Note: For those of you who are only quickly glancing at this article as you switch tabs on your computer when your teacher walks by, all the recommended titles are in bold.

Many Magnet students love to read, but let’s be honest: many of us haven’t picked up a book for enjoyment since we got our first summer reading list the summer before 9th grade. We all say we want to start reading more, but somehow teachers seem to have a second sense for when I’ve picked up a book from the library to read and decide it is the perfect week for a test. However, with senioritis hitting and some of my studying time opening up for other activities, I am determined to read more good books, so I asked some fellow raptors(both students and teachers) for their recommendations. Here’s what they said:

Memoirs were very popular. Perhaps this is because everyone in AP Lang got to pick one to read, forcing Magnet students to read more by connecting it to the thing they love the most: good grades(and with books not on Sparknotes). With a refreshing portrayal of grief and amazing language due the author’s songwriting roots, Leila recommends Crying in H-mart by Michelle Zaunner. Sarah Baer recommends another memoir: Just Kids by Pattie Smith, saying “It is like reading a poem in story form”. Read at your own risk though:the book is so good it inspired her to want to move to New York City, so reading it could come with large financial repercussions. If you want to know more, ask her, trust me, she will tell you. She also informed me that you can’t stop there, and your next read should be M Train by Pattie Smith. Another memoir that Lily Hutson mentioned was Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. I also loved the memoir I read by Evanna Lynch: The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting: The Tragedy and Triumphs of Growing Up. Thanks to Ms. Hurt and Ms. Grayson for these recommendations! Juniors: you might want to refer back to this list when picking your memoir: you don’t want to ruin your one chance at reading a modern book by picking a book you hate. 

Some of the senior summer reading books were also appreciated. Ellyse Ramos recommends Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It’s about a Nigerian immigrants’ experience in both America and Nigeria. It’s written by the woman who has the ted talk about a single story, one you’ve likely seen at least three times because it’s every teachers’ favorite (and if you haven’t seen it yet, you will before you graduate). Though the book is long, I second her recommendation. Sadie Bowlin enjoyed her book choice of Emma, appreciating its gothic vibes and feminist aspects, but she did not appriciate the parts she found patriarchal. So don’t worry freshman who did not vibe with Things Fall Apart: things get better!

For those who enjoy reading books with a cinematic counterpart: Avery Vokel is currently reading and recommends Where the Crawdads Sing which also got a stamp of approval from Lizzie Murray. She warns to make sure to read the book before watching the movie though! I always find it much more fun to watch the movie when I can point out everything that the movie did wrong and talk about how much better the book is to a poor, unsuspecting friend anyways.

If you really want to get back into reading and are open to a commitment, a couple students recommended book series. Carolyn Selvidge loves Charlotte Holmes, a series that follows the great-great-great-great granddaughter of Watson and Sherlock as she solves modern day mysteries touching topics like addiction, sexual assult, and what it means to be a women. The Neapolitan Novels got a thumbs up from Molly Schweickhardt who warns people to literally not judge a book by its cover, claiming the covers are “purposely bad”. Leila confirmed both that she knew people who loved the books and the oddness of the cover choices.

For those who don’t have that time commitment, Lizzie Murry claims that The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is a good short read. For Mystery fans, Ava Peterson recommends The Secret History by Donna Tartt, which she says is Mr. Garris’s favorite book. It also got mentioned by Ms. Zerbst when I emailed her asking for recommendations. Ms. Hurt recommends a mystery book, The Trees by Percival Everett, which also was the last pic for the exclusive faculty book club. Other staff pics were “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay; Sophie’s Choice and ANYTHING by Toni Morrison” from Ms. Bortz, and Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid and Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson from Ms. Grayson.

Some last student recommendations are the “the literally flawless” Emma by Jane Austen from Ella Sanders and Looking for Alaska by John Green along with When You Reach Me by Rebbecca Stead from Emma Morrison after she consulted her Goodreads account (so we know the recommendations are good).

If any of these books sound interesting, now is the time to break your reading slump. If you don’t want to buy the book, remember that our school library has more than just slow printers and is open during all school hours, not just in the 10 minutes before school starts on the day you need to print out an essay. Of course The Talon would never condone illegal activities, but books also can usually be found in pdf form online. Good luck!