There is something about young adulthood that makes people read non-fiction.
I used to love the thrill of mystery, romance, adventure, fantasy. As a child and teen, I shunned non-fiction - a genre where I am now firmly entrenched. As I find myself drawn into the world of adulthood, (no matter how much I drag my feet), I also begin to suffer under that common delusion that my time is valuable. Maybe it's an inflated sense of my own importance that makes me pick up that exposé of the American food system, or maybe it's an ever-growing sense of mortality that has me plodding through that achingly slow 'classic'. Either way, adulthood has brought with it the sense that reading is a luxury, but one we can afford if we read something profound. That rom-com/mystery about the bounty hunter seems like a waste of time (it's not!), but think how much it would enrich our minds to read about the history of Confucianism! So we sit down, open this token of an enlightened mind, and grind through a few chapters before we shut it (with a little relief) until the next time we can muster the mental energy.
Something about summertime changes things. Thunderstorms, hammocks - and above all, the beach - inspire us to read like no other. That low-commitment, low-guilt option known as the 'beach read' resurfaces. For some strange reason, summer frees us of those self-imposed reading obligations and lets us go a little wild. As the warmer months draw to a close, I write this petition to let our liberal reading persist deep into winter. Cut yourself a little slack. Don't read a book for how nice it will look on your bookshelf or how intellectual and worldly you'll look reading it on the subway. Read a book for you. Read something that makes you stay up until the wee hours of the morning. If you get hungry but don't continue reading while you eat, it doesn't qualify. If you have to give your brain a break, it is definitively out. Read for the joy of it; read for the escape.
Just because a book a literary acclaim doesn't mean it's hopelessly dense. If you can't let go of your lofty literary ambitions entirely, allow me to recommend five classics that I couldn't put down. Dismiss all thoughts of The Scarlet Letter, and try these out instead:
1. Sherlock Holmes
A collection of clever, interesting short stories, full of mystery and intrigue. They are quick enough to finish in one afternoon and addicting enough that reading one story quickly turns into reading three or four.
(free on your iBooks app)
2. Peter Pan & 3. The Little Prince
I've grouped these together because they are the two most whimsical and lovely books I've ever read. You will be charmed by the curious, child-like insight they offer. What's more, these classics are uncharacteristically short and sweet. To give you a taste of the delight that awaits you, I've gathered a couple quotes:
“Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them” - The Little Prince
"...her sweet mocking mouth had one kiss on it that Wendy could never get, though there it was, perfectly conspicuous in the right-hand corner.” - Peter Pan
(Peter Pan - free on your iBooks app)
(Little Prince - 99 cents on your iBooks app)
4. The Three Musketeers
This action-packed tale of romance, adventure, and deeply binding friendship is a true page-turner. It has the added benefit of teaching quite a few old-fashioned French curse words to use when you run out of wine or your mortal enemy tries to kill you.
(free on your iBooks app)
5. Gone with the Wind
By no measure short, but by every measure my favorite book of all time. It's classy, so there's none of the smut of modern romance novels, but the sexual tension is UNREAL. Beyond the most epic love story EVER TOLD is the story of a tenacious, complex, and unshakably determined woman's will to survive as her world crumbles around her. This article took an extra week to write because I had to drop everything and reread the entire book before I could finish it. (And frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.)
(99 cents on your iBooks app)
For more reading recommendations, lofty or otherwise, try this list or search the Odyssey for many, many more!
