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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at NMSU chapter.

If you are anything like me then one of the fun things about starting a new year is starting a new reading list. I use Goodreads to create the reading list and see how many I can actually manage to read at the end of the year. That is one of the exciting things about being a bookworm, seeing how many books I can finally get through in the big pile of books that I always manage to walk out with when I go to a bookstore, or browsing through Amazon. I want to share some of the books I’ve read and recommend for your reading list and others, that while I have not read, I am very excited to read this year!

Recommend:

  • The very first book I would recommend is The Fortune of the Rougons by Émile Zola.

This book is part of a series that covers the lives of the Rougon-Macquart family spanning over generations. It takes place in a fictional town called Plassans in France. Originally, I had started out with a book mid-series in a previous class, but I absolutely fell in love with it and decided to start out from the very beginning. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did! Now this book makes you love some of the characters in this family and absolutely hate others which is one of the appeals for me. This book causes you to become so immersed in the story and the characters that I had a hard time putting it down. The characters the first book covers are mostly Miette, Silvère, Adélaïde Foque, Pierre Rougon, Félicité Puesch and Aristide Rougon. Along with these characters you are given history to the characters re-introduced later in the series. The traits of manipulation, greed, struggle, courage, and so much more in which the family portrays is just one more reason to read this book.

  • The second book in this list, House of Darkness House of Light: The True Story by Andrea Perron, is a book I found to be especially intriguing. As a fan of the horror genre I first discovered this book existed after I watched The Conjuring. This book follows the story of the Perron family and their experiences in the home they lived in. The experiences are from each member of the family and the struggle they endured. I definitely think this is a must read if you love horror or books that are altogether off-putting. I say off-putting because some of the experiences they describe cause you to cringe and well, hope they never happen to you.
  • The final book for my recommendation list is The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn. This story revolves around Anna Fox and her fear, intrigue, and in a way obsession with the Russell family that lives across the street. She witnesses an event that only she can claim happened and she must find out the truth. This book causes you to question her sanity but also see the dynamics between her and the would be killer. The mystery and intrigue this book portray are themes I found to be highly appealing.

Lastly, a few books I placed on my to-read list are:

  • The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. I fell in love with the television show and wanted to see how close or far the book resembled it. I have seen many good reviews of this book as well so I am hopeful this will turn into one of my favorites. If you enjoy books that introduce you to alternative realities where women are the main characters who have to fight the good fight, so to speak, then this book should be added to your list too!
  • The Collected Schizophrenias: Essays by EsmĂ© Weijun Wang is another book I was interested in. This book I believe is important when it comes to bringing awareness to mental illness and how it impacts individuals. If you have it in your family or just want to be informed, I think this book may be one worth reading.
  • Me Before You by Jojo Moyes is one on my to read-list as well as currently-reading. It follows the story of Louisa Clark and not only the struggles of financially aiding her family but trying to find out what she wants to do with her life and life in general. As a college student this is something, we all at one time or another, ask ourselves: What do we want to do with our lives? And this is one of the many reasons I find this book relatable.

I hope all of my fellow readers enjoy and have a great reading year!

 

       

 

Graduate Student in the M.A. for Rhetoric and Technical Communication program.
Lover of God, Photography, fashion, and food.