Hello collegiettes, and congrats on surviving thus far as we come to the final stretch of the semester! As we prepare to hunker down in the libraries to research papers and study for exams, I’m sure at some we all have a thought somewhere along the lines of “I wish I were anywhere but here.” So to help keep your spirits up as we approach the end, I give you destination reads!
For a weekend getaway…
The beach:
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
Dessen has always been a personal favorite of mine. I’m a firm believer that you’re never too old to read a good YA novel. This particular novel follows an insomniac, Auden, who goes to live with her father and her new step-mother and sister the summer before heading off to college in a quaint beach town. What follows is Dessen’s trademark “lessons of growing up” when she meets new friends and the cute-yet-slightly-troubled guy she feels a certain kinship with.
New York City:
Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote
Audrey Hepburn starred in the delightful movie adaption, but the novel is a bit different. Fred narrates Holly’s whimsical adventures with the various bachelors of New York. But here’s a flamboyant twist — he’s essentially her gay best friend. Sound familiar?
The deep south:
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Get swept away into the world of a woeful southern belle who is determined to have her way. As you may know, the novel is set during the Civil War and recounts her cunning plots to survive the derailed economy left in the wake of the war. In her delusion of love for Ashley, she may have lost what truly could have made her happy.
The Southern Vampire (Sookie Stackhouse) Seriesby Charlene Harris
I’m sure many of you are fans of the hit HBO series “True Blood”. However, the show only loosely follows the books. Sookie Stackhouse, telepath and trouble magnet extraordinaire is still her innocent self in the beginning. But as she is introduced into the supernatural world via Bill Compton, vampire, she quickly becomes the center for intrigue involving all the species hiding in plain sight. All while trying to maintain the basic morals her god-fearing grandmother instilled in her.
A theme park:
Hush, Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick
Granted, this is another paranormal/YA recommendation, but it keeps you on the edge of your seat. Nora Grey is do-gooder trying to navigate her way through high school before the alluring Patch, who is revealed to be a fallen angel, manages to sweep her up in a battle of epic proportions. It’s only fitting that their first outing together involves a ride on an aptly named roller coaster “Archangel” at a nearby amusement park.
Across the Atlantic to Europe…
France:
Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
In this autobiographical novel, Fitzgerald reminisces through the lives of a married couple, Dick and Nicole. While in Paris, Dick attracts the attentions of a young actress who eventually ends up in a bit of trouble. In a theme similar to Gatsby, the hero has an unfortunate downfall while trying to balance his dreams with reality. As a warning, this isn’t exactly an emotionally light read but it is a good one.
England:
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
I’m mostly picking this for the moors. I mean, who doesn’t think about a wonderful sexually repressed couple taking strolls through the moors? Our meek heroine is employed as a governess for the ward of Mr. Rochester and through humbling social situations and intimate conversations, falls in love with the misguided gentleman. But the lingering specters of his bad decisions drive her away until his need for her love is equal to hers.
To the end of the Universe…
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxyby Douglas Adams
This book is a wonderfully quirky and comedic science fiction novel that is a cult classic. Arthur Dent is dragged across the universe after the earth is removed to make way for an intergalactic highway. This parallel universe leads him on the hunt for the ultimate question. Just remember, to always have your towel and don’t panic.
Happy reading! (… and studying, I guess.)