“One thing I ask the potential employee when in the hiring process (besides their education, story, and goals),” states the head of the Design team at Atlantic Records, “is ‘What book are you reading right now?’” The purpose for this question is to have an intelligent conversation about something in the book — content, language, and theme — as well as highlight how important it is to dive into literature, especially in the midst of our world driven by technology. “The ability to have a conversation about something meaningful”, he continued, “such as literature, is so important and should be applied to any profession.” This surprised me, as I wouldn’t think it crossed the mind of supervisors and leaders in a company. I became so excited, as talking about books and analyzing content is what I love to do.
In high school, we’ve unraveled the classics and learned the basics. I crave the summer months when I have the ability to dive into new books while unwinding by the lake or on my porch after working all day. In the books on my shelf, you can find blue ink marks of comments and brackets among the paragraphs.
It’s hard to find the time in college, but, if you want an escape from projects, deadlines, emails, and figuring out your life, devote a day or even 15 minutes to dive into a book.
Here are three books I’ve read within the year that are worth diving into!
“All the Ugly and Wonderful Things” by Bryn Greenwood
Summary from GoogleBooks:
Wavy is the daughter of a broken home: her mother battles bipolar disorder and her father is a drug-dealer/unfaithful to the family, which leaves her to take on responsibilities such as caring for her brother, Donal, and maintaining the house. Obsessed with the constellations, she finds peace in the starry night sky above the fields behind her house, until one night her star gazing causes an accident. After witnessing his motorcycle wreck, she forms an unusual friendship with one of her father’s friends, Kellen, a tattooed ex-con with a heart of gold. By the time Wavy is a teenager, her relationship with Kellen is the only tender thing in a brutal world of addicts and debauchery. When tragedy rips Wavy’s family apart, a well-meaning aunt steps in, and what is beautiful to Wavy looks ugly under the scrutiny of the outside world. Kellen may not be innocent, but he is the fixed point in Wavy and Donal’s chaotic universe. Instead of playing it safe, Wavy has to learn to fight for Kellen, for her brother, and for herself”
Why is it worth the dive?
-
The content is not light and fluffy, but that’s what makes the pages turn
-
Character growth in Wavy, fighting for something she believes in
-
Title → a reference to the night sky
“Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness” by Susannah Cahalan
Summary from Amazon:
‘Brain on Fire’ is the powerful account of one woman’s struggle to recapture her identity. When twenty-four-year-old Susannah Cahalan, writer for the New York Post, woke up alone in a hospital room, strapped to her bed and unable to move or speak, she had no memory of how she’d gotten there. Days earlier, she had been on the threshold of a new, adult life: at the beginning of her first serious relationship and a promising career. Now she was labeled violent, psychotic, a flight risk. What happened?
In a swift and breathtaking narrative, Susannah tells the astonishing true story of her descent into madness, her family’s inspiring faith in her, and the lifesaving diagnosis that nearly didn’t happen. “A fascinating look at the disease that . . . could have cost this vibrant, vital young woman her life” (People), Brain on Fire is an unforgettable exploration of memory and identity, faith and love, and a profoundly compelling tale of survival and perseverance that is destined to become a classic.
Why is it worth the dive?
-
Susannah’s struggle is an example of rising above hardship, overcoming difficulty
-
Each chapter is labeled as one word or term, increasing curiosity and causing you to read more
-
Susannah was a recent graduate when the illness struck, so she was our age → connection
-
About 80% of the book is relied on: hospital footages, diary entries from Susannah’s parents, boyfriend, and close friends because she couldn’t remember anything during her ‘month of madness’. So, to read about her journey unfolding is incredible
-
I finished it in 2 weeks!!
“Shadow of the Wind” by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
*Disclaimer: This is still in progress for me!
Summary from Penguin Random House:
The Shadow of the Wind is a coming-of-age tale of a young boy who, through the magic of a single book, finds a purpose greater than himself and a hero in a man he’s never met. The Shadow of the Wind is an ode to the art of reading, but it is also the perfect example of the all-encompassing power of a well-told story. At the first light of dawn in postwar Barcelona, a bookseller leads his motherless son to a mysterious crypt called the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. This labyrinthine sanctuary houses the books that have lost their owners, books that are no longer remembered by anyone. It is here that ten-year-old Daniel Sempere pulls a single book—The Shadow of the Wind—off of the dusty shelves to adopt as his own. When Daniel speaks with Gustavo Barceló, a local booktrader, to find out more about his new treasure, word begins to spread that he has uncovered a long-sought rarity, perhaps the only copy of any of Julián Carax’s works in existence. Soon after, a mysterious stranger whom Daniel recognizes as Laín Coubert, the leather-masked, cigarette-smoking devil from Carax’s novel, propositions Daniel, offering to buy the book from him for an astronomical price. Daniel refuses, in spite of the man’s thinly veiled threats. With the help of his bookselling friends, Daniel discovers that Laín Coubert has cut a swath of destruction through two countries, methodically searching for and destroying all of Carax’s books while erasing every trace of Carax’s life.
Why is it worth the dive:
-
Zafon’s writing is very poetic; his descriptions of the setting and emotions pull you in
-
A man who likes books . . . need I say more??
-
“The Cemetery of Forgotten Books” is a unique and interesting concept!
-
Setting = Barcelona, Spain — amazing city with a culture that’s new to us
I hope these suggestions are helpful in pursuing a new book! #NerdStatus