Great Books For Study Breaks
Engrossing novels to help you relax during midterms and final exams
Oct 30, 2006
Take out your clip on reading light! It's time for a study break, and here are some awesome book suggestions to help you relax and study more effectively.
College students often get so overwhelmed by their textbook readings that the last thing they want to do for fun is read another book. That's a mistake, because there's nothing like an engrossing novel to help you unwind. Read a few chapters in between study sessions, or before bed. Check out one of these engrossing, intelligent novels that aren't too intense.
- Moo by Jane Smiley (1998). A great college book. This novel is a satire of a large Midwestern college campus, with professors and students (and one very large pig) that you may recognize. If you like this, check out another satirical book about college: Straight Man by Richard Russo (1998).
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (1943). An American classic with fabulous characters that still resonates today. Francie Nolan is a child who grows up in poverty in Brooklyn and sees many things a child shouldn't, but she has a strong spirit and struggles to make the most of things.
- The Breach by Brian Kaufman (2002). If you like historical fiction, read this unique fictional account of the Alamo, written from the perspective of the Mexicans.
- Brothel: Mustang Ranch and Its Women by Alexa Albert (2002). This one isn't a novel; it's a nonfiction account of the life of prostitutes at a Nevada brothel, where prostitution is legal and regulated. The book isn't sleazy at all; it's fascinating and will give you food for thought about this issue.
- Kindred by Octavia Butler(1979). This amazing novel, written by a recently deceased African American science fiction writer, is about a woman who inexplicably travels back in time to a Southern plantation, where she finds herself living as a slave. If you like this, try Butler's Parable of the Sower (1993).
- Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner (2002). This is the brainy side to chick lit, and you won't be able to put it down. The book begins when Cannie Shapiro, an overweight young reporter, discovers that her ex-boyfriend has published a magazine article about "loving a larger woman." Horrified, Cannie begins an irreverent journey through weight loss, single motherhood, and Hollywood screenwriting. If you like this, try Jennifer Weiner's In Her Shoes (2003).
- Welcome to My Planet, Where English is Sometimes Spoken by Shannon Olson (2000). More intelligent chick lit about my neurotic Minnesota home girl Shannon (the protagonist has the same name as the author) who finds herself coming of age despite herself. Read the sequel too: Children of God Go Bowling (2004).
Please leave your suggestions for awesome study break books in the discussion below!
Next: Read suggestions for Mindless Study Break Television, Funny Movies for Study Breaks, Study Break Music, and other Healthy Procrastination Habits.
