry while simultaneously giving you a warm hug, this is the one for you. This book is about a cafe hidden in a small alley in Tokyo, where customers are given the chance to travel back in time. We follow four characters who all have their own motives for wanting to make use of this opportunity. However, the customers who choose to travel in time need to remain in one particular seat in the café. They cannot leave and must return to the present before their coffee gets cold… or else.
Even if you’re not a big reader, I would recommend this book because it’s not only short, but also holds your attention until the very last page. The characters in this book are so complex and diverse. You will definitely have something new to talk to your therapist about once you complete this book.
There are a lot of books missing from this list, since I could go on for pages, but I do hope that this list has introduced someone to their new favorite book!
Savannah Aleksic is a senior at FSU majoring in Creative Writing with a minor in TESOL. She is an editorial assistant for the fiction section of The Kudzu Review and has always been an avid reader of books. Never able to decide on her favorite books, she tends to stick with fantasy, magical realism, and gothic literature but loves to branch out and read new things. When she’s not reading or agonizing over her current WIP, she can be found rewatching Gilmore Girls with a coffee and pastry in hand.
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