Read, Relax, Repeat: What to Read During Reading Week

And just like that, we’re halfway through another academic term where students test the limits of the age-old adage, “work hard, play hard,” and ultimately find themselves facing the consequences of too little work and far too much play. But fear not, for thus was the reading week invented: so students might catch up on the work they were meant to be doing when they were frequenting Aikman’s and 601 instead. Yet despite this, it seems that instead of taking reading week to read, relax, and for once get more than five hours of sleep, the reading week of 2025 has become a time for exploration, documented not through essay titles but through an influx of Instagram posts.

Nevertheless, as a student of Creative Writing, I propose that even if you are not planning on spending this week doing dreary textbook readings, you do venture to read something. So why not head over to one of St Andrews’ many bookstores, or to the WHSmith in the airport, and pick up something from this list, so that your reading week might prove to be a time for enlightenment, regardless of whether the reading you undertake can be found in a textbook.  

So, are you…

…in a rut and yearning for adventure? 

Maybe you’re in your second year and you can’t believe you’re not even halfway through. Or maybe you’re in your first year, and since freshers’ week, university’s been a lot more work than you anticipated. Regardless of where you are in your journey, if uni life feels like it’s just happening to you, then read The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. The Japanese writer’s novels have long occupied my personal reading list for uni breaks, because while they feature complex storylines, they are delightfully readable. To illustrate: I’m not really sure what happens in this novel, but I know that I liked it. It opens on Toru Okada, a recently unemployed lawyer, who is tasked with finding his wife’s missing cat. Warm summer days pass lazily by in his quest for the cat, until all of a sudden, a whirl of inexplicable events strikes Toru, and his adventure begins. The novel is over 600 pages, so it will keep you busy during your week off, pulling you into the mysterious goings-on of a neighborhood in Tokyo. 

…already homesick for the Bubble? 

The tiny town, which just a week earlier seemed to contain a party for any occasion, will quickly become something of a ghost town during reading week. Whether you’re staying in St Andrews or jetting off somewhere else, during reading week, it’s hard not to miss the buzz of the Bubble. If this is you, my recommendation is The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis, a forgotten gem of the campus novel genre. By now, I’m sure you’ve read Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, a story that surrounds a group of Greek students at Hampden College, a fictionalized version of Tartt’s alma mater, Bennington College. But what of Bennington College’s other face—not the snooty soirees of the Greek students, but the drunken house parties which appear as a sliver of reality within Tartt’s fable? Welcome to Camden College, Ellis’s turn at fictionalizing Bennington College, and the setting for his sophomore novel. The Rules of Attraction begins in the middle of a sentence, in a move that feels like being drunkenly thrust into a party. By the end of this novel, you will have done a term’s worth of drinking, smoking, and yearning over that foreign exchange student who isn’t coming back. In full, you will have experienced the Bubble and perhaps be glad for the break. 

…on the verge of insanity, because of an essay or research project? 

We’ve all been there. Hey, maybe you’re still there! Either way, you’re reading Bunny by Mona Awad. I know what you’re going to say: you’ve heard lots about it, but haven’t had the chance to pick it up. Well, you’re in luck, because if uni is making you lose your mind, it’s officially required reading. Bunny follows Samantha Mackay as she seeks to maintain control over her sanity amid the colorful characters of her MFA program. It is a descent, well-chronicled, and one which does not seem quite so fantastical when you’re sitting in a classroom full of people who seem to have everything together, while all you’ve got is a blank page. Oh, and if the St Andrews dating scene is getting you down, this book might also help. #Girlpower! 

…Or are you sitting on a beach, complaining about getting sweaty in the sun? 

Well then, bah humbug! How I envy you. If this is you, have fun relaxing, and try not to make the rest of us jealous with your posts on socials. Your assigned reading is The Stranger by Albert Camus. Read this and not only will you be able to brag about your philosophical prowess, but you’ll learn a thing or two about staying out of the sun on a hot, hot day. I know, I know, it’s not what you want to hear, but your sun burn will thank me. 

And if none of these float your boat, congrats, you might not be a stereotypical St Andrews student! Check out our other book-ish articles, and maybe you’ll find something that better suits your needs. Now go! Enjoy reading week, because before you know i,t you’ll be back home, doing your textbook reading, and enjoying the thrills of the Bubble. 

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