A Fall Reading List for All the Girlies in Their Healing Era
Story by Paris Murray. Photo courtesy of BubuDigitalShop.
School has started, meaning fall is on its way. Between indulging in the much needed cooler weather, and pumpkin spice filling the air, what's a better way to indulge in the season than with a good book? Not just any kind of book though, a book that puts life and experiences into perspective. One that makes you look deep inside yourself as you heal. Personally, I believe everyone needs a healing era, a time where you try to better yourself, and these books will definitely help you on your journey. Trigger warning: If any of these books are too much for you, please, don’t force yourself to read them. However, these stories were written to help comfort young women who go through difficult experiences.
The first book I would highly recommend, especially to any young ladies, is always My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russel. This book is very graphic with a lot of detail. This is not a love story, and as a trigger warning, it does cover topics such as manipulation, pedophilia, teacher-student relationships and adolescent isolation. While the topics may seem uncomfortable, this book is necessary, especially for young women coming up in the world. The story flips back and forth between Vanessa Wye’s years attending Browick High School, being entangled in a relationship with her teacher, and her life as an adult dealing with his current allegations. She slowly comes to terms with her perspective on the relationship and the reality of it, which will definitely leave you anxiously clenching your book.
The next book, which unfortunately isn’t much lighter, is Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow. It’s another retrospective novel about physical abuse and violence, drug abuse, alcoholism, self-harm, suicide and homelessness. Despite these heavy topics, this book is a great read and can provide you with a perspective and story you are not aware of. It gives a voice to those suffering in silence. In a mosaic of pain, resilience and hope, Glasgow crafts a narrative that explores the beauty found in the process of piecing oneself back together.
The final book is Heaven by Meiko Kawakami. It might just be the least intense book on the list, but it's very sweet. The story follows a boy and a girl who grow a connection after being bullied, and are able to find light in a place of darkness. This is less of a love story, and instead a story of two friends coming from humble beginnings, finding courage, and healing to go about life. There’s a message everyone can take from this, not just about bullying but about finding the courage to stand against it.
As a friendly reminder, I need my fellow Knights to know that these books were written with meaning. They are not meant to harm or cause any painful feelings, but instead meant to uplift people going through similar situations. If reading any of these books ever becomes too hard, always remember it's okay to take a break. It’s always okay to take care of yourself.
Paris Murray is a senior at Friendship Collegiate Academy.