One of my favorite things about the spring semester ending (besides not having to worry about homework, tests, or grades for the next three months of my life) is that I now have a little bit of extra time on my hands. I spend quite a bit of my summer vacation reading. If you have a little extra time this summer and want to pick up a book, here's a list of some of my favorites:
1. The Girl on the Train- Paula Hawkins
Once I picked this book up for the first time, I couldn't put it down. I was hooked. The story revolves around Rachel Watson. Rachel takes the train to and from work every single day (so she says, at least) and has grown quite accustomed to people-watching during her commute. She ends up becoming obsessed with one specific couple who she sees every day and creates a perfect fantasy life for them in her head. She even decides to name them Jason and Jess. Then suddenly, Jess disappears. No one knows where she went or what happened to her, but Rachel is determined to find out the truth for herself. If you like mystery and suspense, I highly recommend this one!
2. If I stay- Gayle Forman
I have read this book two or three times over the past few years and I love it just as much every single time. This book revolves around 17-year-old Mia Hall as she deals with a tragic car accident her family just had. She finds herself in a coma state and has an out of body experience. She can see and hear everything happening around her, including the doctors rushing her body away in an attempt to save her life. It is as if she is a ghost. Mia then realizes that she has the choice of whether she lives or dies. It's an interesting book that is unlike anything I have ever read before. It puts the thought of life and death into different perspectives than we are used to thinking about them.
3. Pet Sematary- Stephen King
Anyone who knows me can probably tell you that I could not make a list of "must read" books without including something by Stephen King. This one is my absolute favorite of his (the movie is also one of my favorites). This story centers around Louis Creed, a husband, father of two children, and a doctor. The novel begins with the family moving to their new home in Maine because Louis had accepted a new job in that area. As soon as they move in they meet their new neighbor, Jud, who quickly became a close friend to Louis. Jud shows them around their new property and even takes them down the little path by their house that leads them to the Pet Sematary, a home-made graveyard for all of the pets that the kids in the town have lost over the years. Louis soon learns that just beyond the Pet Sematary is an Indian burial ground where the dead are able to return to life if buried there. Later on, a sudden tragedy prompts Louis to see if it is actually true...
4. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks- Rebecca Skloot
This is the true story about how Rebecca Skloot learned about Henrietta Lacks. Henrietta Lacks was an African-American woman who died of Cervical cancer in 1951. Little did Henrietta know, her doctors took her cells without her permission and they became the first immortal human cell line, called HeLa. The HeLa cells made many important scientific discoveries possible over the years and they are still living to this day, but Rebecca Skloot wanted to know more about the woman that the cells came from. In this book, Rebecca explains what Henrietta's home life was like from the time she was a child up until her death, she narrates the doctor's appointments that Henrietta had attended regarding her illness, explains exactly what doctors and scientists have done to the cells, and even tells about her journey while getting in contact with Henrietta's family. It is extremely interesting and honestly something I think everyone should read.
5.The Handmaid's Tale- Margaret Atwood
This is an interesting story set in a near-future dystopia where a theocracy has taken the place of the United States Government and women have lost all of their rights. The women are each given a new name, specific jobs, titles, and uniforms and are required to perform specific duties. The Handmaid's, for example, are young women whose main duty is to have children with the man that they are assigned. Offred is one of the Handmaid's who the story is centered on. She has failed at conceiving a child twice now, and her time is running out...if she does not become pregnant soon, she will become an "unwoman" meaning she is considered undesirable, which she knows will ultimately result in her death. She is not giving up so easily though...her main goal is to find a way to escape so that she can be her own person again. Can she do it?