What is your favorite book?

So honestly, how many of you genuinely love to read?  Or even like it, for that matter?  I've heard all the excuses...English class ruined reading for me; I just read too slowly; books are boring; and so on.  

I was thinking about what topics could be helpful to you rising seniors as you move towards your final year of high school and the college admissions process looms large, and I thought books would be a great place to land.  So I started hunting, and I came across several articles about how reading really should be a part of your lives.  One article from the Washington Post included a interesting anecdote by the author:

It was late June 1991, and I sat upright on the edge of the plush chair in the admissions office, pictures of brick buildings and cheerful coeds adorning the walls.  Nervously I fidgeted with my hands, being sure to make eye contact as my counselor had instructed.  The admission dean fired off softball questions about my high school in attempt to put me at ease.  I was on Day 5 of my first college tour and every campus was starting to look the same.  As I sat in that office, much like the others before, my mind wandered.  Was I in New York or New Hampshire?

I was jolted back to the moment, as the interviewer smiled and delivered the question.  It was the one question that I still remember 20 some years later.  “What is your favorite book?”  A simple inquiry, but one that stopped me in my tracks.  My mind raced.  ’What does she want to hear?’ ‘Should I go the intellectual route?’  'Should I try and be unique?’  'Does this college count a famous author among their graduates?’   ‘Which college am I at anyway?’ I paused for what seemed like an eternity.  “Mama Day” by Gloria Naylor, I offered.  A story of race, family, tradition and relationships, it was the last book we had read in junior year before school let out for the summer, so weeks later it was the only one stuck in my mind.  It is with great clarity that I recall the answer I gave that summer day.  Maybe because it is when I suddenly realized that college would be about books and studying, not just independence and fraternity parties.  Or perhaps it was the first time I started considering what it means to be a thoughtful reader and when I appreciated the opportunity that the space and time that summer provides to explore fine literature.

"I suddenly realized that college would be about books and studying, not just independence and fraternity parties."  Yes, you actually have to learn while you are at college.  The great thing is that everyone is learning together, so you get to have interesting conversations spanning majors, topics, beliefs, and ideas all the time.  Starting the habit of reading now will aid you in these types of situations.  Reading will help you become more articulate, it will improve your vocabulary, and make you a better writer.  It will open your mind to new ideas and different ways of viewing the world and the people in it.  And, in all honesty, it will help you become a well-rounded, knowledgeable, and interesting person (and who doesn't want that?).  


Where to start?  I always ask my friends, family, and coworkers what they have read recently and enjoyed.  They have given me lots of ideas, and I just keep track of their suggestions so when I go to the library (getting a library card is step #2), I can remember what I want to read next.  I also like to look at the New York Times bestseller lists, or those overly dramatic lists you see about the "Top 100 Books You Must Read Before You Die!".  Scan through the descriptions and pick out the ones that seem most interesting to you. 

All that being said, here are some suggestions for places to start reading:

A summer reading list from college admissions counselors
28 Summer Reading Suggestions from College Admission Experts
My Summer Reading List #dukereads
New York Times Bestsellers
Time Magazine's All-Time 100 Novels
30 Books Every Christian Should Read

Now when you are asked in your college interview or application about your favorite book or the last several books you've read, you will have something interesting to say...proving that your dream school would be lucky to have such a thoughtful, well-rounded person like yourself attend their university.