Hey, Read a Book!

By: Sara Carrascal, 12º

“While we may not be able to control all that happens to us, we can control what happens inside us.”

- Benjamin Franklin

During these times of uncertainty, the best thing that can be done is to stay home and hope for the best. At this point, after what seems like a whole life but, in reality, are just a couple of weeks, everyone is feeling frustrated, anxious, bored, scared and desperate. It’s understandable, as we are living something that no one knows what to expect of, but when family time gets exhausting, school work overwhelming, Netflix repetitive and the claustrophobia reaches a new level of reality, we have to remember to stay as calm as possible, for it might be our best weapon to overcome this situation.

When everything fails to calm us, what better way to accomplish this than with a good book? Below are three easy-to-read-books that I hope will make your time at home a little bit more bearable. Enjoy!

1. All the Bright Places, by Jennifer Niven (Now a Netflix Original!)

If you are looking for something fun and yet sentimental to read, this is your book. It will make you laugh from all of the incredible adventures and spontaneous occurrences of this unexpected duo, but also cry from everything Theodore Finch and Violet Markey have to offer to this world full of bright places.

A wonderfully touching story about the struggles of self-discovery and the battle against an indescribable void. The first young adult novel of Jennifer Niven tells the story of two teenagers driven together by the dynamics of a seemingly simple geography project but end up discovering more than just the boundaries of their small town. Niven manages to make the reader connect with the book to the level of making them feel for the characters and wanting what’s best for them. You will want to be with them in their journey and know what it’s like to live in “a world build by Theodore Finch.”

2. Landline, by Rainbow Rowell

If you are looking for a laid-back narrative, fast and easy to read book, here you go. This book is what I would call a beach-read; perfect for when you want to disconnect from everything, and just relax.

This comedic, kind of awkward, story displays the common life of common Georgie McCool, her husband Neal and their two daughters. With her brutally honest touch, Rainbow Rowell manages to overcome the boundaries of what should be said and what should be kept locked up inside of our too secretive minds and hearts when she adds some uncommon events in the life of Georgie. With a simple marital story, Rowell manages to give voice to those thoughts that aren’t easy to give a voice to. You will find yourself wanting to have a chance like the one given to Georgie.

3. Between Shades of Gray, by Ruta Sepetys

If you are more interested in something historic, while still having that fantasy part, this book will do more for you than just give you a pleasant read. This book will open the door to a different time and the path to an underrated story that has been erased by the smokes of war.

This is the story of a Lithuanian family taken as prisoners by the soldiers of the former USSR at the beginning of World War II when it was these same families that thought the Nazis were the ones to save them from the forced displacement. The story acquires a new meaning as it focusses on the life of Lina, a teenager confused by how just a couple of months of the war, have destroyed her life completely. Using a simply beautiful narrative, Ruta Sepetys builds a story that transforms the reader into a time traveler, living the unknown tragedies of war and the beauty behind this tragedy.