Author: Emma Poliseno
Typically when you think of reading, especially the recent college grads, you immediately think of boring and dreadful. All throughout college anything we read, if you even did the reading, was more than likely not something that held your interest for more than a paragraph. You all remember that feeling of sitting there reading about methods, techniques, theories, or some other densely worded book, and zoning out for three pages then finally realizing you just absorbed nothing from what you “read”. Basically it was torture. And can you legitimately look back in your repertoire of knowledge and recite facts and tidbits you read in those textbooks? If you can answer yes to that, you have impeccable memory and probably needed to know that under life or death circumstances.
But I am here to reintroduce you to reading for life after college! Reading is something that should bring you joy, be an escape to relaxation, and open your mind and imagination. And now that most of us don’t have an 18 credit course load consuming all of our time, there are moments in the day when you can sit down and open a good book. Plus, we spend a lot of that free time Facebook stalking, Googling, or Tweeting (reading this fab blog is the only exception), so reading allows to you take a break from that. Disconnecting from the social media world is not a bad thing! Reading a book that you actually picked out for yourself because you are genuinely interested in it is the purest form of entertainment. A book can transform you to a completely different world, teach you about life lessons, and make you more well-rounded.
That is the whole benefit of reading for you enjoyment, you have the power to choose what you want to read! Whether it’s fiction (my all time favorite genre), scifi, history, or whatever else, it is not a daunting task that some professor is forcing upon you. Some of us have a pretty negative connotation with reading, so it’s time to put that in past and get yourself to a book store, or library for the budget conscious, and start looking around for something that sparks your interest. There are so many choices out there that it may seem overwhelming. But go with what you like and start from there. We wouldn’t leave you hanging, so here is a list of the NY Times Bestsellers, a great place for book recommendations. And because I’m a total bookworm, I’ll give you some of my personal favorites that have been great reads!
THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett
A STOLEN LIFE by Jaycee Dugard
ONE DAY by David Nicholls
HEAVEN IS FOR REAL by Tod Burpo
Personal Recommendations:
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by Sara Gruen
COMMENCEMENT by J. Courtney Sullivan
THE LOST RECIPE FOR HAPPINESS by Barbara O’Neal
SARAH’S KEY by Tatiana de Rosnay
These are just guidelines to get you jump started into the world of reading for joy. Millions of books are sitting on a shelf waiting for you, and part of the appeal of it all is finding a gem of a read that you don’t want to put down. Happy page turning!
