The Top Five Novels For Those Who Do Not Enjoy Reading
by Alaina Hickson
Books.
They can be boring. You’ll be doing your summer required reading and you’ll just think to yourself, “I would rather do anything but this.”
But guess what? It doesn’t have to be that way, and the following works of literal art just exemplify that some books can be freaking amazing. In no specific order, - from a published author to you, - here are the top five books to 1. Hook you, and 2. Break you.
Looking for Alaska.
Published in March 2005 by Dutton Books, Looking for Alaska is (my favorite author’s) John Green’s first novel. Looking For Alaska follows the life of 16-year-old Miles Halter as he moves to Culver Creek Boarding School in Indiana to seek a “Great Perhaps.” You see, Halter has a few quirks. One of them is being borderline obsessed with fellow Culver Creek student Alaska Young, who is the cigarette smoking, trauma-filled, beautiful Goddess of Culver Creek… and famous people’s last words. The Great Perhaps has to do with François Rabelais. He was a poet and his last words were “I go to seek a Great Perhaps,” and Miles decides that he won’t “wait until [he] dies to start seeking a Great Perhaps,” which leads him on a big journey. Overall, Looking for Alaska tells the story of friendship, getting out of the labyrinth of suffering, and learning how to love.
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before
OKAY so I can already see a few eyebrows raised, but let me tell you: THIS IS THE READ OF THE SUMMER! Published in 2014 as a self-described “ young adult romance novel,” Jenny Han and publishing company Simon and Schuster take you into the world of Lara Jean Song Covey. Now a major motion picture on Netflix, To All Boys I’ve Loved Before follows the life of 16-year-old Lara Jean, who is the definition of cute. She wears beautiful outfits, has the nicest personality, and is one of the best characters I’ve ever read about. However, her life does have some hardships. When she was around 9 years old her mother passed away, so now it is just her dad, her older sister Margot (who just moved to Scotland), and her younger sister Kitty. But even though she has gone through a lot, she stills has one thing: the teal hatbox her mother gave her. In this hatbox, Lara Jean keeps the love letters that she writes to every boy she has loved. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. But, one day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control. This novel is such a fun read, and although my synopsis may not give it justice, it’s the perfect book for those who want to get into reading.
The Spectacular Now
A National Book Award Finalist and now a major motion picture, Tim Tharp’s The Spectacular Now takes you into the booze-filled world of Sutter Keeley. Sutter is THE KID you want at your parties and is so utterly funny and likable. But, after his girlfriend Cassidy breaks up with him, he feels like he is slowly just becoming an alcoholic deadbeat like his dad, who left when he was young. But, after he goes to the bar and gets drunk one night, he wakes up in the yard of nerd Aimee Finecky, and the rest is history. Although this novel was not (personally) my favorite because I like to challenge my mind, if you want to get into reading this is a GREAT start. Sutter makes the book feel like a movie more than anything, and Aimee expands the plot and creates an amazing story.
Just Kids
Oh my goodness, if you want a book to rip out your heart and stomp on it, this is for you. Just Kids is a 2010 memoir by singer-songwriter Patti Smith that documents the relationship between her and artist Robert Maplethorpe. This memoir takes place through the late sixties into the late seventies in New York City, and (although I do not want to spoil it,) it is just…. ugh….. so sad but beautiful. I truly recommend this novel for those who want to get into reading because when the story is REAL it takes such a different effect on your mind. 100% recommend.
History is All You Left Me
Written by the New York Times Best Selling author of They Both Die in The End: Adam Silvera, History is All You Left Me is the perfect LGBTQ romance for the gays, the straights, and the romance junkies. This novel centers around the life of Griffin after his ex-boyfriend Theo passes away due to a drowning accident, and although Theo had moved to California for college and started seeing his then-boyfriend Jackson, Griffin strongly believed Theo would come back for him. History is All You Left Me switches between the past and present in which there are moments when Theo is alive, and when he is nothing but a body in the ground and makes a perfect read for late-night reading sessions.
The Suds in Her Hair
Okay, so, to be honest, I wrote this book and this is more “plug” more than a recommendation since I vowed at the beginning I would only be recommending 5 novels. But, I wrote and published this novel when I was 15 years old, and it follows the life of 16-year-old Charlie Delavan who has to take care of his grandmother with dementia. After going day to day with the constant job of feeding, watching, and bathing his grandmother, Charlie begins to realize all that life has to offer, and he simply cannot take a singular crumb from the pie he so utterly desires. It would mean so much if you simply checked out my novel, and although this sounds like an ad, (it is) I do kinda-sorta recommend this for readers who’ve (already) gotten into reading recently because the subjects and wording can be hard to digest.
