It’s been a while since I’ve picked up a book for no reason other than pure entertainment. I guess I was under the impression that nothing could be better than Harry Potter, so why even try? Despite my doubts, I picked up my first read-for-fun book since high school and gave it another try. I have no regrets. For me, it was all about finding the right book, and with a little help from my mom — who is a member of not one, but two book clubs — I was able to find a few novels that got me excited about reading again.
- “Where the Crawdads Sing”
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When my mom recommended this book to me, she used the words “beautifully written” to describe it. Honestly, there’s no better way to put it. The beautiful story and amazing execution of Where the Crawdads Sing made me feel so many emotions I didn’t know a book could make me feel. Most books I’ve read take a multitude of chapters to finally pick up, but with this one, author Delia Owens wastes no time in getting to the good stuff. If you’re thinking of diving back into reading, this novel is a perfect place to start — it will most definitely restore your faith in literature.
- “The 57 Bus”
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This novel tells a true yet heartbreaking story of two teenagers that find themselves in extremely unfortunate circumstances. The author, Dashka Slater, brings each character to life, while simultaneously highlighting modern-day social issues and pointing out flaws in our justice system. If your experience reading The 57 Bus is anything like mine, you will finish this story feeling educated, with a new perspective you wouldn’t get just from reading the news.
- “Crazy Rich Asians”
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You might’ve seen the movie but now you have to read the book. If you’re not the biggest fan of sad stories and novels, then Crazy Rich Asians is definitely the move. It’s fun, humorous and easy to read, plus you can reward yourself with the movie when you finish (which has always been one of my favorite parts of reading). Sometimes the language used in literature is overwhelming and calls for way more focus than I’m willing to give, but Kevin Kwan wrote Crazy Rich Asians in a modern tone that makes the book relatable and comprehensible. It gets better…Crazy Rich Asians is just one book in the trilogy by Kevin Kwan that also includes China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems.
As of a few weeks ago, I’m a firm believer that anyone can find joy in reading — it just takes the right book. Since I started reading for pleasure again, I’ve cut my time spent watching Netflix in half (which was a lot of time) and have become happier with how I use the free moments in my day. Now that I’m back at it, I plan to keep expanding my personal library…based entirely off of my mom’s suggestions, of course.