2008 Woodie Awards
Take A Look, It's in a Book: A Reading Rainbow for the Jaded College Reader
Michelle Silberstein
Issue date: 12/10/03 Section: Arts and Entertainment
Ah, winter vacation. Six weeks with no school in sight, unless you're doing an intensive course somewhere. Maybe you have a job waiting for you at home; maybe you have some exciting road trip planned. Regardless of how you're spending the time, I bet reading's the last thing you want to be doing.
But it shouldn't be!
The art and joy of recreational reading is something I've realized is lost upon college students. We're forced to read what amounts to a book a week during each semester.
The long assignments that are forced on us come from boring and intellectual texts, and our interpretive imagination is stifled by having to read within the context of a class. We usually spend what little leisure time at the movies or the mall or the bar, and before we know it, it's been months since the last time we read a good book on our own.
I'm not here to lecture or scold you for not reading. I'm here to ignite your desire to turn off the TV after a hard day's work or not watch the movie on the plane, and instead lose yourself between the pages of a great novel.
But what to read? There's a lot out there, and jumping into the deep end with no direction can be pretty intimidating. Well, never fear - I've done some thinking, and have come up with a diverse list of choices for you.
Read one, read ten, just run over to Barnes & Noble and pick up a book. The school bookstore carries popular books on the second floor - use your OneCard and have your parents pay for it. Heck, I'll even lend you my copy of the book if you promise to take care of it!
So look over the list and make a choice - be introduced to a new author, and then read everything he or she has written. Trust me on this one guys. A good book will take you places, teach you things, expand your horizons and stimulate your imagination, and while it may cost more than a movie, it will last you a lot longer.
It was a book first ...
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby: Follow pop culture junkie Rob as he begins to think (as awful as it sounds) that life as an episode of thirtysomething, with all the kids and marriages and jobs and barbecues and k.d. lang CDs that this implies, might not be so bad.
The Shining by Stephen King: "A cultural icon of modern horror, a searing study of a family torn apart, and a nightmarish glimpse into the dark recesses of human weakness and dementia" that will make you think twice about the next hotel you stay in.
Chocolat by Joanne Harris: A small French town is turned upside down by the arrival of a bewitching chocolate confectioner, Vianne Rocher, and her spirited young daughter.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick: The futuristic vision that inspired Blade Runner.
Little Altars Everywhere by Rebecca Wells: The prequel to The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.
The Princess Bride by William Goldman: We've all seen the movie, we all love the movie, and you'll all love the book just as much.
Bridget Jones' Diary by Helen Fielding: A year in the life of the hilariously self-aware Bridget Jones, who promises to "reduce the circumference of each thigh by 1 1/2 inches, visit the gym three times a week not merely to buy a sandwich, and form a functional relationship with a responsible adult."
The World According to Garp by John Irving: Filled with stories inside stories, it's about the life and times of T. S. Garp, novelist and bastard son of Jenny Fields - a revolutionary feminist leader.
Based on a true story ...
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant: A woman's vision of what really happened to Dinah, the only daughter mentioned in Genesis.
Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer: "A chilling tale of violence and fanaticism that strikes at the very heart of religious faith in America."
Downsize This by Michael Moore: "Random threats from an unarmed American."
The Culture of Fear by Barry Glassner: "Why Americans are afraid of the wrong things: crime, drugs, minorities, teen moms, killer kids, mutant microbes, plane crashes, road rage, & so much more."
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom: "An old man, a young man, a life's greatest lesson."
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris: A humorous collection of autobiographical essays that serves as a manifesto about language.
Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow: The spirit of America in the era between the turn of the century and the World War I, told through the interwoven stories of a black pianist, a Jewish artist, and a stifled white housewife.
Brain Candy ...
Wicked by Gregory Maguire: The "true" story of the Wicked Witch of the West.
Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier: The "true" story behind Vermeer's masterpiece painting.
Big Fish by Daniel Wallace: "Teaches us about mythmaking and joke-telling, truth and redemption, death and life."
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon: A mid-century story of comic books, superheroes, and real-world survival.
Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk: From the twisted mind of the man who gave us Fight Club, it's a cynical look at media and religious frenzy.
The Safety of Objects by A.M. Homes: A collection of short stories that explore the American dream in ways that you're not likely to ever forget.
