The list below isn't required reading. It isn't for a grade, and you don't have to write an essay. In the rat race of college, in the scramble to please everyone else, you may find yourself a bit lost one day. When you are feeling particularly befuddled, take a moment to read. The stories listed where chosen because they have all resonated with me, made me laugh and helped me find my footing at Auburn.
"St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves" by Karen Russell
Critics describe Russell's short stories as fairy tales for grown-ups. Hailing from Miami, Russell's stories transport readers to the marshy and mystical Everglades where danger and beauty lurk in the swamps.
"The Velveteen Rabbit" by Margery Williams
The classic children's tale about toys coming to life applies to people of all ages. Growing into who you really are can take a lifetime and requires you to explore the depths of emotion. Hurt, love and joy all make you more you.
"Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus" by Mary Shelley
The first time I read Frankenstein, I was in awe of the horror and terrific beauty Shelley conjures in her Gothic tour de force. Grab the spine-tingling story around Halloween.
"Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor
E. Frankl
Published in 1946 by a concentration camp survivor, this two-part autobiography and psychological discourse addresses man's ability to rise above any hardship. "What is to give light must endure burning," says Frankl in just one of his severely quotable lessons.
"Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte
Jane Eyre is equal parts sweeping romance and supernatural thriller. Light-years before her time, Bronte challenged religion, gender roles and classism while penning some of literature's most complex and memorable characters.
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams
Adams' intergalactic, comedic trilogy is sheer brain candy. With poignancies and zany exploits at every turn, Hitchhiker's Guide is a modern classic and a ton of fun.
"Everything is Illuminated" by Jonathan Safran Foer
When I picked up Foer's debut novel as a freshman, I was not prepared for the magnitude of its impact on my own approach to storytelling and language. Two storylines weave together the history of a Ukrainian village; one a present-day road-trip through the countryside, the other, a magical realism tale of the village's history.
"Eleemosynary" by Lee Blessing
This three-woman play explores the strained relationship between generations of women, structured around a high schooler's ambition to win the National Spelling Bee.
"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling
If you haven't read the Harry Potter series by now, give it a try. Jump into the first year at Hogwarts and allow yourself to be swept into the magic and mystery where danger and beauty lurk in the forest.
"Letters to a Young Poet" by
Ranier Maria Rilke
This slim volume consists of 10 letters written by famed poet Rilke to a fledgling writer from 1902-03. Rilke addresses fear, inspiration, self-judgment and the artistic yearn.
Becky Sheehan is a contributing writer. She can be reached at intrigue@theplainsman.com.
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