I know that there’s basically no such thing as free time at Davidson, but should you find yourself with an hour or so, consider giving Netflix a break and reading something that you actually might enjoy. Remember when we read things for pleasure? It was so lovely then. Here are a few ways to fall in love with books again.
1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green – I know the hype around this book is crazy right now, but let me just say that I’ve been a fan of John Green for about six years. A friend of mine recommended Looking for Alaska (which you should also read now right now) when we were in high school, and I had never read anything like it. John Green just writes real life and it’s beautiful and painful and funny and sad and wonderful. Full disclosure: TFiOS will make you ugly cry, so get the tissues ready. Make sure you read this one before June 6th so you can go see the movie. Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort are going to be heartbreakingly perfect.
2. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen – Fun fact: this novel was actually written as part of National Novel Writing Month. Another fun fact: elephants are my favorite animal, which may or may not color my review of this book. Regardless, this love story set amid the backdrop of a Depression-era traveling circus is so beautifully told that it’s hard to believe Gruen’s publisher initially turned her down. Big mistake, Avon Books. If you’re looking for something a little dark, a little funny, and a lot romantic, this one’s for you.
3. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd – 14-year-old Lily Owens is on a quest to find some answers about her mother and it takes her to the tiny town of Tiburon, S.C. and the home of the beekeeping Boatwright sisters. What ensues is an incredible story of love and forgiveness and acceptance and a lot of other fun book cover buzzwords. In all seriousness, though, Kidd delicately and exquisitely explores all kinds of relationships between women, and this novel is lovely.
4. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells – Hands down my favorite book in the entire world. Wells has this incredible ability to completely rip you apart inside and then put you back together again, better than you were before, all over the course of about three pages. This novel is so full that I can’t even begin to describe it in words. I return to it over and over again and I love it even more every time. Warning: it’s heavy and deep and difficult, but so rewarding and worth it.
5. Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen – Quindlen is an incredible journalist and novelist, but I find this – her memoir – to be my favorite work of hers. It’s full of short stories that follow Quindlen from college through empty nesting. Although I can’t relate to everything that she writes, I don’t enjoy her anecdotes any less. If you’re looking for some advice from a badass career woman, wife, mother, and incredible individual, this book is an excellent choice.
6. The Help by Kathryn Stockett – To be honest, if you’re not from the South, you might not understand a lot of this book. Regardless of your personal experience, though, it’s funny, it’s heartwarming, and it’s an incredible debut novel. And as much as I love Meryl, Viola Davis overwhelmingly deserved the Oscar for her portrayal of Aibileen in the film (which is also incredible). Most importantly, though, this book is the source of perhaps the simplest but most beautiful advice ever given: You is kind. You is smart. You is important.
7. Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares – Yes, this is the fifth book in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. It takes place ten years after the fourth book ends, and it is so perfect and satisfying and wonderful and necessary. I re-read the entire series after I read this book for the first time and fell in love with Brashares’s casual, easy writing all over again. Think of it as the grown-up college version of your favorite teenage books.
8. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou – Everyone needs Maya Angelou’s poems in their life. Everyone. She basically has no flaws. Her writing is incredible and moving and honest and every other good thing in this world.
9. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith – I first read this book in sixth grade for a competition called Battle of the Books, which is about as cutthroat, nerdy, and ridiculous as it sounds. But something about the story of Francie Nolan drew me in and didn’t let me go. It’s a little long and there’s a lot going on, but it’s so well written and my twelve-year-old self thought it was awesome. My twenty-one-year-old self still does.
10. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger – This is a love story told from two perspectives – a man with a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel unpredictably, and his artist wife who must deal with the consequences of her dangerous absentee husband. Are you terrified yet? Don’t be. This debut novel may have a strange plot, but it is a lovely story. Bonus: Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana are stunning in the film.