Gabriela Restituyo

During this pandemic, while trying to maintain motivated for school, we have also grown bored of the same old same old. Being stuck inside staring at our screens (be it TV, phones, or computer screens) makes the days feel repetitive and unproductive. Reading might be a way to break the confinement of our four walls. Here is a list, in no particular order, of books you can read that keep you interested and make you feel more productive:

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Outliers is a nonfiction book that demonstrates the intellectual methods of the most successful– not just by what they do but by where they come from too.

Lovely War by Julie Berry 

Julie Berry takes her readers on an adventure in World War I and II through the eyes of Greek gods. Inspired by true events, she tells the stories of two couples and how they fell in love.

Destroy All Monsters by Sam J. Miller

This novel tells the tale of two best friends having to face traumatic events to regain the memory of one and the friendship of another.

Be, Do, and Faith by A.C. Ping

Ping wrote these three self-help books in the hopes to inspire his readers to contemplate, act and be comforted in the face of real world struggles.

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

The psychological book Blink illustrates the way that we think without thinking and choices that are made in the blink of an eye. He reveals the successful way of great decision making with little thought.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

Keeping you at the edge of your seat, The Tattooist of Aushwitz is about an Auschwitz prisoner that is burdened with the task of tattooing the other prisoners. Lale’s bravery and love for another young woman he has to mark then promises to help escape Auschwitz is a recreation of his awe-spiring experience in the concentration camps.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

In this historical fiction novel, Zusak writes about a young girl in 1939 during the Nazi book burnings and her love of books and the words within them. Tag along as she steals all kinds of books and connects with the Jew her family has hid when it is most dangerous.

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Trevor Noah writes his memoir during the days after the end of the apartheid. With humor, he tells of his criminal acts, his endless adventures and his journey to finding himself in a world that has finally opened to opportunities.