Pick a Crystal, Get a Book Rec

Some people believe in the healing properties of crystals.

Others believe in the healing power of a good book.

I like the idea of both.

Know what else I like? Color-matching.

I picked some of my favorite crystals and matched books that fit both the property and the color of said crystal.

Go ahead. Browse for what you need.

(Crystal images courtesy of energymuse.com and incensewarehouse.com.)

Rose Quartz

Used to: attract and intensify love

When I first moved to Seattle, bad days were made better by triumphant love stories like Everything Leads to You.

This book makes L.A., with all its problems, feel magical.

The balance between romance and tragedy, along with the lovely ending, keep me talking about this book.

I have another pink romance to recommend, and…

…you already know what it is.

It’s Red, White, and Royal Blue.

It’s the only romance I’ve read recently that I more-than-liked.

Bonus recommendation:

If I’m Being Honest, I didn’t like this book…but look!

It matches my nails!

 

Aventurine

Used to: increase courage

Need a dose of adventurous spirit?

Follow the trials of the survivors at the Raxter School for Girls.

Why are the girls growing new organs? Or constantly vomiting? Or smashing crabs on the beach?

WHO CARES!? Missing friends won’t rescue themselves!

Be like the Raxter girls and brave that metaphorical (or literal) wilderness! (CW: violence, EYE STUFF)

Ah, perhaps you’re of the mind that love is the greatest adventure.

Claire Kann’s Winnie becomes her hometown’s Summer Queen (much to her dismay) and unexpectedly clicks with the Summer King.

She spends the summer overcoming her insecurities like a CHAMP.

And, no, this book has nothing to do with Midsommar…as far as I know?

Wouldn’t THAT be a surprising twist?

Meanwhile, Crying Laughing’s Winnie Friedman takes a stab at stand-up comedy.

No one laughs. It’s traumatizing. She keeps trying.

Whatever you’re afraid of, you can overcome it. You’ve got this.

(Also…I didn’t realize I’d chosen two books with heroines named Winnie. That was a happy accident.)

 

Lapis Lazuli

Used to: heighten wisdom

Raise your hand if you hate making choices!

How do you know if you’re making the right one?

THERE’S NO WAY TO KNOW.

No wonder we all want wisdom.

In The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe, the eponymous Poe Blythe dreams of revenge.

The wise choice would be to…not…do that.

Read to see what she chooses and how it turns out.

Abandoned by her father, Gentry in Veins of Gold desires a future that will keep her younger siblings happy and safe.

Her options are limited and all choices carry potential risks.

See? The future terrifies everyone!

You’re in good company!

 

Amethyst

Used to: promote peace

(There’s a strong chance these “relaxing” books will be emotionally traumatizing.

Take my hand. We’ll risk it together.)

Deep breath in. Deep breath out.

Now admire this lovely cover.

Magical-realism author Tea Obreht’s new book follows desperate characters in need of relief.

Entertainment Weekly PUBLISHED THE ENDING (rude) and (SPOILER) it seems the characters get what they need.

In When the Stars Lead to You, eighteen-year-old Devon nurses wounds from a failed relationship. She looks to the stars for clarity.

I can’t think of anything more relaxing.

Well…a warm bath, maybe.

Or a massage.

But, yes, looking to the stars is great, too.

 

Sodalite

Used to: enhance harmony and aid communication

So…I’ve mentioned that emotional devastation calms me?

Just…keep that in mind for the following suggestions.

Soft bois Rufus and Mateo connect on the day they’re both scheduled to die.

Together, they navigate the difficult night and come to terms with their inevitable ends.

Renegades is a forbidden romance (possibly, have not read) and a cat-and-mouse chase.

When enemies become friends, HOW DO THEY COMMUNICATE?

Think of it as the sci-fi version of Thich Naht Hanh’s How to Fight.

 

Rhodochrosite

Used to: establish self-love

Increase self-love with self-knowledge!

Though neither book fits my color-matching theme, both Hannah Paasch’s Milleneagram and Jamie Lee Finch’s You Are Your Own encourage self-exploration and self-compassion to break harmful patterns.

 

The friends in Queens of Geek encourage one another to love themselves.

Though I didn’t feel this way, plenty of other readers felt seen by Wilde’s inclusion of bisexual and neuroatypical characters.

Its inclusion in numerous queer lit book lists must mean something.

In Who Put This Song On?, biracial teen Morgan strives to live a life she’s proud of in the face of nonstop microaggressions.

From what I can tell, author Morgan Parker based the book on her own self-love journey.

I will for sure be checking it out.

 

Aquamarine

Used to: endorse change

Per a former pastor’s favorite joke, constant change is here to stay!

Which…sucks. Just ask America Singer.

After a bad breakup, America enters the Selection, a contest pitting thirty-five women against each other for the chance to become royalty.

Oh, and said contest is broadcast to the entire country, because OF COURSE IT IS.

America goes from poor to pampered, falls in love with a socially-awkward prince, and watches her best friend endure corporal punishment on live TV! Fun! (CW: abuse)

Siblings Plum and Ginny face financial devastation in Ordinary Girls.

Due to their divergent personalities, they deal with this disaster in different ways. The distance between them increases. Everyone struggles.

NO ONE EVER SAID CHANGE WAS EASY, OKAY??

 

Orange calcite

Used to: produce positivity

Staying positive in eternally-gray Seattle can be a challenge.

Somehow bro-y scientist Mark Watney jokes his way through an unexpected stay on Mars.

Being trapped on a planet isn’t so bad when you have classic rock and pOtAtOeS!

Hey – did you know well-behaved women rarely make history?

Read about the fantastic exploits of American ladies during trying times in A Tyranny of Petticoats.

These women rob banks and keep bars and live to tell the tale.

 

Blue Lace Agate

Used to: tease out the truth

What IS truth?

So B. It‘s Heidi couldn’t tell you. She doesn’t know her absent father’s name or her real birthday.

This calls for a coming-of-age adventure. (CW: death, grief, ableism, agoraphobia)

The truth of Susie Salmon’s murder dies with Susie.

Stuck in a private heaven, she pushes her family and friends toward answers from the afterlife. (CW: rape, child abuse, murder)

Life of Pi’s Pi Patel tells a far-fetched story of survival after a shipwreck.

No one knows what ACTUALLY happened.

I think the moral of this story is “You make your own truth,” so we’ll never know if Poisonous Meerkat Island was real or not. (…spoiler.)

 

Obsidian

Used to: shield and protect

Discussion of rape and abuse head.

Full disclosure, I chose books that focus more on offense than defense.

I think cultural change can be accomplished by knowing thy enemy and listening to survivors.

May reading these books prevent a bad future.

The Handmaid’s Tale portrays an impending dystopia.

For peak horror, read the graphic novel version. (CW: rape, murder, oppressive government, homophobia, suicide, torture, etc.)

Speak (especially the graphic novel version) gives a voice to rape survivors whose struggles often go unnoticed.

I loved seeing Melinda stand up for herself. I’m so glad she eventually gets help and starts to heal.

The benefits of compassionate teachers and athletic allies cannot be exaggerated. (CW: rape, depression, self-harm, assault)

Events in Moxie inspire Viv Carter and her fellow classmates to call out sexist behavior and double standards on their campus.

Inspired by Riot Grrls, they band together and fight back.

Okay…I didn’t want to do this…but you know what book would be perfect?

Le grand sigh.

Fight the power, etc.

I hope you found what you needed.

If not, good news: the resources available outstrip my limited knowledge.

There’s a book and/or crystal out there for you somewhere.