I love a book hangover. I love a book hangover so much I’m doing an entire post about it and then listing some of the books that gave me books hangovers. I didn’t have a name for my book hangovers at first—I didn’t know it was “a thing.” I simply finished a book and looked around trying to figure out where I was, and what was going to happen to the characters now that the book ended, and how was I going to move forward with my life without these characters.
I still don’t have an actual definition of a book hangover so I googled it and this is what BookRiot.com reports:
A “book hangover” is the slangy shortcut for the feeling when a reader finishes a book—usually fiction—and they can’t stop thinking about the fictional world that has run out of pages. The story is over, but the reader misses the characters or the atmosphere of the novel. Personally, I know the hangover is bad when I have trouble even looking at another book. What passing delights can a new novel hold for me when I only want more of the story I just finished?
Who can relate to this? A vivid memory of a book hangover was after finishing Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead. Set in Appalachia and inspired by Charles Dickens David Copperfield, the book left me at a complete loss. What happened next? Can we get an epilogue, please? This is a story about the lost boys, poverty, foster care—a modern spin on a classic story. It is not a prerequisite to read David Copperfield to thoroughly enjoy Demon Copperhead.
For historical fiction book hangovers, I recommend The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel and The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry. Both are World War II novels focusing on the characters and their experiences with the war raging on in the background. They will leave you wanting more.
For adults and children—if the Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank is on your shelf, consider reading this new book by Alice Hoffman: When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary. This fictionalized novel was published in cooperation with Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. It is heart wrenching and may leave you with a book hangover craving more World War II. Or you may need a palate cleanser (if this is you, try The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman or Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano—both are sure to give your body and mind a reprieve from the aforementioned heart wrench).
Middle school parents and educators—take a look at When We Flew Away—this is a timely, well-written novel that I highly recommend. It’s an important addition to any school or home library. Here is what Lois Lowry had to say:
“Adding new poignance to a story whose ending we already knew, Alice Hoffman has deftly recreated the child Anne Frank with all her wit, mischief, and uncertainties. This fictionalized account of the increasingly desperate years that preceded the famous diary breaks readers’ hearts one more time. But it reminds us of how important it is to remember and honor all that was lost.”
If you have a recommendation for a book that is sure to give a hangover, PLEASE let me know. Email me, message me on social media, tag me on social media, call me, swing by my house—you get the idea. Happy reading, friends!
