Notes from the Shelf

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Sometimes you just need a good cry, and a book is a great way to facilitate that. Books can find their way into our hearts and tug at emotions we didn’t even know were there. Sometimes the most powerful reads are the ones that bring us to tears, staying with us long after we’ve finished the last page. These are four unforgettable books that left me reaching for tissues and thinking deeply about love, loss, and the beauty of human connection.

1. The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo

I could see where the story was leading to, but refused to believe it until the moment I read the sentence that changed the whole book. I didn’t so much as choose to cry as the sobs were ripped out of me forcefully. It was heartbreaking and tore my soul apart. Highly recommend.

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2. Ghosts of the Tsunami by Richard Lloyd Parry

This is a recount of the terrors of the March 2011 tsunami in Japan. The stories within this book are gut wrenching at times. The part that broke me was when they talked about finding the school kids in the mud after the tsunami. I think it’s an important account from the eyewitnesses of such tragedy; it adds humanity into the natural disaster.

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3. We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter

I already have a full book review on this, but there were many moments throughout that I had to put down the book to process and cry. There were moments of heartbreak and fear but also moments where I cried of joy as well. I think it’s a must read; it’s such an important story on one of the most tragic events in human history. Read my full review here.

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4. Loving Frank by Nancy Horan

This book is a fascinating look into the affair between Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Borthwick Cheney. I was really rooting for Mamah when she got her translation job and was divorcing Edwin Cheney because it’s practically unheard of to divorce in the early 1900s. I thought she was iconic. I wasn’t aware of the tragic ending to her life, so perhaps it won’t affect you as much if you already know, but it really affected me when I read it.

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