I am the world’s biggest book nerd and I am ALWAYS looking for a title to read. Unfortunately, since I’ve been at Notre Dame, I feel like the amount of time I have to read has decreased. Breaks are amazing because I can utilize the down time to do something that I love, while knocking a couple books off of my ever-growing list. Who likes to waste precious time reading a bad book? Here are three books you absolutely MUST read over Christmas break if you’re looking for a few titles.
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García-Márquez
In my opinion, this is Gabriel García-Márquez’s masterpiece. Telling the tale of the Buendía family over several generations, One Hundred Years of Solitude is one of the most famous Latin American novels. From the quirky characters, to the many political and historical references, to the amazingly crafted syntax, this book is a masterpiece in and of itself. This novel is jam packed with a myriad of different historical, cultural, political, philosophical, and theological references.
This is a textbook example of a “deep read” so don’t read this if you’re looking for something to breeze through. You are getting so much content out of one novel. Also, it’s important to note that García-Márquez’s won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982. Rest assured, dear reader, his writing is golden.
A Million Little Pieces, James Frey
This is a super easy read, one to read when you’re stressed and need to be distracted. This book is about a drug addict struggling with overcoming his addictions in what seems to be his last chance in life. It is written in a very unconventional way, mapping the thought patterns and processes of an addict.
I don’t know if you remember the scandal behind this book; A Million Little Pieces was a part of Oprah’s book club. She ranted and raved on air about the book and the author, James Frey, as it is supposed to be a story of his path to sobriety. However, it was later discovered that a lot of the events were overdramatized, and Oprah was devastated. This extra drama makes it even more interesting of a read.
White Oleander, Janet Fitch
This is one of those sad, yet empowering coming-of-age tales. This is the story of a girl named Astrid who is forced into the life of a foster child after her mother, Ingrid, is sent to prison for killing her philandering boyfriend. You travel with Astrid through her different foster homes, watching her grow and develop into a young woman at the end of the novel.
This novel is sad throughout, but I promise it gives you hope and leaves you feeling fulfilled in the end. Plus, the book was adapted into a movie with Michelle Pfeiffer and Reneé Zellweger, so when you’re done with the book, you can sit down and have a movie night!
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