MC reader: Guilty summer reading pleasures
Right now, we are in the home stretch of the semester. Term papers, projects and finals are the only things in our way until summer. Once those are finished and turned in, it is time for some guilty pleasure summer reading.
I read some of the most embarrassing things over the summer, but I love it because they are fun and easy to read, unlike what we read during the academic year. So, for my final review for this year, I am going to share with you some of my guilty pleasure summer books.
1. Anything by Sarah Dessen: I re-read at least one Dessen’s books literally every summer. They are definitely geared to teenage girls, but they are the perfect summer read. Practically all of them are set in the summer before the main character’s senior year of high school or her freshman year of college, so while they are doing summer activities like going to the pool, so are you, which is fun.
They have pretty predictable plot lines: Something sets girl apart from her peers, meets some interesting guy, drama, drama, resolution with love. But, as you read, you will fall in love with some of these characters and many of their stories will resonate with you.
Another exciting thing is that Dessen puts in references to all of her other novels, so it’s like a literary Easter egg hunt. A few of my favorite titles are: “This Lullaby,” “Along for the Ride” and “Just Listen.”
2. “Jurassic Park” by Michael Crichton: Nothing says ‘summer’ like a private island out of control with terrifying dinosaurs, right? This sci-fi novel has gained fame thanks to Spielberg’s film, but the book itself is just as thrilling.
If you have seen the film, relive Alan Grant’s journey to Jurassic Park and use the words to create the park and dinosaurs in your head. Whether you are lying on the couch or by the pool, this book is a great one to liven up your summer with adventure!
3. “The Host” by Stephanie Meyer: All right, I did say this was a guilty pleasure book list. I put my skepticism aside and gave Meyer a chance to prove that she can write about something besides vampires. She did not stray too far from her comfort zone, as “The Host” still involves the supernatural and love triangles.
This is the story of a Soul, an alien-type creature that requires another living organism to serve as its host, anything from a flower to a human being. These souls have taken over the universes, and the few humans who are left have been forced into hiding. The soul has just been planted in its ninth host, a human being who used to be Melanie Stryder. When the soul wakes up, she is christened as “Wanderer” before she makes an abnormal discovery.
Wanderer can still hear Melanie’s voice and thus must share the body with its original owner. Melanie’s human feelings are so strong that Wanderer is swayed by Melanie to go on a journey to find the people Melanie left behind.
This is a pretty complex universe that Meyer has created, and much more layered than the Twilight series. I definitely got engulfed in the story, and was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book.
4. Whatever you want: It is summer! Take this break to read whatever you want, whether it is some guilty pleasure book or stuff to get ahead for thesis. Read something you never have before, or the book that is falling apart because you have read it so many times. Pick up the book that inspired your favorite movie, or go see a movie and compare it to the book. Just read for fun this summer and enjoy it again, because it is not a textbook or some gigantic anthology.