Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

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Fast reads good distractions

As always, the nice weather has arrived right at the point when students need to be buckling down for the last and least enjoyable phase of the entire year. Rather than lounging outside in the sun, we're locked in our rooms or libraries typing final papers and preparing for exams.

Those people who are able to focus and stay on task during this time have always impressed me. I have the horrible habit of procrastinating until the absolutely last possible moment. There are so many ways one can spend his or her time. Movies are a popular choice, and University Square always has something, but a person can only watch so much until, eventually, the guilt may persuade you to resume your studies.

So we look towards other outlets for the free time we do not really have. My favorite mode of procrastination is always reading a book, because I feel like I am still doing something brain friendly, if not necessarily educational.

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I know some people worry about becoming so enthralled in a book that they don't stop reading until it is done, and that can have a negative effect if you exceed your allotted amount of procrastination time. However, there are quality books that can be read in merely a few hours and they do not have to be life changing, educational or long.

Sometimes it is just comforting and relaxing to read a book with larger print and bigger spaces. So even if the book is 700 pages in length, it is probably the equivalent of a 200-page book in the print we are accustomed to. So we can feel a little less guilty for starting a huge book in the midst of so much other work.

I recently had an experience similar to this. My sister got the book "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer for a gift and naturally, I had to "borrow" it. I did not know what to expect from the book; it was the first novel Meyer had ever written. What I ended up reading was one of the most intriguing stories I have read in a pretty long time and the kicker was that it was written for a teenage audience.

This is a characteristic that should not deter people from reading a book. Some of the best light reading comes in the form of young adult literature. Large bookstores tend to have whole displays with the best of the best of this category, the same as all other genres. "Twilight" is among those recognized among young adult literature, and for good reason.

Inspired by a dream, author Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" has many things to offer readers, including fantasy, mystery, romance and suspense. This exciting fantasy focuses on a young woman, Bella, who is entering her junior year of high school, but this is not just another school year for her. Rather than move to Florida with her mom and new stepfather, Bella has chosen to pick up her life and move from sunny Phoenix, Ariz., to rainy Forks, Wash., where her father lives.

In a place where Bella expects little more than to survive the year and not die of boredom, she finds herself entangled in an unimaginable and at first, mysterious circumstance. As a new student, Bella cannot understand why a certain, undeniably attractive boy (Edward) seems to hold an obvious disdain for her. He leaves class when she attends and makes horrid faces at her.

Where Edward's behavior would insult many and cause them to ignore him, hurt feelings are not enough to curb Bella's curiosity. How is she supposed to know that he is attracted to her, but not in the way she thinks? Her type of blood is his favorite. Yes, that's right. Edward is a vampire.

What proceeds is a very heated and intensely confusing relationship that would entice any reader. "Twilight" seems to cast a spell over its readers and I admit my own weakness in this case. As soon as I finished, I Googled it to see if there is a sequel and was thrilled to discover that it is the first of a trilogy.

You do not need to be a vampire junkie to enjoy the book either. I had no idea what to expect from a book about vampires, but Edward's vampire-ness just adds to his intrigue. The relationship that develops between the two teens is intense, and the adventures they embark on will make you want to finish the book as soon as possible.

When you finally do finish it, you will perhaps be recharged enough to continue the work you should have been doing in the first place. Books like these are great for relieving stress and taking up time that could otherwise be spent in front of a screen.

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