This month is a special month. A wonderful month, despite the cold Michigan weather. March is reading month! Now, I understand that not everyone gets as excited about reading as I do. Not everyone spends hundreds of dollars every year on new books or travels to Chicago to meet their favorite authors and get novels signed. I get that I am an exception to the common stream of students who read books only when assigned them in school (and sometimes not even then). But, I am here to change things.

I can’t force you to give reading more of a chance if you don’t already love it. But, reading is a great way to explore new time periods, cultures, lives, or even worlds. Books are a great source of inspiration, a way to escape from stress of our society, a chance to gain new perspective on matters, and an enjoyable way to spend your time. I actually regret not being able to spend more time cozied up on the couch with a book in my hand.

So here are some wonderful suggestions for books that I have personally read and think that you should consider giving a chance:

Mrs. Dalloway

Virginia Woolf

Virginia Woolf is a famous author for a reason. This novel is a masterpiece that centers around the older Clarissa Dalloway for one day of her life, and using stream of consciousness writing, Woolf weaves in and out of people’s minds to reveal a complex display of the human condition. It really gives you a lot to think about.

Slammed

Colleen Hoover

This novel is primarily a romance novel, taking place in Ypsilanti, in which a relationship forms between a young girl and her student teacher, who also happens to be her neighbor. It is dramatic and holds so many twists and turns that you can’t put it down. Plus, there is beautiful slam poetry incorporated throughout the novel (hence the title).

Homegoing

Yaa Gyasi

This is just a really great story that starts in Africa and discusses the lives of two half sisters, and follows their family through the generations. One’s family stays in Africa and the other’s is forced into slavery in America. It provides a great look at African culture and the lives of African Americans. The writing is beautifully crafted with plenty of imagery and symbolism as well.

The Wrath & the Dawn

Renee Ahdieh

Also primarily a romance novel, this novel revisits the common myth from Arabian Nights that tells of a king who marries a new wife every day before killing her that night. I was a little hesitant at first, but ended up loving the novel’s drama and mystery.