COLUMN: Behind closed doors
There’s nothing like a dark rainy day to keep me inside curled up with a blanket, a bag of snacks and a good book. I love the rain. I know its crazy, but rain doesn’t make me gloomy, the sun does. Cold and cloudy fall days give me a joy I cannot even express. I love the smell of it. I love the contrast between the charcoal clouds outside and the warm lights indoors. But most of all, I love the opportunity it gives me to pull out some of my favorite guilty pleasure books.
Let’s face it. When we are outdoors, sitting on a bench at the park, we don’t read books like “Twilight,” we read the classics. That way if someone we know walks by, we can strike up a conversation and prove how intelligent we are because we are two hundred pages into “Bleak House” by Charles Dickens or “Anna Karenina” by Leo Tolstoy.
When the weather forces us inside, however, we pull out the books we really want to read. The we-can-lay-down-on-the-couch-and-read-for-hours kinds of books. I find most of my favorites come in a series, that way when I finish one in a couple hours, the story isn’t over and I can just pick up the next.
Now, being an English major, it is hard for me to admit to others that I read anything but the classics, but sometimes we forget the value of a really good — if cliche — story. I know some of these books don’t have deep meanings and symbols to decipher, but I believe they are still important in society, even if they aren’t classified as “literature.”
So here you go. Four of my favorite guilty pleasures, one for each genre.
Fantasy–
“The Belgariad” series by David Eddings
This series is the epitome of cliche, but that’s what makes it so wonderful. It is a series in which you can get lost in the story, even though its been written a million times before. Boy grows up not knowing how special he is, goes on a quest and ends up becoming the hero. That about sums it up.
I know this sounds exactly like many others — “Lord of the Rings,” just to mention one — but it is still well written and easy to get lost in. The world Eddings creates is full of interesting fantasy races and stereotypes, and it instantly evokes sympathy for the characters.
Mystery–
“Naked Heat” by Richard Castle
So, I don’t normally read mystery novels, but I do watch the show “Castle,” and that is what made me want to read this book. And I know Richard Castle didn’t actually write the book, but the publishers cleverly formatted the book to be exactly like it is in the TV show, with even the same book cover as in the show.
Mystery novels are all about sucking you in, encouraging you to figure out who the villain is and then surprising you at the end. This is how “Castle” the TV show is, and the book is no different. If you want a fun, not very deep book to read in a couple hours, pick this one up.
Young Adult–
“Harry Potter” series by J.K. Rowling
So, I’m sure everyone has read “Harry Potter,” or at least heard or watched the movies — and if you haven’t you’ve been living in a box the last 10 years, but these books are perfect for rainy day reading.
Rowling transports you into another world, one with wizards instead of professors, spells instead of homework and Quidditch instead of day jobs. This series may begin light and childish, but it transforms into a deep, dark story that will have you struggling to come back to reality. And trust me, though they did a pretty good job with the movies, the books are better. As usual.
Science Fiction–
“Mistborn” series by Brandon Sanderson*
Read it. That is all I need to say. Brandon Sanderson is not only one of the best fantasy writers I have ever read, he is one of the best writers I have ever read, period. This book is not just an amazingly unique story, it is an amazingly written story.
Sanderson writes a novel that is anything but cliche, and has you reeling at the end because you couldn’t possibly have predicted it. And some writers put in twists for the sake of twists, which end up unbelievable and awkward, but not Sanderson. His twists are not only entirely believable, but after you finish, you look back and can’t understand why you didn’t see it before. I suggest you put down whatever you are doing and go buy this book. You won’t regret it.
* Note: So this technically should be classified as fantasy, but I read more fantasy than science fiction, and it has enough sci-fi elements to fit in this category.
– Kellyn is the features editor for The Statesman, and she’s a senior majoring in English. Her column runs every other Friday. She loves reading both her Kindle and paperback novels and can be reached at kellyn.neumann@aggiemail.usu.edu