Creating Our Own Utopia of Books in a Distopian Pandemic Created by various students
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Written by Yasmin Ali, Hour 7 Currently reading How to Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life by Seneca The book I'm currently reading is How to Die by Seneca. The book serves as a guide on...how to die. On the surface, the concept seems pretty morbid but once you dig deeper you'll find that there is meaning to living life while knowing how to die well. Seneca outlines that one must prepare themselves by having no fear, no regrets, and realize the universality of death. Personally, I think this book is fitting to read in a time of such uncertainty. This book doesn't help me escape per se from the reality of this pandemic, instead it prepares me for the reality of this pandemic. Written by Annonymous, Hour 8 Currently reading The Starless Sea by E. Morgenstern My book is about a secret underground library that acts as a sort sanctuary for people around the world. It's nice to imagine that there's a magical place somewhere where people from all walks of life can come together and bond over something so universal: stories. The book is immersive in a way that's hard to describe; the imagery is soaked in romance and mystery. The way the author writes is captivating and it's difficult to stop reading. I like to imagine myself in this world and it feels much more comforting than the real world at the moment. Written by Annonymous, Hour 1 Currently reading The Silent Man by A. Berenson The book I'm reading provides quite a bit of imagery which makes it perfect to escape into since it seems so real. By doing this and reading a lot more, I am able to avoid news and negative thoughts about this pandemic. This keeps me calm and makes me think rationally about the situation. Written by Annonymous, Hour 7 Currently reading The Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress Free Living by A. Sood It helps me escape the pandemic by distracting me from watching the news obsessively and looking at social media too much. Not only is it a distraction, but the content of the book provides many methods to remove unnecessary stress from your life, which during this time, really helps me not focus on this situation. Written by Annonymous, Hour 1 Currently reading Renegades by M. Meyer The book I am reading right now helps me escape the craziness of everyday life, especially during this pandemic. As I begin to read, I am able immerse myself into a completely new story from real life which is almost more chaotic then the pandemic. With superheros constantly fighting and plotting against villains, it is difficult to think of anything else while reading. Once I finish reading, and when I often feel panicked about everyday life, I am able to think back to my favorite parts of the book and escape reality momentary in order to help not get swept away with pandemic life. Written by Annonymous, Hour 8 Currently reading Queen of Air and Darkness by C. Clare The book I'm reading right now is helping me escape the reality of this pandemic because its content matter is, believe it or not, much more absurd than what we are facing right now. This dystopian novel is focused on the lives of Shadowhunters who hunt demons as a livelihood (which is already not 'normal'), and I have reached a point in the book where the sister of one of the main characters has just been murdered by somebody who has been brought back from the dead, and now not only do the two main characters have to deal with this loss, but they also have to figure out a way to contain their forbidden love (which is cursed--they will end up destroying themselves and their families unless the spell is broken). In addition, there are a lot of supernatural creatures in this book, such as that of faeries/werewolves/vampires/warlocks, so it is quite easy to get lost in its plot and characters. Written by Annonymous, Hour 7 Currently reading The Astonishing Color of After by E. X. R. Pan This book helps me escape the reality of this pandemic because of its magical realism aspects. It goes deep into the main character's thoughts, feelings, experiences, and memories, taking my attention away from our current news and instead into a fictional person's life. The story line is also interesting to follow with turns every so often, keeping my mind occupied. Written by Annonymous, Hour 3 Currently reading All the Light We Cannot See by A. Doerr All the Light We Cannot See is helping me escape the reality of this pandemic because I can focus on the book instead hearing all the news about the pandemic: it's good to just focus on that and let go of what is happening in the world around us. I can relax somewhat in that way and not many activities allow for that. Written by Annonymous, Hour 7 Currently reading To All the Boys I've Loved Before by J. Han My current book is very fun, free-flowing, uplifting and over all very care free. Reading this type of book has really done wonders for me in reducing some of my intense anxiety of these times. I find myself able, after some time, to really get lost in the words and positive story of this book. Reading seems to help me get distracted from all things just rushing through my mind and helps me to focus on one simple thing: the characters in the book. I truly wish I had more time to read right now because it really helps me go to a happier place where I feel less nervous. Written by Annonymous, Hour 3 Currently reading See Me by N. Sparks Although I don't like admitting this to family members or even friends, I do enjoy romance novels, but only ones with decent, individualized characters with interesting backgrounds and stories of their own. These types of books keep my interests up at consistent rates, helping me de-stress and temporarily escape from the strain of being cooped up in the house for many weeks. Written by Samantha, Hour 1 Currently reading Milk and Honey by R. Kaur Milk and Honey is helping me escape because it's a book of poetry about a girl getting into a relationship and then getting out of it and recovering afterwards. It's told in four parts: The Hurting, The Loving, The Breaking, The Healing. It's very easy to find a place in the book that resonates with myself, even though I haven't been in a relationship. I had an experience when I was younger with a crush that wasn't great and I find myself seeing myself and my experiences even though I didn't realize the gravity of the situation, and heal from it until more recently. It isn't about a virus or anything even similar, it's a story of personal growth and that is why it allows me to escape. Written by Annonymous, Hour 8 Currently reading Radium Girls by K. Moore The confusingly new normal that the world has been thrown into is something that nobody is familiar with. I struggle with all the unknowns and the evident fear in the eyes of those I now spend every hour of every day with. Reading a book like Radium Girls is a way to try and understand other people's trials as well. The story of the women who died of radium poisoning and were never recognized as heroes is something so unfathomable that it takes me back to the 1900's; I can see the bravery on these women's faces and it cannot be denied that it gives me hope and another symbol of bravery in difficult times. The history is fascinating to me, and the time I would be spending moping around I can now spend buried deep in a book. I guess I would say that reading in this period of isolation and quarantine has helped me step into a whole other world than that of my own AND given me real characters who can help me understand how to learn to grin and bear what will come ahead. |
AuthorSA group of sophmores at Mayo High School in Rochester, MN. All have Mrs. Lyke for American Literature & Composition Honors. ArchivesCategories |