Captivating stories to curl up with over the holiday season
By Brittany Muller
IV Leader, Dec 7, 2006
Christmas break is coming, and as a celebration, I have
decided to create a list of all the fantastic books to read over break.
True, it would be great to just watch television all
holiday—A Christmas Story back to back—but maybe, just maybe, it would be nice
to tackle some classics.
If you have had a cynical year, full of hassles and running
around, read Night by Elie Wiesel. It will make you humble.
If you are just simply tired of reading, then read Reading
Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi. It will make you appreciative (and it will be
worth it—I promise).
But, if you just want something fun to read, and well, if you
are a girl, then read any book by Jane Green. My favorite is Jemima J. And, if
you love Jane Green, then you’ll love Sophie Kinsella; it’s good to start with
Confessions of a Shopaholic.
Even though some may ostracize me for this, read any book
from Oprah’s book club. Many of the books on her list are phenomenal: She’s Come
Undone by Wally Lamb, Icy Sparks Gwyn Hyman Rubio, or The Heart is a Lonely
Hunter by Carson McCullers are all wonderful and easy to read.
But, if you are ready to read the classics, and want to dip
your toes into a world of culture, I suggest some of my favorites: The Grapes of
Wrath or East of Eden by John Steinbeck (oh so good), Catcher in the Rye by J.D.
Saligner (how can you not?), Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (a masterpiece), or Lord
of the Flies by William Golding.
Well, good luck, and I hope you find yourself submerged in a
good book this Christmas. In the least, you will impress all of your relatives.