When I was in elementary school, I loved reading. I discovered that I could get lost in the pages of a book, yearning to find out how it ended. When I entered middle school, that changed. Though I still loved reading, I no longer made time for it. In fact, I felt like I had no time because the workload was drastically different than the one math worksheet a night I was used to. This trend continued throughout high school. I would occasionally find a book that caught my attention and read it over one weekend, or make time to read the Harry Potter series, again, as the holidays rolled around. But I always felt bad that I didn’t read as voraciously as I used to, remembering the real joy and wholesomeness it used to bring me.
Last semester I took a class called American Ethnic Writers. It was my first English class in college, and I was intrigued to see how it would be different from high school. We read about nine short to mid-length novels, one per week. It became mandatory for me to read, and I was for the most part enjoying it. Although there were a few books that felt somewhat like a chore, almost all of them I was happy to discover I really enjoyed. If I hadn’t taken this class I would not have been exposed to these books for a long time, maybe ever, and a couple have become some of my favorite books I’ve ever read. After the class ended, I realized the gap that had been reopened in my life, a lack of reading. So, over winter break I asked for a few books for Christmas and made it a goal to actively make time to read.
Here are some of my favorite books from the class…
1. Woman Hollering Creek: And Other Stories by Sandra Cisneros
This book is filled with short stories and a common theme amongst them is gender roles, specifically on both sides of the Mexican border. No two of the stories are alike. The thing I love most about her writing is how descriptive and specific it is, yet concise. So many sentences are beautifully constructed. I won’t lie, I had to look to the internet for answers a few times to get the overall summary that I felt I was missing from some stories, but what became evident was that a lot of the stories have to do with love, whether it is ugly jealous love or love for yourself.
2. In the Heart of the Valley of Love by Cynthia Kadohata
When I read the summary of this book, I didn’t know what to expect. This is a dystopian novel set in 2052 Los Angeles “where rich and poor are deeply polarized and where water, food, gas and education cannot be taken for granted.” All of the dystopian or post-apocalyptic novels, movies, or stories that I have encountered in my life have been full of action, with a despicable government and usually an underground rebellion in the works. If that’s what you’re into, this book might not be for you. For me, on the other hand, it was really refreshing, although I also enjoy the action-filled stories. This is a book set in the near future, highly different from our current reality, yet utterly believable. It painted a very bittersweet image of what the future may be like, but there was also a consideration of human nature – how we continue to survive and love under many circumstances.
3. Caucasia by Danzy Senna
This novel confronts many uncomfortable truths of identity, particularly mixed-race identity, from the perspective of a younger sister with a white mother and black father. This is a coming of age novel, set in the 1970s, following the main character Birdie’s relationship with her family members, the world, and herself. Birdie is able to pass as white, while her sister cannot, and the novel confronts the ways in which the two sister’s situations and identities change according to their environment. There are many realities constructed for Birdie before she reaches the end of the novel, and it really makes you think about how our family and others shape who we are and how we decide who we are.
…and a few books I’ve read or been wanting to read since.
4. Text Me When You Get Home: The Evolution and Triumph of Modern Female Friendship by Kayleen Schaefer
I was first introduced to this book by a YouTuber insisting that every woman should read it. And I definitely agree. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but I am so happy to have it in my life. This book is nonfiction and talks about main themes in female friendships; how women were perceived primarily to be mean to each other, how women are taught to only focus on men, how women are stronger together, and more. It was really interesting to learn about how society has shaped our view of female friendships, and I shamefully recognized those messages in my thoughts as I read this book. It’s also a great way to find your next book, movie, or T.V. show through the many references made to other media out there that has been trying to show the truth of female friendships over the years. This was a really quick read, and the best part is that I ended it feeling more appreciative than ever of the women who have really been there for me, and I guarantee it will make you feel the same way. It also made me actively want to seek out more friendships and connections. I love that I will re-read this book at any future stage in my life and find connection and new meaning from it, reminding myself of how much I should appreciate my friends.
5. Calypso by David Sedaris
Calypso is a collection of short personal essays. It is a really quick read because honestly, I can’t get enough of it, but I haven’t finished it quite yet. There are a few melancholy stories, and a few ridiculous ones, but overall there’s no way you will read this without laughing. Every time I pick up the book I find myself smiling. Without realizing it, I have been exposed to David Sedaris before over the radio, explaining that the two ways to be an adult are to always buy candles from Diptyque, and to write thank you cards for everything. He isn’t afraid to portray some of the childish or nasty aspects of human nature, and he also isn’t afraid to be brutally honest. This book is a great look at an interesting family, and how you can derive more pleasure in life from talking to strangers about anything. Overall, one of the best parts of reading this book is realizing that there is humor in many things in life, and you can get a story out of any wacky or mundane thing that you experience.
6. The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
This book is next on my shelf after Calypso. I only know as much about it as the Goodreads summary tells me (you can find it here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45304101-the-great-believers?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=fOEEc9509V&rank=1). What I will say is that this book follows two stories at different times and places (modern-day Paris and the ‘80s in Chicago), and is centered around the AIDS epidemic. Perhaps this is just my experience, but being born over a decade after the peak of the epidemic I have found that not many people in my life talk about it. There are movies that provide a little bit of insight into the crisis—like Philadelphia (1993), Rent (2005), and Dallas Buyers Club (2013)—as well as I’m sure many other stories out there. However, I hear little about it from my parents, for instance, or my Aunt and Uncle, all who were in their 20s at the time. I’m sure they have painful memories that they do not wish to relive, but I am determined to continue to learn more about this influential time in recent history and I think this book will further that goal.
Since these books have come into my life I feel like a more well-rounded person, and if reading is something you enjoy but have maybe neglected (like I have for years) I hope this article will encourage you to find time for it again.