Now that we are about a month into the school year, we are nearing the end of the calm before the storm. This weekend is probably our last weekend to relax before the first wave of midterms and papers comes crashing down on us (if they haven’t already). So here’s my advice on how to spend the valuable free time before buckling down to focus on school work, or how to recuperate after a long week of school: read more books. I know what everyone is most likely thinking, that I am a massive nerd for even proposing the thought of reading for fun, but before the idea gets shot down, let me just explain why some light reading now and then will actually be beneficial as the semester prods on.

The concept of reading is spoiled for many of us when we’re forced to read something for school that we have absolutely no interest in. Then we have to write multiple-paged papers about how every little detail in the book translates to some existentialist realization that professors make us analyze, when the author could’ve just meant to write about a guy who wakes up one day as a cockroach (don’t get me wrong, Kafka’s Metamorphosis is pretty much the epitome of existentialist). Whether you’re in need of some entertainment, a new hobby, or just some conversation on the meaning of life, books have the power to broaden our minds immensely. And we have our pick of the litter; there is a book for anything and everything we can possibly dream about. While most college students are eager to turn to Netflix when they are blessed with leisure time, you should save that episode of How I Met Your Mother for that time between problem sets when it’s necessary to come up for a 30-minute breath of air. When there is more time to delve whole-heartedly into a book, take a gander at this list of good reads.

 
If you’re looking for…

Pure Entertainment

1. The Princess Bride – William Goldman
A condensed version of S. Morgenstern’s epic love story, this book is thrilling yet humorous. It is a critically acclaimed novel that has been praised for its twist on the typical fairytale plot line, and Goldman does a great job of abridging the original novel in a way that still captures all the wonderful aspects of the original in 1/5 of the pages.

2. Joy Luck Club – Amy Tan
This is a compilation of four different mother-daughter stories about the struggles Asian Americans faced in San Francisco during the twentieth century. Providing a good balance between a mother-daughter relationship and immigrant experience, this book will evoke sadness and happiness simultaneously.

3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower – Stephen Chbosky
This is one of my favorite books because of its depth and insightfulness. The character development is spectacular and the story is hauntingly beautiful – definitely not your run-of-the-mill coming of age story.

Enlightenment/Self-Help/Inspiration

1. Tuesdays with Morrie – Mitch Albom
I am not exaggerating when I say this book changed my entire perspective on life. It’s an unconventional memoir about the author’s real life series of meetings with an old college professor on his death bed, and it’s laugh-out-loud funny and tear-jerking all at once. Out of all the books on this list, this is the one I most highly recommend.

2. Eating Animals – Jonathan Safran Foer
I am still working on this book, but so far it has taken everything I have ever thought about the consumption of animals and completely changed it. Whether you’re an omnivore or herbivore, this is a very enthralling read.

3. The Outliers – Malcolm Gladwell
I’m sure many of you have already heard of this book. I don’t agree with every point the book addressed, but it was incredibly interesting and really made me think about a lot of ideas regarding the concept of success.

Books Adapted Into Films

1. The Hunger Games – Susanne Collins
I saw Catching Fire a couple months ago with some friends and they had so many questions afterwards. The Hunger Games trilogy is a quick and easy read, so if there’s confusion about what happened in the film, read these books for a reference!

2. Les Miserables – Victor Hugo
I’m a musical theatre dweeb so I’m very biased towards this movie, but it truly is a great novel. If someone out there is looking for a challenge, tackle this large book and then dedicate the time to watch the movie because it is spectacularly done. Just ignore Russell Crowe’s vocal performance, it’s ghastly.

3. Steve Jobs – Walter Isaacson
A biography about one of the most successful entrepreneurs of a generation. Ashton Kutcher’s portrayal of Steve Jobs sparked lots of debate on social media – some loved him and some hated him – so I guess the only way to decide for ourselves is to read the book and see the movie.

Academic Reads that are Actually Good

1. The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
Some people think it’s overrated, but The Great Gatsby is definitely a novel that every person should read. There’s also a 2013 film adaptation starring Leonardo DiCaprio, so that probably plays a part in its recent popularity… all the more reason to read the book then see the film.

2. Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger
I really don’t need to provide an explanation for this angst-filled novel. Just read it.

3. A Midsummer Night’s Dream – William Shakespeare
I know that Shakespeare can be intimidating. But there’s this really awesome thing called No Fear Shakespeare for those non-English majors who want a simplified, translated version of this play. On the other hand, for those who want to tackle Shakespeare without translations, the challenge of interpreting the language in Shakespeare plays is actually really fun. Either way, this play never ceases to make me laugh out loud, so I highly recommend this one. (Shout out to the Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies department that put on a hilarious stage version of this play a couple months ago!)

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