A list of recommendations for this cozy season
Photo Credit: ecostore.com
By Victoria Marinelli, The Mike Contributor
Books offer an escape from reality by submerging us in worlds and experiences beyond our own. The characters take us along on their adventures, we share their triumphs and sorrows, and sometimes they can help us find a piece of ourselves that we didn’t even know existed. Below are some of my favourites that I would highly recommend.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Little Women is a long-time favourite of mine. The book is a coming-of-age story set during and after the American Civil War. The story follows sisters Meg, Jo, Amy, and Beth as they find their own ways in the world, delving into their struggles in discovering who they are as individuals and what they want their lives to be like. This book is a good reminder that we all have our own paths to take and that it’s okay.
Room by Emma Donoghue
Warning: this book contains a multitude of potentially triggering material. Room is told from the perspective of five-years-old Jack. It details his and his mother’s captivity, their escape, and their lives in the aftermath. One of the reasons I really enjoyed this book is because the innocence of Jack’s perspective adds to the horror of the situations, which offers a startlingly fresh view of the world as we know it to be. It makes the reader question what it would be like to have everything you think you know about the world be completely a lie and to have your entire life suddenly turned on its head. If you liked the movie, you will love the book; I know I did.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
The Nightingale is a historical fiction novel set in Nazi occupied France and tells the story of two sisters who experience the horrors of war in completely different ways. This book had me on the edge of my seat while reading; it could have me laughing one minute and crying the next. It is a rollercoaster of emotions but worth it by the end.
The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
While this could be considered a children’s book, I prefer to think of it as a nostalgic book with messages I carry into adulthood. What is a world of sense? Does one need to know sense in order to know nonsense? Are these perceptions objective or subjective? Who decides what qualifies as sense? Read the book and decide for yourself.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
An oldie but a goldie. The Fault in Our Stars tells a story of life – love, loss, victories, and failures. While it might have me in a puddle of tears by the end, the book also serves as an optimistic reminder that there is always a ray of sunshine somewhere in an otherwise bleak world – we just need to find it.
These books have shaped me, inspired me, taught me important life lessons, and encouraged me to question the world around me. They have all brought me something at different times in my life and have continued to inspire me to this day. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.
