While spring break is a time to get away from work, it is also a good time to catch up on books that you may have missed or didn’t get the chance to read. So if you have chance to peel yourself away from binge watching the newest season of "House of Cards" on Netflix, here are a few titles you should absolutely check out:
1. "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
It may not be the most uplifting book, but it is one of my favorites. Plath draws you in and gets you wrapped up in her main characters' emotions. By the end of this novel, you feel as if you have a real connection with Esther and feel her struggle to come to terms with her identity.
2. "Room" by Emma Donoghue
Spring break is a chance to read this book that inspired a movie of the same title -- either before or after you see it. The perspective of this novel is unique in that it comes from a 5-year-old boy named Jack who has been held captive and now gets to experience freedom. Just like the movie, get ready to experience a range of emotions.
3. "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neal Hurston
This book is a beautifully written classic. The prose that Hurston uses to describe the main character's struggles to find her place while dealing with racial prejudice in the early twentieth century are remarkable and illustrate Janie’s struggles and emotions as she drifts through the different stages of her life.
4. "The Stranger" by Albert Camus
This is for those who need some existentialism. It's dark and distant and raises questions about how one is supposed to act in society. Warning: this book may cause an existential crisis.
5. "The End Of A Story" by Lydia Davis
I recently read this book and loved it. It plays with the idea of telling a story and asks what's most important in one: Are details all the matter or emotions? Davis toys with the narrator's subjectivity and the timeline of events, creating a unique narrative that will draw you in.
6. "Alexander Hamilton" by Ron Chernow
This book is for those who are dedicated to the very successful musical and would like to read the book that inspired it. While the book is extremely long, it is a very detailed account of the man who created our country's unified debt.
7. "Year Of Yes: How To Dance It Out, Stand In The Sun And Be Your Own Person" by Shonda Rhimes
8. "Speak Memory" by Vladimir Nabokov
An interesting memoir from the author who wrote "Lolita." His memoir reads more like a novel, because of its literary elements, but gives insight into the life of a shy and affluent young man. Throughout the novel, he brushes upon topics ranging from the Russian Revolution to the experience of first love.
9. "How To Win Friends And Influence People" by Dale Carnegie
My mom made me read this one summer, and it was actually pretty helpful. If you want to have a productive spring break, flip through this book. It might help you in the long run.
10. "The House On Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros
I read this book in middle school and loved it. It's a collection of short vignettes describing the experiences of a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago. Some of the stories are sweet and resonate with everyone in that coming-of-age way. Others tackle the danger of being a young Latina girl in a city. It is worth reading for its prose and themes alone.
11. "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
Another one of my recent reads--but one that I loved. Invisible Man tells the story of a young African-American man trying to establish his identity while facing the problems of the twentieth century. Ellison talks about racism, Marxism, and black identity while also covering the idea of individualism and personal identity. The visual images that Ellison creates in this novel are impressionable and illustrate the effects of the discrimination and ideas of the 20th century.
Enjoy!
