From fantasy to non-fiction, MECA students have a very broad taste in books; every student is different. Some may be reading for pleasure, whilst others may indulge in books just to better comprehend a subject. 

Regardless of the reason, it is safe to say that MECA has a huge community of book lovers. Our Media Center (now in the MPR) even has hundreds of books for students to choose from. Some individuals just love cracking open a new book.

Julia Hernandez, a senior at MECA, recently started reading Anxious People by Fredrik Backman; an intriguing novel with a mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat as you try to figure it out.

“So far, the readers know that a failed bank robber walked into an open house and held a realtor and seven other strangers hostage,” described Julia. “After the situation is diffused, the 8 hostages are taken into custody by the police to be interviewed. Currently, a young officer is interviewing the realtor and is losing his patience as [she] can’t answer his questions without interrupting herself.”

Anxious People is a novel written in third-person point of view, meaning it is told by a narrator who is not in the story. Sometimes stories explained in the third-person can get pretty boring when it comes to the long details, but Julia says that this isn’t the case for this book. “Usually, the narrators in books that are written in third person tend to fade to the background, but that surely isn’t the case for this story,” Julia explained. “This narrator is honest and a little bit sarcastic which has kept me engaged in scenes that give a lot of background.”

Julia also shares that the characters in the story are very relatable, even with the side characters. If you’re a fan of mystery novels, maybe add Anxious People on your to-read list.

Some students even enjoy reading historical fiction, such as freshman Bella Tavera-Gonzalez, who is currently reading Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Already having read some of Reid’s books, Bella explains how she loves her style of writing and feels immersed while reading them, “I’ve read up to page 42 so far, and I am already hooked by it. I had a shock moment as well, as the author mentioned a character from one previous book I have read.”

The story revolves around character Nina Rivera’s 1983 end-of-summer party where a mysterious fire starts, “A way to sum up what I have read of the story and cover is that as the first two lines [that] read ‘Malibu catches fire. It is simply what Malibu does from time to time’” shared Bella.

“I would recommend this book to others because in general, having read two and now starting my third, I have become a fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s writing” Bella explained. “If you happen to enjoy historical fiction, many of her books are set in [an] older time period.”

Some MECA students don’t just read fiction novels, some like to immerse themselves in the world of non-fiction, such as sophomore Joshua Fermalino. He shared that he is currently reading a book by Thomas Hobbes called Leviathan.

“To be honest, I’m just only reading it because I’m working on a novel that deals with absolutism and I
figured ‘hey this might work for me,’ but I do kind of like it,” described Josh.  “It is mostly just talking about the human for now.”

Joshua also shared that Hobbes often makes very understandable points about how humans are. His position and understanding of the world is very interesting, and can be linked to today’s society, even despite being written hundreds of years ago.

However, not all books are necessarily good recommendations. Most people love reading fiction, and whilst there are some non-fiction lovers, it’s safe to say that it is not a very popular genre. Some books are genuinely just difficult to read. Not all books are written for everyone, and Josh shared that Levithan falls under that bucket, “If you are not looking for the category of absolutism and politics, it’s not really recommendable.”

As we are entering into months with cold, rainy weather, it makes the perfect time to just read under a cozy blanket. If you are looking for a new book to read, try one of these books!