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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at TCU chapter.

I have started to really enjoy reading, especially when I need a break from classes or an escape from everyday life. That being said, I am a huge fan of true crime, philosophy, and stories based on fact or reason, rather than fantasy or romance. Many of you may love books like Colleen Hoover or other more popular authors, however, here is a list of three books I am currently reading that I really enjoy.

I have a new habit of reading multiple books at a time which honestly depends on my mood. Sometimes I want to read something more light, poetry, something heavier, or something that makes me question my entire existence, and I think these books do a great job at pleasing all types of moods.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

This book is an absolute classic of the last few years, and a lot of people I have talked to really love the book and the film. I am only halfway through the book at the moment, and I really enjoy the storytelling and the imagery of the setting. My one apprehension when I eventually watch the movie is that I don’t know if I could imagine the setting in any other way than what’s described in the book. I prefer the one in my head, to be honest.

I read this book when I am feeling a little sad but also when I’m in need of a little murder mystery. Mystery is my favorite genre after all! Overall, it’s an amazing book so far… currently anticipating the ending.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

I originally found a copy of this book in Scotland over the summer (article about that coming soon!), and I have loved reading it. So far, this book seems to be centered around philosophy and life lessons through storytelling. In my opinion, I love books that seemingly break the fourth wall, but only if it’s done in a subtle way. Kundera points out how certain life situations affect a man in his story and how his mistakes and trials teach him to be a better person. These lessons can directly or indirectly resonate with the reader, but there is always a connection – you may just have to look deeper.

I had to start taking notes and making annotations throughout the book so I could try and figure out where I could use the lessons in my everyday life and learn from the man’s mistakes second-hand. I am very excited to learn more from this author and would recommend this to anyone looking for an engaging read about philosophy and trials based on real or fictional experiences.

Orangutan Teeth by Trev Cimenski

Since I started writing poetry, I have been looking for new ways of improving my writing. I have been facing recently a combination of a lack of motivation, creativity, and stylistic variety from poem to poem that I write. My poems started becoming repetitive and seemed like they were blending together. I found myself wanting to change it up.

To combat this feeling, I started looking for poetry books to read as potential inspiration for my next piece. Scrolling through TikTok, I discovered Trev, someone who reads his poetry online. I learned of his poetry book and ordered it within 5 minutes of seeing that post and started reading. His book is short and sweet but so good. His writing skills are incredible, and he uses a girl named Olive in many of his poems. Olive isn’t a real girl, but someone he resonates with and uses in his poems. Many of his poems include personal illustrations and piece together his message very well.

Overall, it’s an amazing poetry collection, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes reading poetry or is in need of some inspiration like me!

Stay tuned for more book recommendations!

Keep being you,

K

Hi! I'm Kailee Rapkin and I attend Texas Christian University! I am from Seattle, WA and am Majoring in Sociology, Minoring in Psychology and taking an emphasis in Women and Gender Studies. My favorite color is green and I love hiking and doing anything outdoors. :)