Four books to read this summer
Finding the right books to read or the motivation to read them can be a daunting task. Here are four novels to try out this summer.
“Lord of the Flies” written by William Golding tells the story of a group of young boys stranded on an island. The 1954 novel has earned itself a Noble Prize in Literature.
Believe it or not, summer is right around the corner. While many already have plans to curb the summer boredom, picking up a good book is a great use of extra time. Here are one West Side Story reporter’s favorite books for reading away the blandness that can come with summer.
“The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls
Although I read it for class, Jeannette Walls’ memoir quickly ended up becoming one of my favorite books. It is a novel based upon Walls’ childhood and her relationship with her family. Walls grew up in a family of four siblings with parents who were unwilling to conform to societal norms. Her parent’s stubbornness caused her and her siblings to take care of themselves when growing up. Through this all, Walls remains kind in attitude towards her family despite the painful life they gave her and her siblings. I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a meaningful, yet slightly difficult read in terms of subject matter. It truly challenges the reader to face the struggles of less fortunate families, while simultaneously showing them that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
“Lord of the Flies” by William Golding
“Lord of the Flies” is a novel to read when in the mood for powerful writing. I personally would not read it over and over again for fun, but if I wanted to learn something or actually challenge myself with deeper writing, I would pick up “Lord of the Flies”. The novel takes place when a group of young British boys are stranded on a seemingly perfect island. They make an effort to govern themselves, using a conch as a symbol of power, but the end results in chaos. Looking to read a satire on issues that continue to affect the lives of people today? Try out “Lord of the Flies”. Looking for a fun and light-natured quick read? Maybe pick up another novel.
“The Impossible Knife of Memory” by Laurie Halse Anderson
The “Impossible Knife of Memory” is about a 17 year old girl who is accustomed to living life moving around and on the road with her father who has PTSD from the Vietnam war. They end up settling down in their hometown to see if it will ease her dad’s pain. While the town is nostalgic in a way, there is more to its inhabitants than what meets the eye. If you are looking for a novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat with characters who you learn to care for over time, then take a look at The “Impossible Knife of Memory”. It has some fun high school dramas (including a relationship) to keep it a little lighter, but still has a serious tone with the majority of the main characters facing daily struggles that are not so evident at the start.
“Throne of Glass” by Sarah J. Maas
Throne of Glass is one of my favorite fantasy novels. The first book of the series of eight follows the life of a female assassin called Calaena Sardothien after she is released from captivity in the salt mines in Endovier. She ends up going to the castle to compete against a group of men to see if she will become the castle’s royal assassin. Along with the competition, the reader sees a couple love interests and a hidden killer which brings a hint of mystery to the story. I quickly fell in love with the characters and their stories, and enjoyed the layers and backstories the author presented the readers within each character. This served to really involve readers in the story and made it very difficult for me to put down the book.
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Carmela Cohen Suarez is a senior at West high and this is her third year on the West Side Story. She is the online Copy Editor and Entertainment Editor....
