Few things are better than curling up with a good book! Here are a few must-reads according to the Her Campus Mizzou staff…
“Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn – Even if you don’t love mysteries, this best seller is an awesome, fast read. The style of writing varies by chapter and makes this book the epitome of a page-turner…plus it has some crazy twists.” – Mackenzie Bruce, staff photographer
“The Last Summer of You and Me” by Ann Brashares is a really great love story. I read it every summer, because it is such a fabulous beach read. Its about 3 really close friends spending the summer at their Long Island summer homes for the last time as teenagers.” – Taylor Marie Esler, staff writer
“The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – Even though this classic has been around since 1925, I think “The Great Gatsby” is a must read for every generation. The analysis of the young and glamorous people in a wealthy, materialistic 1920s society in this novel is still applicable to our world today in certain ways. Nick Caraway, in my opinion, is one of the greatest and most complex narrators ever created. I could re-read this book thousands of times and never get sick of it! This classic is something every collegiette should read.” – Danielle Filippone, staff writer
“My favorite book is the The Girl Who Played With Fire. It’s the second book in The Girl with Dragon Tattoo series. I love Lisbeth Salander the main character; she’s a strong female character who doesn’t mess! I strongly recommend the series if you like a good mystery.” –Sarah Harmening, staff writer
“I have always really loved Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende. It’s a very powerful story of a young woman who is deserted by the ‘love of her life.’ She goes off on a journey to find him – but on the way she ultimately finds herself. She learns so much and creates a dynamic life out on her own. In the end, she comes to respect herself enough to realize that she never needed her deserter in the first place. I think it’s a great story for every young woman to read as a reminder of how important it is to respect oneself and discover your own identity.” – Brooke Hofer, campus correspondent
“The Art of Racing in the Rain By Garth Stein – Never have I been the girl to rave on and on about my ability to pick up a book and finish it in a day. Let’s be real, it takes a very good series to keep me reading at book 5. Yet, when I picked up this book, there was no way I was putting it down. My eyes were glued to every single word written on the page. This story is told from the perspective of a dog, Enzo. Enzo watches everything his owner goes through and provides his outlook on life. This book will have you crying on an airplane in front of 50 other passengers. I fell in love with Enzo. He was my puppy at times. He was my best friend at times. No matter who you are you will love this book, I promise. Before you do anything you need to run to the nearest bookstore and pick this up!” – Samantha Hubbard, staff writer
“Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling – I’m a total nerd, but the first time I read these books was when I was in college and I found that it was positive distraction from my other really hard classes, it being geared towards younger kids and all… Although it IS geared towards younger kids, I took a Harry Potter class last year that went in depth about all of the symbolism J.K. Rowling has that, unless you were in college or upper-level years of high school, you may not catch.” – Emma Reynolds, staff writer
“One of my favorite books over the years is Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. Since we’re in college it’s a little young, but it’s a really good book! It was made into a movie with Kristen Stewart but the book is 20x better. It’s about a high school freshman who is harassed, and loses friends after a traumatic experience.” – Krista Pulley, staff writer
“I recommend A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. This book details the distantly intertwined lives of several women in Afghanistan. It is a book that I think all American women need to read. Not only is it a total page-turner and very easy to read, but it really helped me gain an appreciation for all the opportunities and equality we are blessed with as American women.” – Katie Lally, editor
“My favorite book is Where We Belong by Emily Giffin. I actually did an HCM book review on it last fall! Emily Giffin has been my fave author since she wrote Something Borrowed. This one is a little more sentimental, though. It’s a story of a girl who goes to find her birth mother and the relationship they form. I cry maybe once every few months, but this one had me on the verge of tears!! I also read it in one day because I absolutely could not put it down!” – Beth Steffens, editor
“My favorite book is Perks of Being a Wallflower. It’s written in a unique way (all being in letter form) and I loved that. Also, it’s a beautiful story about family, friends and love. It sounds like an average teenage read, but it is so much more than that! I have yet to see the movie, but I’ve heard good things about it.” – Michelle Jacobson, staff writer
What’s your favorite book, collegiettes? Share it with us in the comments below!