You get back to your dorm from your classes where you’ve been reading notes all day, back from hours at the library where you’ve been doing the piles and piles of textbook readings you’ve been assigned for this week, and all you want to do is watch Netflix for the next five hours and binge eat Ben and Jerry’s. Yup, we’ve all been there.
But reading for pleasure is something I think is totally underestimated; reading is proven to lower stress levels, help with concentration and focus, and improve your analytic thinking skills, vocabulary, memory, and writing. No, you don’t need to read Shakespeare or Tolstoy right after a 10-hour study session, just something light and fun will make a huge difference in your life. So I have compiled a list of 10 of my favorite easy-reads to get you into reading so you can reap all the awesome benefits of curling up with a good book.
1."The Harry Potter" series by J.K Rowling: If you haven’t heard of Harry Potter then you have most likely been living under a rock for the past 20 years. And although this is the most popular book series in the world, I just had to mention it because there are still a few poor souls that have never read this compilation of seven books filled with pure awesomeness. Not only is it an easy read but the story is unbelievably fascinating, so much fun to read, and the entire plot line is filled with some amazing, incredibly inspiring life messages. So for the love of God, read the Harry Potter series…or read it eight times like I have. #noshame
2. "Bossy Pants" by Tina Fey: This is probably the most hilarious, light-hearted, entertaining book in the whole world. An autobiography by Tina Fey, "Bossy Pants" will leave you rolling on the floor with laughter as she talks about experiences like her first trip to the gynecologist. Just by reading a few chapters of this, you will undoubtedly be put into a better mood.
3."The Hiding Place" by Corrie Ten Boom: This has been one of my all-time favorite books for years and for good reason. Corrie Ten Boom, a Dutch woman who lived during World War II, and her family created a “hiding place” in their home, where they hid Jews from persecution under Hitler’s regime. Eventually discovered, the Ten Boom family was sent to concentration camps as punishment. Corrie Ten Boom uses her autobiography, "The Hiding Place", to tell her life story as a young Christian woman working in the underground during World War II, and her first-hand accounts of Nazi concentration camps. A deeply moving, insightful, fascinating, inspiring and suspenseful book, "The Hiding Place
is an absolute MUST-read. (Tip: The first few chapters consist of Corrie talking about her early life before World War II and the Nazi occupation. If you begin reading and find the beginning slow and boring, you can skip the first few chapters.)
4. "The Beginning of Everything" by Robyn Schneider: "The Beginning of Everything" is about a high school boy named Ezra, whose knee was permanently damaged in a bad car accident. Before the accident, Ezra was a member of the tennis team and hung out with the “popular group.” But with his injury keeping him from being able to play tennis again, he finds himself drifting from the popular crowd to the “loser crowd”, changing his entire perspective on life and even finding romance along the way. "The Beginning of Everything" is a heart-warming, bittersweet, humorous, all-around adorable book that you are guaranteed to fall in love with.
5. "Sense and Sensibility" by Jane Austen: "Sense and Sensibility" is one of my all-time favorite books. It’s beautiful writing, fascinating storyline and deep characters guaranteed to draw you in. Mary Dashwood and her daughters Eleanor, Marianne and Margaret have just faced the loss of their father. During this time period, estates were passed down from father to son, not father to daughter, causing the Dashwood women to be forced out of their beautiful home into a tiny cottage and a life of poverty. Mary’s step-son, along with his cruel wife Fanny, move in. This story focuses mainly on Eleanor, the reasonable, level-headed, oldest sister and Marianne, the younger, passionate, romantic sister. "Sense and Sensibility" follows the Dashwood women as they go through life, experience the ups and downs of romances, and deal with the inequality and injustices between gender and class in 18th century England.
6. "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald: This classic was probably required reading in high school for most people, but I had to mention it anyway. "The Great Gatsby" takes place in New York City and Long Island during the roaring twenties and narrated by Nick Carraway, a young man who has come to New York to work in the bond business. He tells of his experiences with his fabulously wealthy cousin Daisy, her husband Tom, and Jay Gatsby, a mysterious man with an unbelievable mansion next to Nick’s cottage on Long Island. The intriguing story, fascinating characters, beautiful writing, and unbelievable attention to detail and symbolism Fitzgerald puts into his book is incredible; it is no wonder that "The Great Gatsby" is one of the most loved and popular classics of American Literature.
7. "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett: Set in Mississippi during the 1960s, "The Help" is about the lives of African-American maids working for white people in their households. Eugenia "Skeeter”, a young white woman who is a new college graduate, wants to fulfill her desire to become a writer, although her mother is insistent that she get married. Skeeter, now with a fresh perspective on Civil Rights and the gap between the blacks and whites in the South, pitches an idea to an editing company in New York to write a story about black southern maids. Through her journey writing the book, she steps away from the traditional, sheltered life and household she has known her whole life, and transforms into an independent, strong woman. Through this bittersweet story, you will learn so much about what it was like living in the old south during the Civil Rights movement as well as have an incredibly enjoyable read.
8. "The Opposite of Loneliness" by Marina Keegan : At just 22-years-old, Marina Keegan graduated magna cum laude from Yale, had a job right out of college at The New Yorker, and a play she wrote was going to be performed at a prestigious drama festival. Then five days after graduation, she died in a tragic car crash. After her death, a collection of her short stories and essays were found and published into a book; "The Opposite of Loneliness". Her positivity and beautiful spirit shines through her writing, making for a wonderful read, especially if you need a little boost of happiness (I mean who doesn’t, right?)
9. The "Delirium" trilogy: by Lauren Oliver: I’m not really a fan of all those romance/dystopian novels, but this one I really liked. Set in a dystopian society, the government has declared that love is a deadly disease and in order to rid people of this innate “flaw”, each teenager is required to get surgery in order to remove the parts that cause feelings of love, both romantic love and familial love. Lena, the main character, is looking forward to the surgery…until she meets a strange boy named Alex who teaches her the power and beauty of love, completely changing her world. Filled with romance, adventure, suspense, mystery, and action, "Delirium" is an extremely entertaining and easy read that will leave you running to Barnes and Noble to get the next two books, "Pandemonium" and "Requiem".
10. "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck: Steinbeck is one of my absolute favorite authors, his incredible talent for writing fascinating stories, rich in symbolism and beautiful language make his books so special. "The Pearl" is the story of a man named Kino who goes diving for pearls to buy medicine for his sick son, and finds an enormous, extremely valuable pearl. However, the extreme value of the pearl, which was first viewed as a blessing and a token of good fortune for the family, becomes an object so coveted that murder is committed and evil arises for this one jewel. This book examines the meaning of human nature and delves into the ideas of greed and evilness.
I hope all these tips have inspired you to read, and I hope you find as much joy as I did by delving into these awesome books! Happy reading!
