As the weather becomes frigid, staying inside becomes more and more appealing. Unfortunately, nowadays, that means binge watching Netflix for many of us. But I'm urging you to resist the temptation and pick up a book instead. It's good for your brain and allows you to use your imagination and get your creative energy flowing. I love reading. But I also know all too well how at the end of a tough semester that last thing you want to do is pick up a tough book and force yourself through it, didn't you just get through with doing homework? Now, there are many people who will guilt you into reading those "interesting" books or who will make you feel unintelligent for reading fun books, but don't listen to them. Reading should be fun! So ease yourself back into reading with a fun book this break and I bet you'll find yourself fully absorbed and ready to pick a new one up and maybe, eventually, you'll feel ready to tackle a more topical book, but for now, immerse yourself in the world of words with these fun and "easy" reads.
1. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli.- While this book may be a book for younger teens, it's still sure to pull on anybody's heart strings. It is brilliantly written about a boy who meets a girl who challenges every part of conventional society. She dresses in wild clothes, she sings freely throughout school and the streets, she cheers for her home team and the competition, and mostly, she shows us the potential for kindness in humanity and the beauty of earth.
2. Love Is A Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield.- Rob tells us his story and his personal greatest love story and connects the whole thing through music. His nostalgia of music in the 90's quickly had me compiling playlists of Nirvana, REM, and Weezer and head banging in my car while other people gawked. And his description of music from the greats like The Beatles, Aretha, and The Rolling Stones will remind you of why that music is just so great indeed. And yes, it will make you long for the days of cassette mix tapes. Music and love collide and those are simply two of the greatest things.
3. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom.- Mitch finds out his mentor is disintegrating into old age and decides to pick up his old routine of visiting him on Tuesdays to talk about life. This sentimental tale will have you calling your grandma, visiting your elderly neighbor, and appreciating the simple and the bold moments in life and cherishing them all.
4. Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler.- A box of items and what each item is from and how all the good memories and bad memories came together to end a relationship. It's the thing you've always fantasized of doing after the collapse of each relationship but have never done. You may even shed some tears and smiles thinking of your own memories collected from past loves.
5. Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern.- ROFL (rolling on the floor laughing for all you non-millenials) will be so real when you read this book. Don't be surprised if you feel the desire to start writing down all your own father's #dadjokes after you read this book. Honestly, this is just a funny book about a guy who goes and lives with his dad and writes down all the wild stuff he says. The stuff that we roll our eyes at but simultaneously, secretly love/hate about our own dads.
6. The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler.- Don't just put this off as another teen love story, this book has so many awards from NPR to YA. A daughter helps her father, who is suffering from Alzheimers, restore his motorcycle and at the same time she finds herself in a "forbidden romance." A good old-fashioned, daring love story intertwined with a great family story and some heavy stuff mixed in that will seriously leave you not want to put this book down.
7. Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery by Robert Kolker.- I highly suggest you don't read this book alone in your apartment, do this when you're hanging out at your family's house. Documenting a case and lives of several prostitutes that were captured and murdered with the murderer still somewhere on the loose. It forces the reader to confront the problem of lack of protection and the danger that sex workers face in America, but more importantly, it shows that these are real women and their lives are intimate and are important too, all while being an intense read that will leave you craving more. This is a thriller.
8. Educating Alice: Adventures of a Curious Woman by Alice Steinbach.- We all have those things were curious about; different hobbies, professions, education, and history. Well, Alice sets out to appease her curiosities. She learns French cooking in Paris, trains Border collies in Scotland, comes to know about the traditional Japanese arts in Kyoto, explores architecture in Havana, gardening in Provence, writing in Prague, history of Jane Austen in Winchester, and immerses herself in art in Florence. A reminder that it's never to late to learn something new or pick up a hobby. Be transported into her adventures.
9. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.- It may be a classic but so much of it speaks to the world today. Technology, comfort, and fear of diversity rule this world. A book that takes us to another world but one that may be more like our own than we'd like to believe. “But I don't want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin.” Just one of many quotes that will have you reassessing your own life.
10. A Separate Peace by John Knowles.- So this book may be a bit heavy but I honestly don't think you're allowed to make a book list without including your favorite book. A simple book about boys at boarding school in World War 2 and friendship. About a character and his best friend that embodies child like joy, love, and fun. Until everything goes wrong. Although the writing is beautiful, the beauty in this book isn't what it does say, it's what it doesn't say, it's what you read in between the lines.
Don't waste your Winter break vegging out, pick up a good book and use your imagination. Don't be put off by reading just because everyone else suggests intimidating books, it's okay to pick a fun one.
