Fantasizing, dreaming and losing one's self in an amazing novel is one of many ways a person can spend an afternoon. Photo by: Zandra Norris
By Zandra Norris
There are many ways to improve knowledge, expand a culture, or increase the imagination, but perhaps the quickest and funnest way of doing so would be to simply read a book.
Often times books are used as a way of study or entertainment. With technology expanding, the need for study materials has decreased which leaves the entertainment factor. There are many great books and authors out there to choose from, and each one has a great lesson worth learning.
The last book that junior Mariah Harty has enjoyed reading was The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks which has recently been turned into a motion picture. The character Noah Callhoun is chased by memories of his first love, Allie, whom he was separated from nearly 10 years before. She finally returns with a secret of her own and a huge decision to make concerning her future and his. The climax is Harty’s favorite piece of every book because “then you finally know what happens,” she says. A book that Harty would recommend for reading would be the series Vampire Academy because “it holds a lot of action and keeps you wanting more.”
Social studies teacher Mr. John Kozlovich recently read Outliers, a provocative and inspiring book written by Malcolm Gladwell. Gladwell examines everyone from businessmen to musicians, studying every social class in existence explaining the success of mankind.
Mr. Kozlovich explains that he enjoyed this book because “it offers explanation for why some people achieve incredible success and stand out from their peers. Gladwell argues that ‘outliers’ are not flukes, but are individuals who have been granted unique opportunities to practice and sharpen their natural abilities.” Mr. Kozlovich states that “I do not reread books often but rather chapters that I am particularly interested in.” Mr. Kozlovich would recommend any book by Erick Larson, who is his favorite author, but specifically the book titled, Devil in the White City. “It’s the story of the 1893 Chicago World Fair,” he informed. Mr. Kozlovich looks for books with meaning. “I like books that inspire me to think in new ways that challenge my preconceptions,” he states.
On the same page as Mr. Kozlovich, sophomore Lacey Suess prefers to read non-fiction books as well because “I think fiction books are boring,” she says. The last book that Suess has lost herself in is about a nine year old boy with tons of curiosity. This book is deeply affecting, powerful, unsettling, and unforgettable. Bruno (the nine year old) faces life with a new friend and finds himself forever behind and looking through a fence. This story, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, takes place during World War I in Berlin when history made its mark. Suess enjoyed reading the book and her favorite part of the plot was the “resolution, because that’s when everything comes together and you know exactly what happens with everything,” she explained. Nicholas Sparks is a famous author and a favorite to many including Suess. A book that she would like to recommend to girls would be, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret written by Judy Blume. “I like when books give me all sorts of emotions; it makes me enjoy the book more except I hate when books make me cry.” Suess says.
Another fan of Nicholas Sparks is senior Danielle Becktel. The last book Becktel has completed is Dear John by Nicholas Sparks. Dear John has the ability to make you laugh and cry in the same chapter. The story is about an angry, emotional rebel named John who has in the past dropped out of school to enlist in the army as a last hope for a future. When he meets a girl named Savannah, he wonders if she just may be his future. Becktel says, “The emotions I get from a book depend on what type of book it is. Sure, anyone feels emotions when reading a story. When you read a book, you become a part of the story, and you sometimes feel what the characters are feeling.”
Lock and Key is a book written by Sarah Dessen. Full of love, life, moving on, and hanging on, this book shows what it is like to not only accept love but also show love. Ruby is abandoned by her mother earlier in life and is determined to make it on her own. Without knowing where she is from she struggles with knowing who she is. It is nearly impossible to know where people are going if they have no idea where they are from. After reading this book, freshman Mariah Tepper states that, “I felt like I was a part of the book.” Tepper prefers to read books that are specifically “realistic fiction.” The climax is her favorite part of reading simply because “it makes you eager to read the book and you can’t put it down.” Sarah Dessen happens to be Tepper’s favorite author. The Hunger Games trilogy is a series that Tepper would advise people to read because “it is jam packed with action and romance — the perfect combination.”
Pages of books may just be filled with stories of other people’s lives or imaginations but when a reader applies the things they learned it is no longer just a story or way to pass away time. It often becomes something so much more; an opportunity to learn something about life and the emotions that deal with it from another person’s perspective.