Being in college doesn’t allow for a lot of leisure time, and many of us don’t want to spend that time reading a book after doing homework.
However, these books are worth the read, whether you want to procrastinate reading a textbook or you just want a good read.
(CU Independent Illustration/Josh Shettler)
“Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” by Seth Grahame-Smith and Jane Austen, is a fantasy novel that doesn’t take much brainpower to get through. This book takes Austen’s classic novel and adds zombies. The story takes place in 1800s-era England and follows sisters who are being groomed for marriage, and trained to fight against zombies. The creatures with the “mysterious plague” roam the countryside and impact the characters’ lives. For parts of the novel, the zombies only fuel small-talk. In other parts the characters become zombies or fear becoming a zombie, giving the living dead a heavier impact on the story line.
Parodies are more and more popular, taking classics and putting a new twist on them. Grahame-Smith is one of the authors in the growing parody genre. Other books of this genre include “A Midsummer Night’s Gene” and “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,” which was recently adapted for the big screen.
Most of us are familiar with the movie adaptation of “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” by J.R.R. Tolkien, but I think it is equally important to read the novel. It is the first of three “Lord of the Rings” books centering on the journey of Frodo Baggins. The brave hobbit is sent to destroy a ring that is causing the destruction of mankind through its evil powers. Tolkien creates a beautiful hero’s journey for his readers by painting elaborate images with his words. There are themes of strength, endurance, overcoming obstacles and facing your fears that readers can identify with.
“Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs: A Low-Culture Manifesto,” by Chuck Klosterman, is a clever commentary on how media affects our culture. The title alone sold me on this book. It is a collection of essays in which Klosterman connects pop culture to media and discusses how they have affected our culture and shaped our society.
One chapter, “Being Zach Morris,” is a discussion on how everything is cliche while using “Saved By the Bell” as a base. Another chapter, ”The Awe-Inspiring Beauty of Tom Cruise’s Shattered, Troll-like Face,” is a personal favorite. It explores the construction of reality and uses “The Matrix” as a source. This novel is good for college students to read, because Klosterman uses pop culture that we are familiar with to analyze our lives. Klosterman is a relatable as well as hilarious writer that delivers.
These books are the ones that deserve your immediate attention. They are either relatable, fascinating or ridiculous and are all fun to read. But read them after you finish reading for that biology test, of course.
Contact CUI Staff Writer Ellie Patterson at Elizabeth.n.patterson@colorado.edu.
