Winter's nearly gone--and spring's approaching soon. Which means, the spring semester is here and the work that professors are giving us is pretty much suffocating. To find solace from this unbelievable stress that homework tends to bring, a lot of students find comfort in watching Netflix. While Netflix is a saving grace--and hey, who doesn't love to binge watch The Walking Dead?--it's also not always the best thing for you to stare at a screen constantly. Instead, take a break from Netflix and crack open a book, one that will exercise your mind and will keep you at the edge of your seat at the same time. Here's a few books to help your eyes take a break from staring at a computer screen and will keep you enthralled all at once.
1. Within These Walls, by Ania Ahlborn
"Within These Walls" is a horror novel about a desperate true crime writer who moves into his latest novel's crime scene--but there's so much more evil to the house than just a dark history.
This book will keep you on the edge of your seat--and looking behind your back every five seconds. Guaranteed, it'll be better than anything in the horror section on Netflix.
2. Blankets, by Craig Thompson
Craig Thompson's graphic novel and autobiography spins the tale of a young man growing up in a strict, Evangelical Christian home struggling with coming of age, growing up, faith, love, loss, and heartbreak. The graphic novel is far more powerful than what you'd expect from a graphic novel--it'll hold onto your heart and will never let it go.
I'm telling you, read this instead of watching another sappy "this was only made for money" Nicholas Sparks movie that will leave you with unrealistic expectations. It's more powerful and truer than any "Best of Me or Safe Haven." Just be prepared for some heartbreak and growing pains.
3. The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls
"The Glass Castle" is another coming-of-age story--but not anything like "Blankets." The memoir (and soon to be a motion picture with Woody Harrelson and Brie Larson), chronicles the funny, weird, and bewildering childhood and emergence into adulthood of New York Times bestseller Jeanette Walls. We read about the oddities of Walls having nomadic parents, who lived like vagabonds and rolling stones, dragging Walls and her three siblings across the United States and living in poverty. The writing is so enthralling, so well done, that it is like watching a movie in your head.
Yes, this is better than watching "Clueless" for the fortieth time.
4. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy
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With everyone excited about the mid-season premiere of "The Walking Dead" in February, here's an excellent novel that will tide you over until then. In a post-apoctoplytic wasteland of a world, a father and son follow the road to the coast in hopes of seeking food, water, and survival. The book, written with no quotation marks and no names of any characters, will pull you in, spit you out, and break your heart every time you read it. It's a gritty, and intense; not for the faint of heart.
If your tempted to re-watch "The Walking Dead" over again until the mid-season premiere, don't. Just read this. It's fresh and much better than watching it over again.
5. Nine Stories, by J.D. Salinger
Don't look at this and immediately associate it with the books you read in high school. "Catcher In The Rye" is great, in my opinion, but I know a slew of people who hated it. Therefore, if you did, don't throw away this option just because it's by Salinger and Salinger wrote Rye. If you're one who can't dedicate themselves to the whole novel, then pick up this gem. It's chuck full of stories that young people, especially college kids, can relate to, and it's easy to read and incredibly well-written at the same time. Additionally, an out-of-print Salinger story that's probably one of the best I've read is "A Girl I Knew," which you can find online in PDF form. It's worth the read.
Yes, this is better than staring at the screen with a headache after watching eight hours of "Rick and Morty." "Rick and Morty" is great. But know when to take a break.
Good luck with the incoming schoolwork--remember, your brain and your eyes are going to thank you for taking a break and curling up with a good book.
