Jessica Perez-Salinas, Staff Writer

I am sure by now everyone is ready to enjoy their holiday and take a break from reality. November hit everyone hard. Whether it was the endless mountain of assignments, the fun political arguments that arose during Thanksgiving dinner or long hours spent watching every episode of Exploring Politics on La Salle TV, it wasn’t an easy month. Regardless, we can all agree that we need to take a step back and enjoy some light and fun readings that have absolutely nothing to do with politics.

So, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy yourself with one or all these fun reads.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

If your favorite book in high school was the Canterbury Tales, you will love my first recommendation. Taking place in a future utopia, the Handmaid’s Tale is a thrilling novel following this young woman as she embraces the new world around her. In this novel you will find a secret romance, mysteries to uncover and a nice message about women’s role in our society. My only qualm would be the outfit choices which could use a bit more embellishment and color. If you prefer visual entertainment, it has also been adapted into an award-winning series by Hulu. 

Animal Farm by George Orwell

If you’re a fan of Charlotte’s Web or the Winnie the Pooh Series, you will adore Animal Farm. It is a cute story that follows various farm animals and their hijinks against the farmer. With lovable characters such as Snowball and Napoleon, it is a fun read for the entire family. Most importantly, it serves as a powerful message about equality and teaches kindness and compassion to our young ones. 

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Delving away from novels, Persepolis is the lively autobiography of Marjane Satrapi told through the format of a graphic novel. We grow up with her as she moves between Iran and Europe in the late 20^th century. She experiences romance, wonder, loss and hardships that culminate in a passionate tale about a girl finding herself in turbulent moments. It has also been adapted into the Oscar nominated film of the same name that will have you laughing or crying with every scene.

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

This book is for the people that enjoy playing the Sea Battle game on their iPhone or were too passionate and aggressive when it came to playing games in high school gym class. It’s an exhilarating novel about a young boy that is really good at playing virtual reality games. Despite his young age, he excels above all, and we come to see the friendships he forms. It is filled with action, aliens and advanced technology that cements it as one of the best science fiction novels in recent times. This novel really makes sure you never have to think while reading. 

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

If you love books, this is just the book for you. This fun comedy gives you an inside look into the secret world of book publishing. We follow the quirky and lovable June Hayward as she explores, writes her new novel and experiences her rise to fame. It explores various topics such as history and culture.

Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution by R.F. Kuang

If you have a Pinterest board that is titled “Dark Academia,” this is the book for you. I love R.F. Kuang so much that she gets a double feature. Babel follows our young protagonist, Robin, who is a young Chinese boy who gets accepted into the prestigious Oxford University. We follow him and his diverse group of friends as they learn magic, create fond memories and become essential tools for the government. Set in the 1830s, this novel will enamor you with its beautiful writing, strong characters and its message of the magic of friendship.

Wicked by Gregory Maguire

For my final recommendation, we have a title many of you will recognize. This book has been adapted into a musical and recent film-musical adaptation. This tale follows the life of the Wicked Witch from the original Wizard of Oz novel. We get to reunite with many of the lovable characters from the original such as Glinda and the Wizard. Maguire puts his own twist on the land of Oz and brings a new life to the setting and characters. It is fun, light-hearted and not political in any way. Actually, no version of the Wizard of Oz is political.

And there you have it. These are just some nice novels to decompress with and to have a more lovely holiday break.