By: Ashley Kuk
To put it simply, the last few months of quarantine have been absolutely miserable. Given that parties are already going on in certain college campuses, as well as our favorite Karen screaming about not wearing a mask because it “goes against my personal freedom”, another mandatory stay-at-home order is probably on the horizon.
Like everyone else, I’ve been trying to find ways to keep my brain and anxiety preoccupied with a variety of activities and mindless chores. The candle making set that I bought at the end of July is still sitting unopened at the end of my bed, I haven’t logged off of my Netflix account since March, and my YouTube feed is filled with random videos ranging from “How ‘Ninja’ Is Zuko from Avatar the Last Airbender” to “Disney World Fantasyland Music 2 Hour Loop”.
Another way I’ve been fighting boredom is by going through the bookcases full of novels, book series, and poem collections I have in my bedroom. Reading has been one of my favorite hobbies since I was young and it was great to sit and go through book after book. If you’re looking for something new to add to your reading list, here are 4 books that I would highly recommend for your next binge read!
Love Her Wild by Atticus
Love Her Wild is a collection of poems by an anonymous poet who goes by Atticus, detailing the highs and lows of love and life, of the smallest and the grandest moments in living. In just a few short lines, Atticus makes us feel a sense of longing for a romance in Paris or for the adventure that is finding yourself. His poems capture the magic that is life and love, and my own words cannot express the admiration and the love I have for his works so I will end this with one of my favorite poems - “Keep your bustling cities, give me only the moon, some wine, and old friends laughing in the desert, and I will show you what the pagans called god.”
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
The world in Aveyard’s debut novel is wrought with tension and a dance of cautiously laid lies. The people in this world are split into two groups based on their blood - the common powerless Reds and the elite Silver with supernatural powers. Our main character Mare is a Red, but she soon finds out that she has powers like a Silver. To cover this secret, the corrupt Silver-blooded king parades her as a lost Silver princess and betrothes her to one of his two sons. Mare also becomes entangled with the Scarlet Guard - a Red based rebel group that fights for equality between Reds and Silvers. This book will have you tearing through the pages to find out how Mare will navigate this precarious situation with the balance of her secret and the safety of her family in a war unlike any other while also navigating a love triangle that was never supposed to happen.
Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
If you were a fan of Game of Thrones, but hated season 8 as much as I did, you are going to love the world of Falling Kingdoms. The land of Mytica is split into three countries - the prosperous and lush Auranos where Princess Cleo’s story begins, the frosty Limeros ruled by a calculating and cruel king and where Prince Magnus and Princess Lucia call home, and the impoverished and oppressed Paelsia where Jonas finds himself the leader of a new rebellion. The novel follows the lives of these four young people - some royal, some rebels, some magic - as their countries collide in deadly battles and shocking betrayals. This 6-book series has a little something for everyone - unlikely alliances, complicated romances and relationships, war, betrayal, magic - and will leave you wanting more.
NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
Stephen King’s son is an astounding writer in his own right and NOS4A2 proves that Joe Hill has the same grit and talent as his famous father. His third novel surrounds the life of Vic McQueen and her encounters with Charles Manx, a child abductor known as ‘the Wraith’ due to his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith that he uses to bring children to the paranormal prison he calls ‘Christmasland’. Hill weaves a tale so thrilling and suspenseful that you will be on the edge of your seat with every page you turn. If you enjoyed this novel and feel like binge-watching something else (or if you don’t feel like reading), NOS4A2 has also been adapted into a TV series and has just been renewed for a second season.
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