Recommendations for… books for when you want pure, 100% trash

Happy Monday, everyone! Even though I participate in giving Monthly Recommendations, I thought I would start my own where every couple weeks I give recommendations for a specific topic (also Monthly Recommendations has been dead lately so).

Today I’m doing recommendations for books for when you want pure, 100% trash. Sometimes you don’t want to read a book with substance. Sometimes, you just want to turn your brain off and not think about reading. These books are some of my go-tos for that.

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If you want pure YA trash: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Listen, I love this book and have read it more times than I can count. But it’s 100% trash. Fun, easy-to-read, inconsequential trash, but trash nonetheless. If, by some miracle, you haven’t read this yet and are looking for a perfect summer read, this is it.

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If you want historical fiction YA trash…

Vixen by Jillian Larkin: it’s got jazz! It’s got flappers! It’s got hate-to-love! It’s got fake dating! It’s got forbidden love! And it’s a lot of fun to read! This book really has it all and I cannot recommend it enough. Is it amazing? No! But this is a list of trash, so we’re not expecting amazing.

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen: this book is Gossip Girl in the early 1900s. So bad, so dumb, so much unnecessary drama. And I can’t help but love it? It’s just a lot of fun.

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If you want trashy YA with a hint of magical realism: Haters by Alisa Valdes

When I say a hint, I mean literally a hint. This is mainly a fun YA book that has the teeniest hint of magical realism in it. I really enjoyed it when I read it ages ago, and I definitely recommend it if you want trash.

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If you want trashy YA with a hint of fantastical: Beastly by Alex Flinn

Beastly is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and I love it! It’s cheesy and doesn’t make a ton of sense when you really think about it, but it’s really fun and sweet. I definitely recommend it for easy reading.

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If you want trashy YA with paranormal creatures: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

This book is the definition of YA trash. All the trashy YA cliches you can think of are there. It’s really bad, but still entertaining and fun. I don’t think I’d recommend the rest of the series, tbh, but Hush, Hush is great if you want an easy, trashy read.

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If you want trashy adult romance: The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

Listen. I just love this book. Is it dumb? Yes. Does it make no sense? Yes. But is it good? No but also yes. It’s just so funny and sweet. I mean, the main character tries to make hummus by melting chick peas. I haven’t read this book in literally nine years, and I still remember that.

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If you want trashy but fun sci-fi: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

I’m calling this “trashy” because there isn’t really a ton of substance but it’s still a ton of fun. Action? Check. Good pacing? Check. Fun plot? Check. Interesting setting? Check. Poor characters and character development? Also check. But hey, it’s fun and entertaining. It’s honestly a perfect beach read.

So those are some fun, trashy books I recommend. Have you read any of these? What are your thoughts? Do you have any go-to trashy books? Let me know!

Thanks for reading! xx

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