The semester’s started, we’re meeting our professors, comparing schedules with friends and finding all our classrooms. If most of your professors showed up and seem decent, your friends have at least twenty free minutes in common and your classrooms aren’t a mile apart, I’d say you’ve had an A+ this week.
But even if you haven’t gotten into the rhythm of uni life yet, the start of a new year brings the desire for new experiences, new hobbies – bullet journaling, guys, it’s great I swear – and hopefully new books to read! So in case you’re looking for some great stories to pick up this year, we’ve compiled a list of wide ranging books as recommended by both Her Campus members and collegiettes alike!
Batwoman: Hydrology (Comic) by Haden Blackman and J. H. Williams III
Genres: Superhero, LGBTQ
“I don’t answer to Batman. But I’ll do my best to make sure he doesn’t come around either.”
One of the many reasons why I love this introductory graphic novel is the stunning art style. It adds beautifully to Batwoman’s narration of events, and to her story as a lone vigilante, a wealthy socialite, and an open lesbian.
-Collegiette
An Ember in the Ashes (and its sequel A Torch against the Night) by Sabaa Tahir
Genres: Fiction. Epic Fantasy/Dystopia
“There are two kinds of guilt. The kind that’s a burden and the kind that gives you purpose. Let your guilt be your fuel. Let it remind you of who you want to be. Draw a line in your mind. Never cross it again. You have a soul. It’s damaged but it’s there. Don’t let them take it from you.”
I distinctly recall finishing this book at around three in the morning because I just had to see what would happen next. It’s about Laia, a girl who agrees to work for the Scholar resistance by spying on the Martials in order to save her brother, and Elias, a Martial soldier who’s only wish is to leave the Empire he’s been trained to kill for. The novel switches between their two perspectives, one being more reflective and the other more fast-paced, but both equally gripping. This book is fantastic for anyone who enjoys beautiful writing, twisting plots, and a continuous feeling of tension throughout.
-Alanise Morales
The Selection Series (The Selection, The Elite, The One, The Heir, and The Crown) by Kiera Cass
Genre: Young Adult, Romance
“It’s always fear of looking stupid that stops you from being awesome”.
I couldn’t stop reading each of the books. I remember waking up at 8 or 9 AM reading the books and then sleeping at about 2 or 3. You really connect with each of the characters (other than the protagonist). The problems (economically, socially and emotionally) are very realistic and you can’t help but think of the real world – our world – in the same way. If you’re a fan of The Bachelor/Bachelorette or Hunger Games this book is just for you since it seems to clash both of these worlds or concepts into one.
-Patricia De La Rosa
He’s Just Not that Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo
Genres: self-help
“Here’s something else to think about: calling when you say you’re going to is the very first brick in the house you are building of love and trust. If he can’t lay this one stupid brick down, you ain’t never gonna have a house baby, and it’s cold outside.”
This book is great for anyone who is stuck in a relationship, or thinks that they have a chance with a guy who lacks interest. I read it as a young girl, and it has helped me view men differently.
-Alejandra
Watchmen by Alan Moore, with artist Dave Gibbons, and colorist John Higgins
Genre: Graphic Novel
“We’re all puppets, Laurie. I’m just a puppet who can see the strings” – Dr. Manhattan, Watchmen
It is a great combination of image and word. It makes you reflect upon our society, yet its touch of science fiction keeps the storyline fun and somewhat light.
– Contributor
Vicious by V.E. Schwab
Genre: Fantasy/Science-fiction
“Plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of humans knew how to play at being human.”
If you want a daring book that won’t let you stop devouring every page of it, then Vicious is the one you need to pick up. A tale of revenge starting two morally ambiguous men, Victor and Eli, that because of traumatizing past events and the discovery of exceptional powers within them, have descended into a twisted and wicked path to destroy one another. An all-time favorite of mine that explores the villainous characters we love to hate. I can’t recommend this book enough.
-Uliana A. Rodríguez
“The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Genres: Children’s book, slice of life
“All grown-ups were once children… but only few of them remember it.”
While technically a children’s book, The Little Prince is a tale for people of all ages. In it, an aviator stranded in the desert meets a peculiar child who claims to hail from a distant asteroid; the bulk of the text, then, is the story of how they become friends by sharing The Little Prince’s adventures. Saint-Exupéry’s fantastical descriptions make us see the world from a new and refreshing perspective. Using simple yet incredibly poetic language, this short book strikes beautiful and almost haunting allegories for love, friendship, death, and warfare. A movie adaptation was launched in 2015 going by the same name; it stays true to the book while adding a cool, optimistic twist. Everyone should read – and watch – the stunning tale of this Little Prince.
-Jomayra Montalvo
The Perez Family by Christine Bell
Genres: Fiction, Magical Realism
“On an Anglo scale, Dottie was a good fifty pounds overweight. On a Latin scale, she was perfect.”
I found this hidden gem in the back of a second-hand store; it’s a book that speaks human truths with a hopeful and dreamlike reality for the Cuban Marielitos of the 80s. The ever present strength and humor of Latinos is felt through Juan Raul Perez and Dottie, whose only commonality is having the same last name. Taking that advantage, they pretend to be married and add members to their own mismatched family, all to gain sponsors in Miami, find Juan’s real family after twenty-three years, make money where money is met, and live the American Dream.
-Patricia Infanzon-Rodriguez