College is FULL of reading. Read and highlight this chapter, read this novel for discussion, reread this paper before you submit it, read this article before lecture. Reading is probably 64% of our weekly homework. And chances are, you probably haven’t read everything your professor has assigned this semester. But as the semester comes to a close and winter break begins, free time will actually start to exist again. With roughly a month of break at your disposal, you might actually be able to do something relaxing (a word that seems pretty foreign during finals week). And seriously, once we pass New Year’s, break starts to drag a bit. Here are some relevant, interesting and down right beautiful books to pick up and read over break!
1. For the timless romantic: All the Light We Cannot See
Take a trip back through time to Nazi occupied Paris where a blind young girl named Marie-Laure and her father, a museum locksmith master, live. In order to escape the devastation of World War II, they escape to a small citadel by the sea, Saint-Malo. An orphan named Werner, a Hitler Youth recruit, finds his way to the same small sea town, where his story intersects with Marie-Laure’s in a tale both tragic and beautiful. This is the kind of story you wish they made you read in high school for its rich historical context and elegantly worded dialogues from both main characters’ perspectives.
2. If you’re looking for a little heart breaking but a lot of heart warming: Dear Mr. You
In this kind of biography, “Weeds” actress Mary-Louise Parker shares her best and worst life experiences through letters she writes to significant men in her life. They range from the grandfather she didn’t know to the uncle of her adopted daughter. Her literary debut will leave you hoping for long line of future books and letters that reveal the true depth of someone’s soul. Let her break your heart and then repair it. Over and over and over again.
3. If you’re looking for a little inspiration: Year of Yes
All hail Queen Shonda, seriously. Between “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal,” and “How to Get Away with Murder,” this woman is on fire. In her new poignant novel, she takes a step back to a moment that changed her perspective on life quite significantly: one Thanksgiving when her sister softly pointed out that Shonda “never said yes to anything.” Rhimes reflects on her own year of yes following this event, how she stepped out of her house and into the limelight. She recounts opportunities missed and opporutnities taken and how each have affected her life. This is definitely a book to ring in the new year with (or a few days after the champagne hangover subsides).
4. If you just need to feel like a kid again: Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince)
This French children’s book is chock full of life lessons that are actually extremely relevant to our generation. A mysterious young boy visits a fallen pilot, narrator Saint-Exupery, whose plane crashed in the Sahara Desert. This meeting sets off a series of events and memories that change the pilot’s life forever. The young boy, the little prince, comes from a world where anything is possible and there are no limits to the imagination that can blossom from it. Intertwined with the narrator’s story, are stories of love, hope and a coming of age tale that forces readers to look back into their own childhoods and remember its magic. In March of 2016, director Mark Osborne will introduce the world to a version of “Le Petit Prince,” starring Rachel McAdams, Paul Rudd and James Franco. And would you really turn down a movie with James Franco in it?
5. If you need a good laugh: Bossypants
Tina Fey’s wildly hilarious tale of her own success is just what some of us need: a good kick in the booty to do something important and a belly-hurting laugh. Starting as just a young girl with a comedic dream, Fey looks back on her former nerd self having nightmares about her gym teacher chasing her through an airport. Now, as a successful, famous comedianee, Fey shows readers how her time on “Saturday Night Live” and Liz Lemon have made her the sassy, bossy pair of pants she is today.
6. If you’re feeling creative: Adult Coloring Books
So this may not technically be a real book. But it’s shaped like one so we’re going to count it. Adult coloring books are beauitful. The artists behind them allow so much creativity to flow from their own mind onto the page yet still leave so much room for “readers'” imaginations to color them. These are a great excuse to revisit the colored pencil aisle and use some of that Christmas money to splurge on on the 84 color pack. You might think sitting around coloring is a waste of time, but to tell you the truth, I’ve never found anything more relaxing and stress relieving.
7. If you’re feeling a little lost: Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She’s “Learned”
As a colliegate, I know what feminism is. I know how ferociously important it is and why so many women spend their lives fighting for its acceptance and inclusion. But I didn’t totally understand what feminism meant to me. Then I read Lena Dunham’s book. She is observant and candid in her telling of the ups and downs she’s faced thus far. Most importantly, she expresses how necessary it is to realize how important you are. Dunham discusses everything from the first time she had sex to her future self writing a tell all on the pressure and inequality she’s faced in Hollywood. She is definitely a vibrant, youthful talent emerging into Hollywood that you won’t want to miss.
(Cover image: catiebartlett.com)