Even though it’s only November, I’ve already started fantasizing about all the free time I will have after finals week. While I’m looking forward to spending some of that free time with family, friends, and of course my cat, I’m also looking forward to some me-time that I can dedicate to reading for pleasure. While I love to read, I find that a lot of my time and energy for reading go towards my classes since I’m an English major. So, of course, I’ve put together a small list of books that I hope to read during our time off. If you like to read as well, I encourage you to pick up one of these books or to create your own reading list!
- The Christmas bookshop by Jenny Colgan
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Okay, I know this one is a little strange and cheesy, but I want to really get into the Christmas spirit! And hey, if it’s socially acceptable to watch Christmas movies, then I should be able to read Hallmark-esque Christmas romance novels.
The novel follows a woman named Carmen, who finds herself out of work and money. She’s forced to move in with her sister Sofia and her family while she gets back on her feet. Carmen and Sofia do not get along; Sofia and her life are all too “perfect” for Carmen, while Sofia finds that her sister is too difficult to deal with. But with Carmen’s predicament, and Sofia expecting another baby, the sisters find themselves needing each other during the holiday season. With her housing situation sorted, Carmen begins working at Mr. McCredie’s failing bookshop and tasks herself with bringing the dusty store back to life in time for the holidays. If you thought the Christmas bookstore plot wasn’t enough of a sell, Carmen also has time to get caught in the middle of a love triangle!
I’m a big Good Reads fan, and user Kim ~ It’s All About the Thrill noted, “I can’t think of a better way to get into the Christmas spirit than with this book! This book was like a warm cup of cocoa on a cold day! It just gave me that fuzzy feeling that I can’t get enough of during the holidays.” Um. Say no more, I’m sold. Colgan is also a New York Times bestselling author, so I’m sure her writing style won’t disappoint!
(Blurb sourced from Good Reads)
- Cultish: the language of fanaticism by Amanda Montell
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Call me a nerd, but I love to learn. I especially love to learn about niche topics that I can bring up in random conversations. Cultish is just that.
In the book, Montell examines the social science of cult influence. We all assume that people who get sucked into cults are just brainwashed or naive, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Anyone could fall victim to a cult, even you or I. Montell thus explains that it’s language that creates these intense communities. She goes even further to illustrate how Cultish language is all around us–even on our Instagram feeds.
As an English major, I am drawn to the power of language and etymology. One’s word choice can have a huge impact on the perception of a statement without you even noticing. I’m also super interested in pursuing a career in marketing, so this type of “cult following” language seems even more necessary for me to understand.
(Blurb sourced from Good Reads)
- extremely online: the untold story of fame, influence, and power on the internet by taylor lorenz
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As I’ve mentioned, I’m a hopeful-marketing-girlie, so I enjoy consuming content related to the marketing world, especially social media marketing (shoutout to my baby, our Instagram account @hercampusgettysburg). This book came out last month, and I heard about it through the podcast, Ahead of the Curve with Coco Mocoe (definitely recommend this one if you’re interested in learning more about social media marketing, the entertainment industry, digital media, and more). Mocoe had the author of this book, Taylor Lorenz on her podcast to talk social media and her upcoming book.
In her debut book, Lorenz compiles her experience reporting on internet culture for the Washington Post into a deep dive on how influencers and creators have changed the world we inhabit. Of course, social media has changed the way we connect with one another, consume content, and even the ways we can reach celebrity status. She argues this, and more. The age of the influencer has created a significant shift in the economy, permanently changing modern capitalism.
Hearing Lorenz and Mocoe talk on the latter’s podcast made me immediately put this book on my “to read next” list. Social media is a topic I could talk about for hours, so I’m excited to learn more from this book. Hopefully, it’ll extend my social-media-conversations from hours long to days long!
(Blurb sourced from Good Reads)
- Maverick: The Success Story Behind the World’s Most Unusual Workplace by ricardo Semler
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Okay, to be fair, I didn’t pick this book. This book was recommended (and given to me) by Professor Patturaja Selvaraj. He currently runs the Eisenhower Institute’s Undergraduate Fellowship, a program that I’m a part of. Ricardo Semler is the CEO of Semco–a Brazilian company that was in disarray. Semler completely turned the company around, a feat that became an infamous success story in the business world. He gave employees more autonomy: such as allowing them to set their own productivity targets, schedules, salaries, and bonuses. This led to Semco gaining notoriety as one of the best places in Brazil to work, and one of the fastest growing companies in Latin America.
As you can probably tell from my Christmas story selection, I like to plan my reading list around the season I am in. I’m planning on reading this book on the plane while the Fellows travel to Berlin, Germany in January. I feel like this book falls under the “self-help/leadership plan” that January is known for. Maybe my New Year’s Resolution will be to become a better leader through reading this book.
(Blurb sourced from Good Reads)
- Pride and Prejudice by jane austen
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I haven’t read this classic since early high school, and that was like… eight years ago? Wow. This amazing Austen novel is so perfect for the chilly weather, and I can’t wait to return to it now that I’m older and (hopefully) wiser. If you’re unfamiliar with it, the novel follows Elizabeth Bennet as she learns that first impressions are not always correct, as is the case when she meets Mr. Darcy.
This is a page-turning love story that deals with manners, education, and of course, marriage. I feel like I can’t say anything about this book that hasn’t been said. It’s a well loved classic for a reason.
(Blurb sourced from Blurb.com)
And those are my picks! I hope that some of these books interested you, and if you have read them already, I would love to discuss them with you. If you’re reading other books during our winter break, I’d also love to hear what’s on your list.
Have a restful break!