“Daughter” by Claudia Dey 

— Alexa Donovan, Deputy Arts Editor 

I am absolutely certain about only a few things in life, but one thing I am sure of is this: when your cool Creative Writing professor personally recommends you a book, you should read it. When you open “Daughter,” the first words you see, right on the inside cover of the book jacket, are “To be loved by your father is to be loved by God.” Whew. This is how the main character Mona Dean views it, despite being stuck in the middle of her father’s harmful infidelity and the fallout it causes between her and her family. Despite the tense situations her father, an artist named Paul, puts her through, Mona craves his attention and praise. The novel takes readers through the manipulation, pain and suffering that comes with being Paul’s daughter. 

Mona is an artist, and the daughter of a very famous one too, and so her father’s shadow has always been casted over her entire life. But when she faces a loss greater than she could ever imagine, Mona starts to understand what love truly looks like, and how that differs from her father’s affection. 

“Daughter” is an exhausting read, but in the best way possible. Dey’s prose is shattering and contemplative, and Mona’s journey is slow going but meaningful. My love of the book isn’t because it made me happy to read — it didn’t at all — but because I was absorbed in somebody else’s world through good writing.

Sidenote: I also recommend Julia’s and Emily’s book choices later in the list — two of my favorites ever.

“Cleopatra and Frankenstein” by Coco Mellors 

— Julia Diorio, Music Editor

As someone who attempts to make impulsive decisions “for the plot,” I felt my attention immediately grasped by the beginning of “Cleopatra and Frankenstein” by Coco Mellors. A New Year’s Eve elevator meet-cute leads to a reckless and rushed marriage between 24-year-old artist Cleo and 44-year-old businessman Frank. After that, the book takes off on an emotional rollercoaster and never stops. 

Mellors wrote the novel during her time at NYU for an MFA in creative writing, and I saw a lot of NYU culture reflected within “Cleopatra and Frankenstein.” There’s Cleo’s best friend who explores his sexuality, and Frank’s younger sister who’s perennially broke, but still goes out drinking all of the time anyway. Frank himself is in a perpetual midlife crisis, and he jumps from trying to be young and hip to trying to be old and wise. He can’t pull off either, though. Cleo, meanwhile, is truly struggling to stay afloat among the personalities that surround her in New York. 

“Cleopatra and Frankenstein” is a hard-hitting story about love and growth. At times, it’s shallow and pretentious. But at its core, it’s the combination of enhancing and covering up reality in its purest form — New Yorkers who have no idea what they’re doing. 

“My Husband” by Maud Ventura 

— Emily Genova, Deputy Managing Editor 

“My Husband” follows a nameless narrator who is obsessed with her husband. Every single thought of hers surrounds how she can become perfect for him, how to impress him, how to keep him close. The novel takes place over the course of seven days, during which we watch our narrator play into these routines of molding into the ideal wife. She also makes sure her husband still loves her by testing him through mind games, and punishing him in mundane ways if he doesn’t act how she would like him to. She explains her thought processes and justifies each one, determined to keep their 13-year relationship fresh and alive. 

Relatable at times, insane most other times, “My Husband” is an amazing literary fiction thriller that I was so entranced by. There isn’t much of a plot, but I truly didn’t care because I was so consumed by the narrator’s thoughts. Living in her mind was such an unusually delightful experience. It’s so entertaining as a reader to watch this narration slowly progress from hilarious to astoundingly delusional. This book is unique and captivating, and I couldn’t put it down. 

“Know My Name: A Memoir” by Chanel Miller 

— Alisha Goel, Multimedia Editor 

Content warning: This review discusses sexual assault. 

“My pain was never more valuable than his potential.”

In 2016, Brock Turner was sentenced to only six months of prison after he was caught sexually assaulting Chanel Miller at a Stanford University fraternity party. Miller’s victim impact statement, which was filed under the pseudonym “Emily Doe,” was anonymously published on BuzzFeed News, and got over 11 million views in four days. “Know My Name” is Miller’s recount of the assault and its aftermath. This memoir is Miller reclaiming her story.

Miller doesn’t shy away from sharing the darkest and most horrifying details of the case, laying it all out bare for the reader. The story isn’t only about Miller — it is also about the inherent failure of institutions that are supposed to protect the vulnerable, how patriarchal biases play in the American judicial system, and the long and harrowing court procedure a survivor is put through just to have their voice heard. Furthermore, the story is about the victim blaming, public humiliation, dehumanization and erasure of survivors’ stories that come alongside reporting this kind of violence.

Though a challenging read, “Know My Name” serves as a testament to all the resilient survivors whose stories are untold.

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