Books I Read That Stuck With Me Throughout My Four Years of College (part 1)

As an English major at a Liberal Arts college, I've had the awesome opportunity of reading countless books as a part of my education. Some of them have been transformative in my life. Here are a few.

The Crooked Line by Ismat Chughtai 

I read this book in my "Stories of Islam" class. This class was probably one of the most important classes I took during my time at the Mount, and this book was incredible. The class opened my eyes to the actual beliefs and teachings of Islam, and this book was a beautiful coming of age story about a young Muslim girl in India. It's a beautiful story, and it was amazing to read about a character so different from myself.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini 

This book. This freaking book. I don't know if I've ever wept while reading a book the way I did while reading this masterpiece. I read this for my "Forgiveness and Mercy" philosophy class, and wow, did it teach me a lot about love and self-forgiveness. It tells the beautiful story of two Afghani boys and their friendship and the changes their relationship undergoes throughout their lives. This book will rip your heart out and warm it at the same time. If you haven't read it, take the time to read it. You won't regret reading this spectacular tale. 

Where Justice and Mercy Meet edited by David Matzko McCarthy, Trudy Conway, & Vicki Schieber 

This is an awesome little book three of my role models here at the Mount helped compile and edit. Dr. Conway was actually my professor for "Forgiveness and Mercy" and also for the class I read this book for "Perspectives of the Death Penalty". Vicki Schieber is a friend of Dr. Conway's and helped out with both classes. Her daughter was raped and murdered, and she and her husband fought against the death sentence as a punishment for their daughter's murderer. 

This book looks at different perspectives behind opposition of the Death Penalty, especially for the Catholic Church. It looks at Catholic Social Teaching, Old and New Testament tradition, economic facts, the Catechism, sociological factors, and more. It's really cool to see so many different people with different backgrounds and areas of expertise explaining their reasons for being against the death penalty. Although I've always been against the death penalty, long before reading this book, the stories and essays in it helped solidify my belief and strengthen my opposition. 

Death Work by Robert Johnson

This book is a grim read, but a necessary one. Like Where Justice and Mercy Meet, the book in itself is an argument against the modern use of the death penalty. It goes into the actual practices behind the death penalty in America, from Death Row, to how the inmate is treated up until their execution, to the drugs used and how they work to end the inmate's life. I would argue that this book should be required reading for anyone for or against the death penalty, as if you argue for or against something, you should know how it's actually working and what's actually going on behind closed doors. 

Silence by Shusaku Endo

I actually read this book twice, once for my Christology class, and again this semester for "The Catholic Novel". The first time I read it, I really didn't like it. I thought it was boring and slow. But when I read it the second time, I was captivated. Silence tells the story of missionary Jesuits who go to Japan, and about the suffering they undergo. The title is a reference to the feelings that the character has that God is silent during their suffering. Anyone who has ever doubted their faith and suffered should read this book. It's beautiful.

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare

This is another one I've read multiple times. I first read it when I was homeschooled, and then again in Forgiveness and Mercy, and a third time in Introduction to Literary Study II. It's such an awesome play. It shows equality and justice far beyond its time in a way that is still extremely relevant today.

A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor

Everyone told me I would love Flannery O'Connor, as she was a Catholic writer who wrote with strong conviction, but I never got around to reading any of her material until the end of my junior year in an English class called "Faith, Literature, and Secularization". This short story is one of her most famous, and one of my favorites. It takes a critical look at the idea of goodness, and the deepest corners of the human soul. It's a quick read and so, so great.

The Plague by Albert Camus

I read this in Modernity in Literature, a class that is part of the Mount's Veritas core program. While I didn't actually love the book, it is quite gripping and had a message that has stayed with me since I read it a year ago. It is about the resilience of the human spirit in the face of indescribable horror and suffering, but also the stubbornness of we humans. 

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

I actually have been in this play two times, so I know the story well. But reading it for my Shakespeare class last year changed the way I looked at it. Not only is it a fun, whimsical tale about fairies and love, but it looks at friendship, and the importance of looking and loving people beyond appearances and status. 

Stay tuned for part two of Books that Stuck With Me Throught My Four Years of College!