October Book Suggestions

By: EDITH MAUCH

In my opinion, reading for leisure is one of the best things you can do as a university student (and for anyone). When I began taking university classes, everyone told me that I would no longer have the time I used to for reading for pleasure because I would be too busy with going to classes, reading what I would have to do for my classes, and doing homework in general. Although it is undeniable that the life of a university student is extremely hectic and busy, reading for pleasure is something that I recommend every university student prioritize, even if it is just for fifteen minutes. Throughout my whole life- and especially as I have taken university classes- I have found reading for pleasure to bring me so many benefits.

Reading is a great break from studying. It keeps your mind active and engaged while also giving it a break to prevent you from getting burned out. It is also a wonderful activity to do before going to bed, as I find that it helps me fall asleep (I cannot fall asleep without reading before bed, since it is a habit, I have had since I first began reading). I also find that it reduces my anxiety in general, but especially when it comes to taking exams. If I am especially nervous for an exam the night before or the morning of, I will take a few minutes to read a little bit of my favorite book or a book that I loved as a child. I find that this reduces my stress and puts me in a clearer headspace before taking an exam. Finally, related to anxiety and stress, reading is a great way to be completely taken to a new place. Whether this be running through the streets of Paris with Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, having tea with Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, or staying at Wildfell Hall with Helen Graham in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, the best books can captivate you and bring you into a whole new world.

Below are book recommendations with a short synopsis of each with university students in mind, but you do not have to be a university student to enjoy these books. They appeal to a wide range of people with a wide range of literary tastes (or people who have not yet figured out what their literary taste is).

Note: My synopsis contains spoilers for the books, so if you would like the books to be a complete surprise (I am the same way!), you may want to skip my synopsis.

Classics:

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas

Edmond Dantès seems to have an ideal life. He is engaged the woman of his dreams and he is about to be the captain of a ship. However, this ideal life creates jealously amongst some people that Dantès believed to be his friends. Together, three of Dantès’ so-called friends write a letter accusing Dantès of treason. On the day of his wedding, Dantès is arrested for these alleged crimes. While in prison, Dantès meets many interesting people, among whom are the Italian priest Abbé Faria. When Faria dies, Dantès disguises himself as the dead Faria and is thrown into the water where he then swims to freedom. He continues to disguise himself as an Italian priest and meets an innkeeper who gives him the details of a plot to frame him. Following his escape from prison, Dantès is involved in several attempted murders and other dangerous events. Throughout the book, readers will wonder if Dantès will indeed ever have an ideal- or even normal- life again.

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

Set in the post-Napoleonic era after the French Revolution, Jean Valjean is desperate to escape his life as a prisoner. However, once he is released from prison, he begins a life of crime until a priest decides to give him another chance. Valjean becomes a wealthy mayor of a town, but soon discovers that a police inspector is out to get him and expose his story. Valjean becomes the owner of a factory where he meets Fantine, a young single mother who dies, leaving her young daughter Cosette an orphan. Valjean decides to adopt Cosette. The rest of the story follows Valjean and Cosette as they both grow into new people- Cosette a proper young lady and Valjean a kind philanthropist. However, Valjean still has a problem- the police inspector is still after him and desperate to expose him, putting both Valjean and Cosette into serious danger.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre is a young orphan raised by her cruel aunt, Mrs. Reed. Eventually, Jane is sent to boarding school, where she begins another far from idyllic life filled with more cruel and abusive people and a Typhus outbreak, killing the only people Jane holds dear. Later in life, Jane becomes a governess. Jane finds herself falling in love with her employer, Mr. Rochester. Jane and Mr. Rochester soon get married, but someone in the audience announces that Mr. Rochester’s assumed to be dead wife is still alive. Jane soon discovers that Mr. Rochester’s wife is responsible for starting a fire that nearly killed Mr. Rochester many years before. Jane soon flees her job as a governess, becoming impoverished. To Jane’s luck, three kindly siblings take Jane under their wing, allowing her to live with them. Despite another wedding proposal, Jane is still in love with Mr. Rochester. She returns to the mansion where Mr. Rochester lived, only to find that it had been burned down and that Mr. Rochester was badly injured in the fire. Will Jane ever be able to live the life of her dreams- a life with Mr. Rochester?

