You’re probably thinking, “College gives me more than enough to read already!” Trust me, I hear you, but we should be reading books that help us with our present everyday life, too! Sometimes we just need to take a break from the academics and let our brains unwind. No matter your interests or major, these books can help you do that.
1. Mug Cakes: 100 Speedy Microwave Treats to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth by Leslie Bilderback
Do you remember how the microwave was the only kitchen appliance allowed in the dorm room? I sure do, and I wish this mug cake cookbook would have existed when I was in the dorms! Even if you aren’t in a dorm room, though, you can enjoy this cookbook. It is not exactly intense reading, but the yummy pictures are sure to make you happy. As college women, we are always on the go, and more often than not, we are craving a sweet treat. Mug Cakes offers recipes for 100 gourmet “cupcakes”, which can be cooked with simple ingredients in a coffee mug. They are ready in just two and half minutes, and each recipe makes two mug cakes so you don’t have to worry about overindulging. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to try the better-than-sex mug cake!
2. How to Look Expensive by Andrea Pomerantz Lustig
This book is “a beauty editor’s secrets to getting gorgeous without breaking the bank.” How appropriate is that? Most of us are broke college students that wouldn’t mind looking gorgeous at the same time. Over the years, Andrea Pomerantz Lustig has collected beauty tips and tricks that can help you. Lustig is a beauty journalist, the original Glamour beauty blogger, and now the author of How to Look Expensive, which is where she is sharing her beauty advice with us.
In her introduction, Lustig says, “Having spent most of my adult life giving women beauty advice, I know that how you look affects how you feel.”
So to get you feeling great, she shares advice for your hair, your skin, your makeup and everything in between. This sound advice can help you land that dream internship or job, or it can simply help you get that perfect look for that party everyone is talking about. You’re going to feel like a million bucks when you are done reading this book.
3. Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style
Tim Gunn is a delightfully sassy fashion guru who is best known for his role as mentor on Bravo’s Project Runway. Gunn has had many successes in the literary world, but his first book, A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style, may be his best work yet. The book helps with more than just your physical appearance; it is also a confidence builder. Gunn’s words challenge everyone from the amateur fashionista to the seasoned fashionista, helping them create or maintain their style. We must remember the words of Yves Saint-Laurent, “fashion fades, but style is eternal.” We can all appreciate Gunn’s witty and frank demeanor, and it is okay if you want to bow down to the man after reading this. Your fellow fashionistas stand by you!
4. College Girls: Bluestockings, Sex Kittens, and Co-Eds, Then and Now by Lynn Peril
How much do you know about the history of college girls? You probably don’t know as much as you could, and Lynn Peril’s College Girls is the perfect book to help expand your knowledge. College Girls chronicles the history of the college girl from the beginning of the twentieth century through the 1970s. Don’t let the word “history” worry you, though! Peril gives us a humorous and engaging book by using facts and anecdotes from the women who came before us and paved the way to receive an education. If the title isn’t enough to grab your attention, just know there is also a fascinating world of women’s history and pop culture inside waiting for you.
5. The Edge of Never by J. A. Redmerski
I apologize in advance for the tears you will most likely shed reading this book. Just try to look at it as a therapeutic experience. Camryn and Andrew’s journey is often hard to read as they are struggling with some pretty heavy issues, but while it is heartbreaking, it is also a beautiful and sexy romance. Most important, however, is the lesson we can all take away from the novel: never let your fear hold you back. We may not have to overcome as much as these two characters, but try not to let fear hold you back from anything. If you have a question, ask it. If you think a guy is cute, talk to him. If you want to start a blog, do it. If you want to sing karaoke, sing your heart out! More likely than not, people will be envious of your confidence. (This is the first book in a two-book series. I highly encourage you to read the second as well.)
These books are available for purchase at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.