If you’re like me and too busy to read for pleasure throughout the semester, by the time summer comes along, your to-read list is out of control. There’s nothing like stretching out on a warm summer day or curling up in bed during a June thunderstorm with a good page-turner. Here are a few books to expand your mind over summer vacay and keep Netflix binging at bay.
1. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
You can’t go on Facebook these days without seeing an article about the groundbreaking Hulu Series, but take some time to read the original Novel by Margaret Atwood. I guarantee that Offred’s narrative is some of the most beautiful writing you will ever read. In these times of uncertainty, Atwood warns against the societal, religious, and political overreach of women’s bodies to create a haunting dystopia that you won’t want to put down.
2. The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck
This World War II novel takes you back into the shoes of ordinary women in wartime Germany. Shattuck uses real events to showcase the lives of the widows of the men who attempted to assassinate Hitler and their fight for survival. This historical novel provides eerie parallels to today’s society, as well, to keep the reader on the edge of their seat.
3. The Hate U Gave by Angie Thomas Read about the life of Starr Carter, a 16-year-old living between two worlds where she lives and goes to school until she witnesses a police officer shoot her unarmed best friend. Thomas’ extremely important and timely novel give audiences a new perspective on the stories we see on the news.
4. Note to Self by Connor Franta
This YouTuber is now a best-selling author! Franta shares his path from mid-western boy to internet fame through pictures, stories, and poems, most of which he wrote on his Note app over the past few years. This memoir will fill you with hope and passion for standing up for what you believe in.
5. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
Before watching the soon-to-be-released movie staring Amandla Stenberg and Nick Robinson, read the novel that will bring you to tears of sadness and joy. Main character Madeline puts it best, “My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla. But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him.” Fall in love with young love, again, with this inspiring novel.
Happy reading, my fellow Seawolves!