Summer can be a boring time of the year if not spent right. But having a fun summer doesn’t require a three-week trip to Japan or enrolling in a prestigious pre-college program. Sometimes, all it takes is a good book, a nice cup of coffee or tea and a comfortable reading spot. Here’s a list of ten noteworthy books to read over the summer:
- “Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline
In 2044, all human interaction is restricted to virtual reality called the OASIS. Wade Watts escapes into this new world to escape his grim life of an orphan living in a trailer park. But as the novel progresses, Wade becomes enveloped in a thrilling adventure on a quest to find an Easter egg hidden in the center of the OASIS. If he succeeds in finding it, he will be rewarded with a grand prize that holds untold possibilities. The unique spin on the futuristic, dystopian concept made this novel an interesting read.
2. “Maus” by Art Spiegelman
A heart-pounding, haunting tale that narrates the story of Vladek and exploits the truths of what it was like to live in a world of Hitler’s Europe. Spiegelman tells his survivor’s tale as a Jewish man on the run from Nazis, cleverly woven into the author’s account of his tortured relationship with his father. Typically, I am not a fan of comics, but this one in particular told such a powerful, real story with raw emotion that I just found myself hooked.
3. “A Thousand Splendid Suns” by Khaled Hosseini
Mariam and Laila are two women with very different ideas of love and family, but are brought together by war and loss. As they attempt to survive the dangers in their home, Afghanistan, they come to form a bond that turns two strangers into sisters. This novel took me on a rollercoaster of emotions and made it impossible to put down.
4. “Room” by Emma Donoghue
Room is basically the entire world in five-year-old Jack’s eyes, and he sees it as a place where he grew up and likes to call home. To Ma, however, it’s the prison where she had been locked up for seven years. Ma has found a way to create a life for Jack but knows it’s not enough for her or him and devises an escape plan. This wasn’t an easy book to read, but it holds such a deep, resounding meaning relating to the harsh realities of life that made it one of my favorites.
5. “Not That Kind Of Girl” by Lena Dunham
Dunham delves into life experiences such as love, loneliness, being overweight, gender inequality, and having the guts to believe that your story is one that deserves to be told. She narrates the struggles of growing up in a thoughtful, moving novel. The comical narration made it such a refreshing breath of air and an entertaining read.
6. “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte
Jane Eyre, a poor but determined young girl possesses a strong spirit, great courage, and wit. She is forced to battle against her cruel guardian, a harsh employer, a rigid social class system, and other obstacles in her life in a coming-of-age novel. The up-and-down plot line in this novel made it an interesting read at every chapter.
7. “Ruby Red” by Kerstin Gier
Gwyneth has found out that she holds a time-traveling gene and now must use that power to uncover the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her abilities. This book had such a new concept that I had not yet read before and Gier makes the characters come alive and does a good job of weaving humor in with serious moments.
8. “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak
Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich who holds a great love for reading, so the only way she can fulfill her happiness is through stealing while she tries to escape persecution from Germans as a young Jewish girl in Nazi Germany. Although quite an emotionally taxing book, the novel is a must-read as it gives the audience a powerful insight into what life was like for an ordinary girl living in Nazi Germany.
