While there is plenty of reading material that our professors have given us to read for our now online classes, quarantine still leaves us with much free time. I still have to work during these hard times, but I still have enough time to kill now that my classes are basically on my time now. So, I have been adding to my personal reading list. Here are the books that I plan to read along with my academic texts. I am an English major; so yes, this is a long list ;)
- First off:
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- “The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers” by Maxwell King
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I didn’t really grow up watching Mr. Rogers Neighborhood but of course I knew of him and his influence. Before I see the film about Fred Rogers, starring Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers, I want to read this biography of the man who invited everyone to be his “neighbor”.
- “Over The Top” by Jonathan Van Ness
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Over the Fall Break last semester, I got into watching the Netflix show Queer Eye. Since then, I have been interested in reading the words of people like Jonathan Van Ness.
- “Naturally Tan” by Tan France
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Along with reading the words of Jonathan Van Ness, I will also be reading Tan France’s autobiography. Aside from Jonathan, Tan is my favorite Queer Eye guy. He is so well dressed and I wish I could dress just like him. Aside from his great wardrobe, I find his story of being Middle Eastern but having grown up in England.
- Queer Eye: Love Yourself, Love Your Life by Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Jonathan Van Ness, Bobby Berk & Karamo Brown
- “The Hidden Power of F*cking Up” by the Try Guys
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I love watching the Try Guys on Youtube. The four guys (Keith, Eugene, Ned, and Zach) are all so funny and relatable with some of their content. I just had to get and read their book!
- Up Next:
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- “The Nice and Accurate Good Omens TV Companion” by Matt Whyman
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I have already read and watched Neil Gaiman and Sir Terry Pratchett’s novel Good Omens, so it was just ineffable for me to get the TV companion book. This giant book gives details about the characters, behind-the-scenes mentions, and interviews with the fantastic cast of the TV series.
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“Myths & Legends: Classical Greek, Celtic, Norse, Chinese, African, Native American & More” Forward by William G. Doty – Edited by Jake Jackson
- “If The Allies Had Fallen: Sixty Alternate Scenarios of World War II” Edited by Dennis E. Showalter & Harold C. Deutsch
- “The National Team: The Inside Story of the Women Who Changed Soccer”
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This is the updated version which includes the 2019 World Cup Victory for the USA Women’s team.
- “Trans+ Love, Sex, Romance, and Being You” by Kathryn Gonzales, MBA and Karen Rayne, PHD
- Last but not Least:
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- “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde
- “In a Glass Darkly” by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
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This book contains five supernatural stories, including “Carmilla”, one of the most famous vampire tales of the 18th century.
- “1984” by George Orwell
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I am ashamed to say I have yet to read this classic from the great George Orwell. Alas, after this quarantine, I will be able to say I have read 1984!
- “The Song of Achilles” by Madeline Miller
- “World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War” by Max Brooks
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The last book on my list fits quite well with the current crisis that gives me a chance to read more books anyway. While this book is about a zombie epidemic, the scenarios within the book are not totally different from what we are seeing now with the COVID-19 pandemic.