For most college students, finding time to read for pleasure during the academic school year is near to impossible. That is why the three weeks of winter break between the fall and spring semesters is the perfect time to catch up on some light reading. Reading is also a great boredom buster in place of refreshing Instagram every five minutes while in the car travelling with your family to a relative’s home. Here is a list of books you may or may not have considered reading but definitely should
"Shantaram" by Gregory David Roberts.
The first book on the list is one that has been sitting in my Barnes & Noble online shopping cart for months and I can’t wait to read. This is a story about Lin, an escaped convict, navigating around the underground world of modern Bombay. This big book is full of big ideas and apparently based on the life of the author. Pat Conroy said, “If someone asked me what the book was about, I would have to say everything, every thing in the world.”
"Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
Written by the woman whose TED Talks speech, “Why We Should All Be Feminists,” was used in Beyoncé’s song Flawless, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah is a both a modern love story and manifesto of what it means to be black in America. The novel switches prospective between Ifemelu and Obinze, two lovers from Nigeria who separate when Ifemelu goes to college in America and Obinze stays in Nigeria and eventually makes his way to England. Whenever asked by friends for book recommendations, Americanah is my go-to because everyone can learn from this wise story about what it means to be an immigrant in the modern world.
"One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories" by B.J. Novak.
Fans of The Office may recognize the author of this book as the actor who played Ryan and actually helped create the hit sitcom. One More Thing is a collection of sometimes funny, sometimes heartfelt short stories fans of The Office will enjoy, especially if they listen to the audiobook version where actors from the show make guest appearances to read.
"Wide Sargasso Sea" by Jean Rhys.
Most people know the story of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, but Wide Sargasso Sea shifts the narratives from Jane to Mr. Rochester’s wife, Antoinette Cosway (you know, the one Mr. Rochester locked away in the attic because he said she was crazy but Jane didn’t even know he was already married until the day Jane and Mr. Rochester first wanted to get married). The story takes places in the Caribbean, a striking difference from dreary England in Jane Eyre, and the story follows Antoinette from lonely child to a woman renamed Bertha who is taken advantaged of Mr. Rochester. Wide Sargasso Sea is a reminder that there are two sides to every story.
"Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut.
Everyone deserves to read some Vonnegut at one point in their lives and this is one of his best works. Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children's Crusade is the story of Billy Pilgrim and his time as a World War II soldier, alien test subject, and many other roles Americans find themselves playing the part of throughout their lives. There’s a reason this is one of the most quoted books ever.
"Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen.
Read this because there are other classic novels that have shaped the history of literature besides the same three books written by the same three, dead white guys. Pride and Prejudice is timeless because it addresses the same complications of love people are facing today just as they did in 1813 when the novel was first published. Every guy that thinks they shouldn’t have to read a girl book about Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy is exactly the type of person that would benefit most from reading this novel. When you're done, read something else by a woman.
"The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" by Junot Diaz.
A novel that begins with the tale of a relatable super-nerd named Oscar living in New Jersey but then the plot travels back in time to the Dominican Republic during the deadly Trujillo regime to tell the storyies of Oscar’s relatives from generations before him. This is a family saga of flawed characters you can’t help but root for.
"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: The Illustrated Edition" by J.K. Rowling.
No need to give a short bio for this one. What’s great about this edition of the novel is that it is the first official illustrated version of a Harry Potter novel. Fans of the book, like myself, can rediscover the magic of the books with the featured paintings, illustrations, and more in this illuminated text. I am curious to see how the illustrations will compare to the film adaptations.
"The English Patient" by Michael Ondaatje.
A poetic novel about four people staying in an Italian villa during the end of World War II, The English Patient is a story of nationality, ownership, and bad timing. The story is tragic, but beautiful.
"The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P." by Adelle Waldman.
The self-aware novel for the clueless millennial, Nathaniel P is a story about a struggling Brooklyn writer you painfully relate to, even when you don’t want to. What’s amazing about this novel is that despite having a realistically modern plot in the social media era, the story is written in a style normally suited for a story involving Victorian aristocrats. Read this if you want to learn how not to act.
Even if you didn’t find a book on this list that sounds compelling to you, I hope this list encourages you to find whatever it is that sparks your interest and to keep reading.
