With thousands upon thousands of books out there, it can sometimes feel overwhelming to decide what to read next. Fiction? Some short stories? A memoir? The complete run of Wonder Woman? Ahh! Luckily, Thinking Organized is here to help. Here’s what’s on our reading list this month; check them out, and let us know what you plan on reading next!

Jessica: I recently read A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman after it was recommended to me by my mother, who was suggested to read it by her fellow teachers at her middle school. The fictional book follows the daily life of a middle-aged man who’s a bit of a curmudgeon (well, more than a bit!). Ove is a man of strong principles and strict routines, and he does not hold back when forcing his views onto everyone in his neighborhood within earshot. In each subsequent chapter, Backman reveals more of Ove’s backstory, including the trials and tribulations he faced during childhood and marriage, making Backman’s story much more compelling as you start to have sympathy for the bitter old man by the end of the book. A Man Called Ove is an easy read, but a thoroughly entertaining one at that, and I recommend the book to anyone interested in a pleasant escape from the daily grind of work or home life.

Kristin: I just finished re-reading Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s novel Good Omens. There’s a TV adaptation coming out next year, so I wanted to refresh my memory so I could see how well the show adapted the book. Gaiman and Pratchett have very distinct writing styles, so it’s fascinating to see them combine their talents (plus, it’s fun trying to figure out who wrote which parts). Good Omens follows an angel and a demon as they attempt to thwart Armageddon, but their plans are slightly spoiled when they realize they don’t even know where the Antichrist is. Gaiman and Pratchett create vibrant characters, and I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for something witty and funny.

Mallory: I am reading Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward. It is a beautifully-written book about an impoverished, fiercely loyal family facing Hurricane Katrina. Ward writes with a poetic, almost lyrical prose, binding love, resilience, and disaster from the perspective of a poor, pregnant teenage girl. I chose this book because I volunteered in Biloxi, MS post-Katrina and was touched by the courage and resilience of the families I met. Salvage the Bones is moving, at times heartbreaking, and reads like a song.

Stephan: Recently I have been reading a number of novellas by one of my favorite authors, Neil Gaiman. Gaiman has an incredible ability to build worlds that balance fantasy elements with relatable and intensely human characters. Odd and the Frost Giants is the story of a young Norse man who has lost his father and has been permanently injured in an accident. When he leaves his mother’s home to escape his stepfather, he encounters a group of animals who can talk. After discovering that they are gods who have been thrown out of their home, Odd sets out on an adventure to return them to their home and rightful bodies.