August 9th marks National Book Lovers Day—a time to celebrate reading, literature, and, of course, being a proud bookworm. As someone who loves getting lost in a good book, I’m excited to share five titles I read over the past year that I think are absolutely worth your time.

From heartbreaking coming-of-age stories to dark and twisted tales, here are five recommendations to cozy up with on Book Lovers Day:

1. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver’s beautifully written, award-winning 2022 novel is probably my favorite book I’ve read in the last five years. Inspired by Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield, Kingsolver’s story transports the classic narrative to present-day Appalachia, touching on themes like the opioid crisis and systemic poverty. It's heartbreaking yet hopeful, told through a voice that feels entirely new.

2. Monsters by Emerald Fennell

Before earning her Oscar for Promising Young Woman and shocking audiences with Saltburn, Emerald Fennell wrote Monsters, a horror mystery featuring a twelve-year-old girl who becomes obsessed with a string of seaside murders during her summer vacation. Fans of Fennell’s films will appreciate the novel’s twisted humor, disturbing characters, and unexpected turns. It’s all there, just in book form.

3. How Do You Live? by Genzaburo Yoshino

Part novel, part moral guide, this Japanese classic follows a 15-year-old boy nicknamed Copper as he learns powerful life lessons with the help of his uncle. Originally written in 1937 for schoolchildren, its reflections on empathy, kindness, and self-awareness still feel incredibly relevant today. The book also inspired Hayao Miyazaki, who loosely based The Boy and the Heron on it after reading it as a child.

4. On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

This debut novel by Vietnamese-American poet Ocean Vuong tells the story of Little Dog, a young man looking back on his life and his complicated relationship with his mother. The book is written as a letter to her, even though she can’t read. It explores identity, family, memory, and trauma in a quiet, moving way. I read this while traveling with my own mom, and even though our experiences were nothing like what’s in the book, it left a deeper mark than I thought it would.

5. Poor Things by Alasdair Gray

Yorgos Lanthimos’ Oscar-winning film of the same name, about an adult woman whose brain is replaced with an infant’s, is based on this funny but unsettling Scottish novel by Alasdair Gray. While there isn’t much difference between the book and the film, it’s still interesting to see the original source that inspired what Lanthimos and screenwriter Tony McNamara brought to life. The novel is told through a series of letters between its characters and includes visual jokes and more twists than the film could fit in.

You don’t need a holiday to celebrate books, but National Book Lovers Day is a great excuse to do just that. Books can teach us, move us, and transport us—sometimes all at once. So, set down your phone, pick up a story, and dive in!

Stay tuned for your regularly scheduled version of PULSE Picks later this month!