Griffin & Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence by Nick Bantock: Readers are invited to examine handmade postcards and open colorful envelopes as they eavesdrop on lonely London card-designer Griffin Moss and mysterious South Pacific islander Sabine Strohem.
The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus: What Mary Poppins would be like if she worked for New York snobs who ignored their spoiled kid.
But it shouldn't be!
The art and joy of recreational reading is something I've realized is lost upon college students. We're forced to read what amounts to a book a week during each semester.
The long assignments that are forced on us come from boring and intellectual texts, and our interpretive imagination is stifled by having to read within the context of a class. We usually spend what little leisure time at the movies or the mall or the bar, and before we know it, it's been months since the last time we read a good book on our own.
I'm not here to lecture or scold you for not reading. I'm here to ignite your desire to turn off the TV after a hard day's work or not watch the movie on the plane, and instead lose yourself between the pages of a great novel.
But what to read? There's a lot out there, and jumping into the deep end with no direction can be pretty intimidating. Well, never fear - I've done some thinking, and have come up with a diverse list of choices for you.
Read one, read ten, just run over to Barnes & Noble and pick up a book. The school bookstore carries popular books on the second floor - use your OneCard and have your parents pay for it. Heck, I'll even lend you my copy of the book if you promise to take care of it!
So look over the list and make a choice - be introduced to a new author, and then read everything he or she has written. Trust me on this one guys. A good book will take you places, teach you things, expand your horizons and stimulate your imagination, and while it may cost more than a movie, it will last you a lot longer.
It was a book first ...
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby: Follow pop culture junkie Rob as he begins to think (as awful as it sounds) that life as an episode of thirtysomething, with all the kids and marriages and jobs and barbecues and k.d. lang CDs that this implies, might not be so bad.
The Shining by Stephen King: "A cultural icon of modern horror, a searing study of a family torn apart, and a nightmarish glimpse into the dark recesses of human weakness and dementia" that will make you think twice about the next hotel you stay in.
Chocolat by Joanne Harris: A small French town is turned upside down by the arrival of a bewitching chocolate confectioner, Vianne Rocher, and her spirited young daughter.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick: The futuristic vision that inspired Blade Runner.
Little Altars Everywhere by Rebecca Wells: The prequel to The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.
The Princess Bride by William Goldman: We've all seen the movie, we all love the movie, and you'll all love the book just as much.
Bridget Jones' Diary by Helen Fielding: A year in the life of the hilariously self-aware Bridget Jones, who promises to "reduce the circumference of each thigh by 1 1/2 inches, visit the gym three times a week not merely to buy a sandwich, and form a functional relationship with a responsible adult."
The World According to Garp by John Irving: Filled with stories inside stories, it's about the life and times of T. S. Garp, novelist and bastard son of Jenny Fields - a revolutionary feminist leader.
Based on a true story ...
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant: A woman's vision of what really happened to Dinah, the only daughter mentioned in Genesis.
Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer: "A chilling tale of violence and fanaticism that strikes at the very heart of religious faith in America."
Downsize This by Michael Moore: "Random threats from an unarmed American."
The Culture of Fear by Barry Glassner: "Why Americans are afraid of the wrong things: crime, drugs, minorities, teen moms, killer kids, mutant microbes, plane crashes, road rage, & so much more."
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom: "An old man, a young man, a life's greatest lesson."
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris: A humorous collection of autobiographical essays that serves as a manifesto about language.
Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow: The spirit of America in the era between the turn of the century and the World War I, told through the interwoven stories of a black pianist, a Jewish artist, and a stifled white housewife.
Brain Candy ...
Wicked by Gregory Maguire: The "true" story of the Wicked Witch of the West.
Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier: The "true" story behind Vermeer's masterpiece painting.
Big Fish by Daniel Wallace: "Teaches us about mythmaking and joke-telling, truth and redemption, death and life."
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon: A mid-century story of comic books, superheroes, and real-world survival.
Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk: From the twisted mind of the man who gave us Fight Club, it's a cynical look at media and religious frenzy.
The Safety of Objects by A.M. Homes: A collection of short stories that explore the American dream in ways that you're not likely to ever forget.
Griffin & Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence by Nick Bantock: Readers are invited to examine handmade postcards and open colorful envelopes as they eavesdrop on lonely London card-designer Griffin Moss and mysterious South Pacific islander Sabine Strohem.
The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus: What Mary Poppins would be like if she worked for New York snobs who ignored their spoiled kid.