Books are a form of culture and media that are not likely to disappear anytime soon. Even with emerging technologies such as e readers and cell phones, books are still incredibly popular. Books allow readers to immerse themselves in the fantasy worlds, and escape everyday reality. Here is a list of the top ten books to read this spring break.

10) Carrie by Stephen King
For all of those students headed to prom, this chilling thriller will leave you wondering if it’s such a good idea. The story follows a high school girl who is bullied and ostracized from the rest of the school. When strange things start to happen around Carrie, she begins to believe she possesses supernatural powers. When she gets invited to the prom by a popular boy, she accepts, but things take a violent turn when a prank goes wrong.

9) Plum Island by Nelson Demille
This mystery story follows a convalescing cop name John Cory after being shot serving on the NYPD. While on leave, he catches wind of a suspicious murder involving the high security Biological Warfare facility, Plum Island. Injured John Cory pulls it together to solve the mystery of Plum Island
8) No Easy Day by Mark Owen
This autobiography highlights the missions and encounters of Seal Team 6. The author Mark Owen talks about his time serving in the United States Navy. It allows reader a glimpse into the world of the United States Special Forces and all that they do to protect America. The book also discusses the mission that they conducted that ended in the death of Osama Bin Laden. Owen was originally forbidden to publish the book for national security reasons, but after publishing it anyway, he opened the eyes of the world as to what really happens in the US Seal Team 6.

7) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
This classic immerses readers in the world of 1930’s America, as the Great Depression ravages the US economy. Atticus Finch is a lawyer who has been appointed to defend a young African American man named Tom Robinson who has been accused of raping a young white woman. The law suit brings Atticus’s two young children, Jem and Scout into the mix. The children are often taunted and bullied, because their dad is defending the accused rapist.
6) Life of Pi by Yann Martel
A novel that is culturally different from others, this intriguing story weaves an intricate masterpiece with many twists and turns. Piscine Patel is a young Indian boy who struggles to find his place in the world. His family owns a small zoo, but when they go through a period of financial hardship, his family is forced to leave India with their animals. Disaster strikes when the boat carrying the Patel family sinks in a storm. Pi is left alive, struggling on a life boat, with only a tiger for company. As Pi struggles for survival, he comes face to face with the figures of his religion. Pi believes that he found god on that little boat.

5) We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
We were liars is a completely different type of story. The story revolves around a rich family who spend their summers on their private island. Many odd things happen throughout the summer, but the liars, the group of cousins who spend their time causing trouble, are there for it all. E. Lockhart’s masterful story will bring tears to your eyes. The narrator of this story is unreliable, twisting truths and weaving an intricate web of lies.

4) All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
This novel is a collection of short stories written by Scottish Veterinarian, James Herriot. The nonfiction story follows James Herriot as he faces the challenges of being a country Veterinarian. The novel will make readers laugh and cry as they come to know the animals of 1920’s Scotland.

3) Girl on a Train by Paula Hawkins
This story is truly a masterpiece. A mystery thriller that enthralls readers to no end. The story is told from the perspective of three women, an alcoholic, an unhappily married women, and a single mother. Every day, Rachel takes the train to London to hide her unemployment, as well as her alcoholism. The story follows the women and what happens to them when one disappears, and shows up next as a corpse. The narration of this story is unreliable but it adds to the overall feel, of mystery and deception.

2) The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe
This American nonfiction novel tells the story of the pilots who engaged in the 1960’s, race to become the first man in space. Wolfe illustrates the hardship and trouble that the astronauts face as they went through the intense NASA training and testing. This book creates feelings of comradery between the pilots that is felt even by the reader.

1) The Martian by Andy Weir
Astronaut Mark Watney is a botanist who has been sent to Mars as part of the Ares 3 Mars mission. The third day on Mars, the Ares 3 crew encounters a storm which forces them to evacuate the planet. During the storm, the crew loses contact with Mark Watney, and assuming him dead, they evacuate without him. What they don’t know is, he is alive, and he plans to stay that way. Follow Watney along as he struggles for survival on the desolate red planet.

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