After trudging exhaustedly out of first-semester finals week, us Royals have collapsed contentedly into a

stupor of relaxation and immobility. For most, the last few weeks of December were filled with sleep, hobbies, laziness, and obligatory holiday family functions; for a few, myself included, this holiday was also a chance to catch up on reading rendered second-priority during the school year. I am always curious to know what others are reading, so in our first week back, I decided to investigate our Royals’ favorite reads over vacation.

To start off, senior Emma Silva finally got to tackle “Girls They Write Songs About” by Carlene Bauer, which had been burning a hole in her To-Be-Read List prior to break. According to Emma, this book is about “a woman named Charlotte and her relationship with her best friend Rose, as they navigate their lives as writers in New York City and face the trials and tribulations of female friendship.”

When asked for a review of the book, Emma shared, “I really really enjoyed it. It took me a really long time to finish it, but I think that was out of laziness. It’s very witty and relatable.”

Next, junior Siena Lopez filled me in on the book series that consumed her winter break: “‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ series follows a girl named ‘Belly’ (short for Isabella) and her coming-of-age story, as she navigates a love triangle with the two brothers she sees every summer. I’d give it a 10/10: tear-jerker, emotional rollercoaster, it changed my life.”

Lastly, the Royal Reporter’s very own matriarch, Mrs. Barclay, gave me the lo-down on her favorite of

the million books she inhaled, detailing, “I read a short book called ‘Foster,’ by Claire Keegan, which was about a young girl whose own family has too much going on to take care of her, so they allow her to live with her relatives for about a summer. She grows to understand life can be easier and love doesn’t have to be so hard; so, when her parents come to pick her up, she doesn’t want to leave.”

Barclay concluded with her review of the novella, detailing, “It’s a sad, beautiful book that you won’t be able to stop thinking about, and I recommend it for sure.”

I am always curious to find out what people are reading nowadays, and I encourage everyone that’s apprehensive about or intimidated by reading to try it out—whether it’s a book you found on TikTok, a romance from Target, or even a book from this article, take a shot at reading! As someone who also enjoyed some reading in my winter-break-leisure, I recommend “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus and “Daughter of the Moon Goddess” by Sue Lynn Tan.