This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Chapman chapter.
Despite the countless chapters of textbooks you’ve read, sometimes you still want a book to read just because you can. But between classes, clubs, and sleep, it’s difficult to find any time to sit back and read. Here are five short, quick reads for any college student.
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky – 256 pages Told through a series of letters written from protagonist Charlie to the reader, the novel follows Charlie through his first year of high school. An introverted “wallflower,” Charlie finds a group of seniors who take him in and help him learn more about himself, love, and friendship.
- The Last Lecture by Jeffrey Zaslow and Randy Pausch – 224 pages Computer science professor Randy Pausch was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2006 and told in 2007 that he would have 3-6 good months left. He wrote this book to his three children to tell them everything he would have said if he was still alive for their futures. He died in 2008, but this book continues to inspire people across the globe.
- Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews – 304 pages A boy befriends a dying girl. Sound familiar? Even though the basic idea of this novel sounds just like The Fault in Our Stars, the two books are nothing alike. Where TFIOS is romantic and touching, Me and Earl is laugh-out-loud funny, but still leaves you with a lot to think about.
- Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell – 336 pages Eleanor: a big girl with big red hair. Park: an outcast Korean boy who doesn’t fit the stereotypical idea of a 16 year old boy. The two end up sitting together on the bus and the story follows their relationship from there.
- Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer – 272 pages Jam Gallahue is sent to The Wooden Barn, a kind of therapy + boarding school for high schoolers. Still recovering from her boyfriend Reeve’s sudden death, Jam finds it difficult to do anything except think about him. She starts to keep a journal for her English class and finds Belzhar, a place where she can be with Reeve again.