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Two sisters, Hindley and Catherine Earnshaw live in England with their father. The original owner of the Earnshaw’s estate, Wuthering Heights, brings an orphan named Heathcliff to stay with the Earnshaws. Catherine takes an immediate liking to Heathcliff, but Hindley feels quite the opposite. After Mr. Earnshaw passes away, Hindley tries to destroy Heathcliff. Catherine soon finds new love, causing Heathcliff to leave Wuthering Heights. However, years later, after her marriage and the birth of her daughter, Catherine dies. After Catherine’s death, Heathcliff comes back to get revenge on Hindley. After many sinister plots, Heathcliff has taken over Wuthering Heights and is out to ruin Hindley’s life, as well as the life of Catherine’s daughter.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte

This novel has a brilliantly crafted outline that is quite different from the novels that came before it. The entire novel is told through the diaries and letters of the main characters, each of the letters relating in some way to the other. You are immediately thrown into suspense with a letter

from a man named Gilbert Markham to his good friend, Jack Halford, threatening to reveal a huge secret. Markham has flash backs to an old ramshackle mansion named Wildfell Hall, where a mysterious widow named Helen Graham and her young son move in. The other tenants begin to speculate about Helen’s past, but they cannot entirely put it all together. Markham and Helen fall in love, however a man named Frederick Lawrence is also in love with Helen. Rumor soon spreads that Lawrence is Helen’s lover and the father of her child, a very scandalous thought for the time that the book was published. Soon, the book switches over to Helen’s diary written a few years earlier when Helen was a teenager. You find that Helen was in love with a different man named Mr. Huntington, who has a terrible reputation. Huntington and Helen get married, but Helen soon finds that Mr. Huntington’s reputation is true. Desperate to escape Huntington, Helen leaves with her child, hoping that her brother, the Frederick Lawrence that the tenants of Wildfell Hall were suspicious of, could help her. As the novel continues, suspense and suspicion build over Helen’s mysterious story.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Young Catherine Moreland is invited to go on holiday to Bath with her neighbors, the Allens. During her time in Bath, Catherine is introduced to the world of ball and other exquisite events. Throughout the novel, Catherine is introduced to several young men, including the Henry Tilney, who invites her to visit his family’s house, Northanger Abbey. Catherin soon discovers that Mrs. Tilney died in the house of a mysterious illness. Catherine believes that General Tilney is responsible for Mrs. Tilney’s death, although she has no solid proof. After a time at Northanger Abbey, Catherine is unexpectedly sent home by General Tilney. Although Catherine’s suspicion rises, she soon discovers following a visit from Henry that General Tilney’s story might be more mysterious than she had originally thought.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Set in Maycomb, Alabama, young Scout Finch looks up to her father, Atticus, a lawyer and her older brother, Jem. Their lives are quaint and much like that of a typical family of the time period. However, this changes as Scout and Jem become interested in the mysterious Boo Radley, their neighbor. They also discover that many of the citizens of Maycomb are racists. Atticus is asked to defend Tom Robinson, an African American man who has been accused of a crime he did not commit. The case unfolds through the perspective of young Scout. Unfortunately, Mr. Robinson is found guilty, however with the help and encouragement of Scout and Jem, Atticus is determined to not give up.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

In my opinion, Frankenstein is a great book to read during this time of year. It is the perfect book to cozy up on a cold autumn night with the windows open and a pile of blankets on your lap,

with a mug of tea warming your hands. A brilliant scientist named Victor Frankenstein has succeeded in bringing a creature of his own making to life. Although he imagines the creature to be perfect, it is far from it. The monster that Frankenstein has created seeks revenge on the people who rejected him through murder and other malicious plots.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women follows the lives of Mrs. March, her four daughters, Meg, Jo, Amy, and Beth, and their beloved friend, Laurie. Louisa May Alcott’s passion for feminism and equality is shown through her brilliant narrative voice that captures the true essence of what it is to be young woman and that it has nothing to do with the clothes you wear, nor the activities you like to do. The story of poverty, struggle, love, and friendship unfolds in front of the backdrop of New England during the Civil War.

Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Set in Oklahoma during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, Steinbeck’s novel is in my opinion one of the best fictional insights into these two events that devastated the country. Tom Joad has recently been released from prison after serving a few years for a manslaughter charge. He runs into Jim Casey, who used to be a preacher. Mr. Casey accompanies Mr. Joad to his house; however Mr. Joad does not find the warm welcome he was expecting. He finds that his house and everything that surrounds it has been deserted and destroyed. He is informed by an old neighbor that most of the people who used to live in the town, including Mr. Joad’s own family has moved to California in the pursuit for a new and better life. This move to California is long, difficult, and often dangerous, however, Joad is determined to find his family and rebuild a new life.

