With Thanksgiving and Winter Break coming up, now is the best time to relax at home. The weather transitioning to being chilly and dark sets the scene for a homebody season. While streaming services and scrolling is a go-to for those days spent at home, there are so many more options for entertainment.
While trying my best to not sound like a condescending boomer, books are a hobby I highly recommend! It is an all pros and no cons hobby, in my opinion, especially in the atmosphere of the quickly approaching cold and cozy months. A trip to the library or book store is always fun and wholesome for everyone.
- “Dreamology” BY lUCY KEATING
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The concept of this book is very simple but also very interesting to me. This book is the first thing that comes to mind when cheesy young adult fiction is mentioned. While dreams are a common concept messed around within YA fiction, the way that Keating approaches the concept is refreshing. Reading the book summary just gave me major flashbacks to pre-adolescent entertainment.
The book follows the main character’s perspective, Alice. Starting high school, she meets someone she never expected to even be real. She meets Max, the boy of her dreams, quite literally. They grew up together by sharing dreams almost every night.
From her perspective, they would go on adventures in her dreams to unreal places. She is shocked to find that the real, in-person Max is rude and sarcastic. They later fall in love both in person and in their dream world. If you like anything super cheesy and borderline cringy with a romantic subplot such as “Titanic,” this book would be for you. It is an easy read and an easy way to reconnect with your younger self.
- magazines
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While this is not a book, it is a great way to get back into reading. Magazines have the dual purpose of being used for entertainment and decor. Magazines are also, of course, more visual than books. They are readily available at most libraries and bookstores.
Magazines are also always such a reliable light read. For those of us who do not want to commit to reading a full book but still want to get back into reading, magazines are the best option.
- “MONDAY’s NOT COMING” BY tiffany d. Jackson
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This one is a darker read. It took me a little longer to really process what was going on. It is not a difficult read in terms of density, but it is dark in terms of content. There are so many plot twists and moments that make the reader audibly gasp.
This thriller includes heavy topics such as murder, systematic racism and extreme child neglect. Based in D.C., the story follows the perspective of a middle schooler, Claudia. She notices that her best friend, Monday, has disappeared. She had not heard from her friend all summer. Keep in mind that Monday lives in a very low-income neighborhood.
Both girls are young black girls that go to the same school. Monday did not show up for the first few weeks. She was still nowhere to be seen. Claudia seems to be the only one who cares that a child is missing. The story follows Claudia’s perspective in her solo search for her missing friend.
The before, during and after of the disappearance really showcases Claudia’s trauma to the fullest extent. The sequence of the story shows how Claudia went from being a normal young child to the depths of the disappearance to the trauma Claudia later faces.
