Ten Book Recommendations for People Who Want to Punch Nazis

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature at The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic: Ten book recommendations for X!

Okay, everyone. I'm mad, and if you've been paying any attention to American current events, you'll know why. Of course, I've been mad to varying degrees for months, but this weekend was really something. And I know, I know, it's not the first time it's happened by a long shot, but for some reason, nothing's gotten to the extent that I want to make a blog post about it.

Laura Silverman, author of GIRL OUT OF WATER, came up with an amazing hashtag for a giveaway she was doing on Twitter: #PunchNazisReadBooks. And I want to get behind that. So here are ten books I've read with that Nazi-punching spirit. There are so many upcoming/recently released books that I haven't read that I think would fit on this list, too, so I'm considering making a follow-up!

THE HATE U GIVE by Angie Thomas: My list would be sadly incomplete without this absolute gem of a book. It seems like I can find something in the news that's relevant to it every single day, and when that makes me hopelessly frustrated, I think of Starr fighting back.

WOLF BY WOLF duology by Ryan Graudin: So you'd like to punch some World War 2-era Nazis? Especially Hitler himself? So does Yael, the kickass protagonist of this duology. The Nazi-fighting is a bigger thing in the second book, but the entire mission of the first one is to kill Hitler, so I think that both are very good additions to the list.

THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES by Mindy McGinnis: This one isn't as good of a direct link - don't pick it up looking for some on-page Nazi punching - but Alex would 100% punch a Nazi. This book's focus is more on destroying rapists, but I think it's a good related book.

MS. MARVEL by G. Willow Wilson: You know who can embiggen for an even bigger Nazi-punching impact (and totally would)? Ms. Marvel. And that's only one of the many reasons she's awesome. If you're looking for a quick read to take a break from actively changing the world for the better, this is the one for you.

THE UPSIDE OF UNREQUITED by Becky Albertalli: Maybe you like your literary Nazi-punching choices to be more happy than revolutionary, and that's fine too! May I suggest this wonderful novel, in which positiveness absolutely abounds, there are so many Jewish characters who don't let you forget about it, and queer characters being openly and happily themselves. (Those last two categories aren't mutually exclusive, by the way.)

VIVIAN APPLE AT THE END OF THE WORLD duology by Katie Coyle: I don't know about you, but this book makes me super ready to take a sledgehammer to anything wrong in the world that could possibly be dismantled by a sledgehammer. I maintain that this book was more entertaining before the past 9 months or so happened, but that length of time has made it into something inspiring.

FLYGIRL by Sherri L. Smith: Perhaps your preferred form of Nazi-punching spirit is taking a good look at what people say you can't do because of who you are and telling them you're gonna go ahead and do it anyway. If so, you might like this book. It's been way too long since I've read this one, but there are certain parts of Ida Mae's story that I remember as vividly as if I'd just put the book down.

THE STEEP & THORNY WAY by Cat Winters: A reminder to all of those people saying that "this isn't America" that this unfortunately has been entrenched in our history everywhere we look. This particular story may be fictional, but it's far from unbelievable.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS by J.K. Rowling: Perhaps you like your books and/or your Nazis fantastical. That's fine, too! I know many people who'd prefer it if Nazis were simply figments of everyone's imaginations. But it doesn't take too long looking at the Muggle-Born Registration Commission and that revolting "Magic is Might" motto to see things that aren't very unreal at all.

GIRL OUT OF WATER by Laura Silverman: This book in and of itself doesn't have a lot to do with punching Nazis. HOWEVER: a) I have to give another shout-out to the creator of the hashtag that inspired this, b) you'd be supporting a Jewish author, and c) she's writing a super-Jewish book right now and you can read this in the meantime. Besides, I refuse to believe that Anise and Lincoln wouldn't be Nazi-punchers given the opportunity.

Do you see any favorites on this list? How about any essential books that I missed? What did you do for your Top Ten Tuesday? Tell me in the comments!