Travels With Charley in Search of America by John Steinbeck

Functioning as half memoir, half travel diary, Steinbeck uses his brilliant narrative voice to tell the story of one of his own adventures- a trip across America with his dog, Rocket and his camper named Rocinante, named after the horse in Don Quixote. His adventure is prompted by many questions he has about America, despite being a citizen of the country. Throughout his near ten-thousand-mile trip, Steinbeck recalls the conversations he had with interesting people along the way, the sometimes dangerous situations he got himself into, and of course many funny stories about Rocket and Rocinante.

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Although this classic is intended for elementary-aged children, it is one of my favorite classics and one that I think would be perfect for anyone looking for somewhere to begin with reading classics. Young Sara Crewe takes a trip from India where she grew up to London where she is to

attend boarding school. Before saying goodbye, Sarah’s father presents her with an extravagant doll. Sara misses her father deeply, but soon finds solace in her friendship with Lottie, another student at the boarding school. A few years later, Sara is informed that her father is dead and has left her with no money. Miss Minchin, who runs the boarding school, soon begins to treat Sara horribly after discovering that the boarding school will receive no more money from Sara’s father. Sara is taken away from the only home she knows and forced to live in the cold attic with Becky, who Sara discovers had a similar situation to her. Sara soon discovers that strangers who quickly become friends may be able to save both Sara and Becky.

Watership Down by Richard Adams

Watership Down tells the story of a group of highly unusual and highly intelligent rabbits living in a warren on the English countryside. One of the rabbits, Fiver, can predict when things are going to happen and whether they will be good or bad. One day, Fiver foresees great danger for the warren. He convinces a small group of Rabbits, including his brother, Hazel, who soon becomes their leader with the help of Fiver’s senses, to flee the warren in pursuit of a new, safer home. The heroic tale of how the group of rabbits finally find their forever home is laced with mythological stories of rabbits that the group of rabbits trade back and forth at night and during rainy days that helps explain the wonderfully complex rabbit world that Richard Adams created.

General Fiction:

Misery by Stephen King

For anyone who enjoys thrillers, this book is one of the best thrillers ever written, in my opinion. Paul Sheldon is a best-selling author of a series of romance novels. When Paul has a car accident, Annie Wilkes, a huge fan of Paul’s books, pulls him out of the reck and drives him to his house. Paul has suffered severe injuries, causing him to be wheelchair bound. Paul discovers that Annie might not be the sweet lady who saved his life that he thought she was. He is held captive in his own house and forced to write more books for his series. Paul quickly discovers that Annie has a very troubling past.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café by Fannie Flagg

The book is set in Birmingham, Alabama in the 1980s, where a friendship between a middle-aged housewife and an elderly woman living in a nursing home, named Ninny Threadgoode. Ninny begins to tell the tell of two young girls, named Ruth and Idgie. The two girls could not be more different. Idgie is an unruly tomboy who would never dream of marrying and Ruth is a proper young woman, who marries an abusive man. Idgie rescues Ruth from her abusive husband and together, they start The Whistlestop Café. Soon, Ruth’s abusive husband comes back to find Ruth. When Idgie threatens to murder Ruth’s husband and later he does indeed get

murdered, Idgie is the first suspect. She and Ruth must find a way to prove that Idgie is innocent and that Ruth’s husband was a terrible abuser.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margret Atwood

This novel is set in a futuristic United States that has been taken over by a totalitarian theocracy called Gilead. There are a limited number of women left who are able to have children. These women are controlled by the dictators who run Gilead and are called Handmaids. Their sole purpose is to have as many children as possible to combat the declining population. The main character, Offred is one of these Handmaids. Throughout the novel, she has flashbacks to her life before being controlled by Gilead, which help to explain how the horrible Gilead came to power.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This book is one of the most unique I have read in that the narrator is death. Liesel, her brother, Werner, and their mother are traveling on a train to Munich during World War II, when Werner suddenly passes away. While they are burying the body, Liesel steals a book from one of the gravediggers. During a book-burning held in celebration of Adolf Hitler’s birthday, Liesel steals another book from the fire. Liesel also begins stealing books from her friend Frau Hermann. Mrs. Hermann finds out that Liesel is stealing her books. During bombing raids, Liesel reads to the people who have gathered in her neighbor’s basement. The wife of the mayor of Liesel’s town gives her a notebook so that she may write her own book. After a bombing, Liesel has to flee her hometown, leaving her book, “The Book Thief” behind. Death continues to follow Liesel around, taking the souls of her loved ones and friends.

