The month of March brought us a much needed weekend and I spent my spring break at the beach with my best friends, books in hand. It was heaven on earth, even if I came home with a sunburn.
Needless to say, I took a year off to spend time with my girls and catch up on my to-read list and now I have some great titles to share with you.
“The Fine Print” by Lauren Asher
After not reading anything lovey dovey in the month of February, I thought I should start March now with love.
“The Fine Print” was my first book from Asher and it followed Rowan and Zahra in a run of the mill grumpy/sunshine, friend-to-lover stories.
After the death of his billionaire grandfather, Rowan is forced to run Dreamland, an amusement park, in order to receive his inheritance. Dreamland is almost Disney World in a different way, and that’s where he meets Zahra. She is smart and intelligent, and this annoys Rowan to no end.
There’s no way they’re dating, right? It is wrong.
The best part of this book was seeing how much Rowan’s grandfather planned before he died. I mean this man is a star wing.
This was a fun and fast read, full of tropes. It was definitely fun but not necessarily hard to hit the books.
“The Feminist Killjoy Handbook: The Radical Potential of Get in the Way” by Sara Ahmed.
I have to give a big shout out to Daily Nebraskan columnist, and my dear friend, Andrés López for recommending and lending me this book.
Have you ever been in a situation where someone makes a weird joke, you call them out and things feel awkward? Well in that case, you might be a feminist killjoy.
This book was an informational guide on how to be a person who does not tolerate pressure, in a formal and systematic way. It starts with the courage to stand in the way of irreverent humor, to “wake up big” and push back when you see injustice.
This book was a very insightful and empowering book about the idea of getting on the road in the fight for equality.
Since reading it, I have seen this book inspire me to speak my mind many times. At one point, a close friend said: “I wish I could joke with Hayden, but he takes everything so seriously.” I’m not going to lie, this hurt me. People who like me want to make people comfortable.
However, I love the people around me so much that I challenged them to change their thinking, and this book taught me that there is nothing to regret.
This book was very challenging for me, but I’m so glad I read it. Nothing changes if nothing changes, and we owe it to ourselves and others to ensure that we live in a world of equality and kindness.
“The Love Haters” by Katherine Center
This was the second book I read from the Center and it confirmed my love for the author. “The Love Haters” follows Katie, a videographer, as she travels to Key West to film a promotional video. But here’s the thing: the subject is his boss’s brother, a Coast Guard sailor named Hutch.
After a past relationship that made her lose her confidence, Katie tries to take her life into her own hands. As her feelings for Hutch begin to grow, her confidence begins to get in the way. How can he be interested in someone like him?
While this may sound like a bit of a pick-me-up, it didn’t turn out that way. Her insecurities felt honest, and her advances grew without the man’s consent.
This book dealt with body image in a meaningful and honest way. It honestly showed how insecurities can affect the way we make others see us.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a great spot for beach reading and a great atmosphere for my vacation. This should definitely be added to the summer reading list.
“Beloved” by Aisha Muharrar
I knew within the first 100 pages that this book would be a five star read. If you take anything away after reading this article, please let it be to add this book to your TBR list. This book is Muharrar’s first book and it made me feel every emotion.
The story follows Julia as she mourns the death of her best friend, Gabe. Before his death, the two were in an awkward situation, and now Julia has to go to London to collect some of his belongings from his girlfriend.
This was a beautiful examination of grief, love and loss. As I read, I kept thinking about what would have happened if Gabe hadn’t died. Julia’s character was so fully realized that it was as if I was grieving with her. I was trying to solve these problems, thinking about the future of these people. But at the end of the book, I faced the same reality as Julia: Gabe was gone and life went on.
Another thing I want to mention is the cover of this book. The illustrations are amazing and tell you so much about the story, like a little easter egg. Call me a voracious reader, but I was excited to show it off at 5am in a Texas airport. I felt like a cool girl reading a cool book with a cool cover.
March brought beautiful weather, with long days to sit and read outside the Union to the sound of water from the fountain.
Even though spring break is over, that doesn’t mean you can’t find time to relax with a good book. Hopefully, these articles can inspire you to give yourself time as we approach the end of the semester. Happy reading, Huskers!
culture@dailynebraskan.com
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