Reading Improves

Recommendations

Book Descriptions

photos from Goodreads

GIRL IN PIECES by Kathleen Glasglow addresses difficult topics such as self-harm, physical abuse, and drug abuse. It follows the story of a seventeen year old girl trying to survive while fighting grief and avoiding the trap of apathy.

It’s KInd of a funny story by Ned Vizzini follows the story of a boy who is so hyper focused on creating the perfect life for himself that the pressure he puts on himself becomes too much, landing him in a mental hospital where he is to recover from his suicidal thoughts. It is here that he meets others with various strange struggles and is forced to confront his ongoing anxiety.

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green seems to follow the story of a girl uncovering the mystery of a fugitive billionaire. But under the surface, the novel builds a character that reveals what it is truly like to live with anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, two struggles in which Green himself deals.

Readers’ Thoughts:

Why do you like to read?

Scarlett Carle, senior, says reading “allows you to understand other perspectives with the use of other people’s words”. This coordinates with the idea that reading improves empathetic capabilities.

How do you think reading betters your life and/or mental health?

Theresa Gaddy, IB English teacher, likes to read nonfiction because she enjoys “witnessing the genius of other people and how they synthesize ideas”and “experiencing other people’s brilliance”. She used Malcolm Gladwell as an example, an author who identifies real-life occurrences that should be obvious but are often overlooked.

What is your favorite thing about reading?

Dylan Tolley, English teacher, says, “when a book is good, it is easy to leave the world for a while”.