The Chosen by Chaim Potok

The Chosen is a fantastic coming-of-age story about a friendship between two young Jewish boys named Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders living in Brooklyn during World War II. Reuven is a traditional Orthodox Jew, while, while Danny is a Hasidic Jew. Reuven’s school’s softball team plays against Danny’s team. The Hasidic team begins insulting Reuven and his teammate’s faith. The game becomes tense and Reuven is injured, leading to a hospital stay. Eventually, Reuven and Danny make up and begin their friendship. Reuven discovers that Danny’s father very rarely speaks to him and thus, Reuven becomes a conduit through which Danny and his father speak with one another, with Reuven passing messages back and forth. Later, Danny and Reuven attend university together. Meanwhile, the tension of their two religions, the tension of the war, and the conflicts over the Jewish state that would become the State of Israel cause more complication. Danny’s father eventually explains to Reuven why he very rarely talks to his son. Reuven finds himself asking if Danny’s father will ever accept his son’s path in life or whether tension will always fall over the family in one form or another.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

The Hate U Give is one of the best fiction books about racism that I have ever read. In my opinion, everyone should read this book. It follows Starr Carter, an African American teenager

split between her two completely different worlds- the world of her neighborhood and family and the world of her elite private school, where students- even her own friends- are often racist. One night, after a party, Starr and her good friend, Khalil are driving when they are stopped by a police officer and Khalil is killed by the police officer. Starr has to find a way to navigate the trauma she has after witnessing Khalil’s death, her relationship with her white friends and boyfriend, the witnessing of her own father’s near-fatal experience with police brutality, and being rushed from questioning to questioning, hearing to hearing about the death of Khalil.

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

This is easily just simply one of the most stunning books I have ever read. It is told in the form of a letter written by man to his mother. However, it is written knowing that his mother will never be able to read it, since she is illiterate. He recalls his mother’s abuse that he attributes to her Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from the Vietnam War. In addition, it deals with a lot of important issues, such as immigration, homophobia, and gender identity.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon

The narrator of the story is a young teenaged boy named Christopher John Francis Boone. One day, he discovers his neighbor’s dog dead. Immediately, Christopher believes that the dog has been murdered and decides to conduct an investigation into the dog’s death. Christopher’s Autism makes it difficult for him to carry out the investigation, especially after a misunderstanding with his neighbor and a police officer that leads to him becoming a suspect of the dog’s murder. Throughout the story, Christopher discovers that his father’s past relates to the murder of the dog, that his father’s past may not be as simple and nice as Christopher had once believed, and that his mother did not actually disappear as his father had told him.

General Non-Fiction:

Growing Up by Russel Baker

Throughout this memoir, Russel Baker recounts his childhood during the Great Depression and World War II. He reflects on his relationship with his mentally unstable mother, his alcoholic father, and how his career in journalism began out of his need to get a job at a very young to support his struggling family during the Great Depression. In my opinion, this memoir is one of the best literary insights into the Great Depression and World War II.

I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

In my opinion, every person, regardless of their age and background should read this book. In my opinion, it is one of the single best memoirs ever written. Malala Yousafzai recounts stories of her childhood living in Pakistan with her Pashtun family. After the Taliban took control of Swat Valley, where Malala and her family lived, Malala and everyone who lived in her valley

had to live under the strict control and rules of the Taliban. At fifteen, she was shot by a member of the Taliban, narrowly surviving the shooting. Her memoir is haunting and an essential piece of history that in my opinion, everyone should know about.

On Writing by Stephen King

This is a part memoir, part writing guide written by Stephen King. It is the perfect book for anyone who is a fan of Stephen King books and/or movies and anyone who enjoys writing. In the book, King includes pages of practical advice for aspiring and experienced writers alike, while telling his own story of becoming the extremely acclaimed author he is today.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

Journalist Jon Krakauer (author of the book) is assigned to write an article a magazine about the body of a male hiker found deep in Denali National Park in Alaska. Throughout the investigation, Krakauer discovers that the story of this hiker is even more strange than it appears to be at the surface. Among other things, Krakauer pieces together that the hiker abandoned his car, burned all of his cash, and disappear