Your ultimate reading list!
It’s that time of the year again. The leaves are falling, the air is crisp, apple this and apple that. I hope I’m not the only person who thinks that fall is the superior season to bury your nose into a good book. It seems that some students got the memo too.
After going around campus, I’m here to present you a variety of books that students are reading so you have your next potential read.
The Power of Your Subconscious Mind — Rania Alattar
Rania Alattar, a second-year student taking paralegal studies, says she is currently reading The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy.
Alattar says this book explores the power of manifestation to make positive changes in your life and that it is even for the non-believers.
“It’s really eye opening to how strong your mind can be,” Alattar said. “If you think about it scientifically, there’s a lot of realistic views when it comes to it too. For example, I’m Muslim so it also helps me relate it to my religion.”
As more school readings pile up, Alattar says it can be challenging to find the time to read but that a range of books can offer a lot for students.
“If you have the time to read, I think it’s a really great hobby to have,” she said. “It can help you in educational aspects and even if what you’re reading is fictional, it can help you in literature aspects.”
Alattar particularly loves this book because she grew up loving The Secret by Rhonda Bryne — she also recommends this book for its similarities.
A Game of Thrones — Miranda She
Miranda She is a first-year student in the social services work program. Her current read is the A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin.
“I picked it just because I watched the TV show a few years ago,” She said. “I always wanted to read the books but it was kind of intimidating.”
If I had a nickel for how many students I saw reading A Game of Thrones on campus on a Tuesday evening, I’d have two nickels — which is not much but it’s still weird it happened twice. But I was very excited to see that people are still reading it because I’m a huge fan of the show and it deserves all its fame!
“I do like books that explore darker themes,” She added. “I’m not really into romance. I gravitate a lot towards fantasy, sci-fi, thriller or horror.”
Percy Jackson & the Olympians — Hunter Futa
I am an avid tv show rewatcher. There is something wonderful and underrated about rewatching the same show over and over again. Some students seem to be applying this to books, too!
Hunter Futa, a first-year student in the behavioural sciences program, says she is currently rereading a childhood classic of hers, Percy Jackson & the Olympians by Rick Riordan.
“I’ve always had a fascination with Greek mythology my entire life,” Futa said. “I really love the author. He’s written some great pieces — obviously, if I’m still reading it all these years later. Plus, it’s just like kind of like a comfort thing I’d say.”
For those who aren’t at the point of rereading one of your childhood books, Futa shares that there are a lot of great resources to narrow down the right book to pick.
“Libraries now have things implemented just through social media,” she said. “Wherever your interests stem from, you can just go into the bookstore and then have people recommend books.”
Futa also shares that although you may explore within your favoured genre, disappointment can still be a possibility.
“I’m super into fictional stuff and all of that but there’s still authors I don’t particularly enjoy,” Futa added. “If you don’t like a book, don’t sell yourself short, don’t stop there.”
Everything, Everything — Divine Gasiorowska
Can you believe we’ve made it this far without a mention of a romance book? Don’t worry, I got you — I mean, Divine Gasiorowska’s got you.
Gasiorowska, who is a first-year social services work student, says she is currently reading Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon.
Gasiorowska says she is completely in awe of the plot, with her eyes glimmering while she told me about it. It follows a girl who’s sheltered from the outside world until a boy comes along and, well, you’ll need to read it to know the rest.
“It’s just a beautiful story and how love can really cause someone to do some crazy, crazy things,” Futa said.
She says she gravitates toward romance books but that a books genre does not always define whether she’ll enjoy it or not.
“I love when writing can be very poetic,” she said. “Especially how they describe the characters within the book and not just like ‘she said this’ and ‘he said this.’”
Gasiorowska is also currently working on a book of her own and you can keep up with more updates within the next couple of months through her Instagram.
101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think — Larisa Vollering
Larisa Vollering studies forensic identification and is currently reading 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think by Brianna Wiest.
“It’s like a collection of just different essays about different topics,” Vollering explained. “Some are about prioritizing yourself and some are about how to interact with others.”
I was actually gifted this book for my birthday a few years ago. I read a couple of the essays, not the whole 101, but I’ll get there eventually. Something I noted was similar to Vollering’s observation — it’s beautifully but simply written.
“I think for me it’s the style that it’s written in,” she said. “I really like that it’s a nice easy way to digest a book. It’s not complicated and just has a bunch of text like some of those other self-help books.”
She says that the same author has another book called The Mountain is You and recommends it as a second option for those exploring the self-help genre.
The Art of Creation — Bilal Moore
Bilal Moore is in the social services work program and reading The Art of Creation by Bianca Modi.
Moore says this is a poetry book that checks off all the boxes for him.
“It’s a very insightful book. It has a lot of love poems but also just a lot of introspection. Some stuff about dealing with family issues and being a child of immigrants,” Moore said.
This poetry book is written by a friend of his. He says that initially, he purchased it for obvious reasons — support — but that he truly is very fond of it.
“Reading is hard,” Moore shared. “For me to pick up a book and actually read through the whole thing front to back, it takes a lot. After reading it I was like ‘Yeah this is really good.’ So now I go around recommending it to literally everybody.”
What’s your next read?
We live in a world where there are endless books to choose from, so finding the right book can be challenging. I think I began enjoying books when I accepted that I’ll probably have to read a lot of mediocre books to come across the best of the best. It’s worth it!
Check out Humber Polytechinic’s digital library, or visit the libraries in person at the Humber Lakeshore and North campuses or the University of Guelph-Humber to find books, articles and more!
Feature image courtesy of IGNITE.
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