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It’s cold and wet outside, so there aren’t many options for entertaining activities. Oh sure, you could turn on your television and sit on your butt for the next several hours, but there is only so much time you can spend watching daytime soap operas or court TV. Instead of just staring at a screen, letting your mind go sedentary, there are some exciting books to read that are just perfect for those stuck-in-the-house rainy days. One or two suggestions may be educational, but they are too fun to read to even notice that you’re brain is keeping active.

Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher

Do not let the name fool, there isn’t anything about marine life in the book. The main character, T.J. Jones, is an adopted teenager who is smart, funny, and an all-around cool guy, who is incredibly humorous to read about. The story deals with a team of underdog swimmers, and T.J. just happens to be the only popular guy on the team. Acting as the wise-butt hero at times, this book had me stifling my own laughter because I was afraid someone would hear me guffaw too loudly.

Darwin Awards Books

For those who are not familiar with the Darwin Awards, they are a comical competition that relay the odd, stupid, and funny things people do in life, as well as the interesting outcomes of these actions. There are at least seven of these books by now, so the options are wide and the hilarity of man’s stupidity just continues to entertain readers. If for some reason you cannot finish one of the books, there is no harm in putting it aside to come back to it on another rainy day. The chapters do not have a sequence of events, so there is no plot to keep up with. You can read one funny story after another. Or, if you somehow finish one book in a day, there are more to read out of the series.

A Bad Beginning, A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snickett

Yes, it is part of a series, but what better day is there to try out a new series of books than on a rainy day? And, there is never a dull moment in A Bad Beginning, not to mention it is a relatively shorter book, which also makes it a quick read. Funny, exciting, and sometimes creepy, the Series of Unfortunate Events relays the story of the cruel Count Olaf, who is trying to take the inheritance of three incredibly talented orphaned children. Don’t knock it just because it’s in the young adult section; this book even has adults enthralled to read the whole series.

Short Stories by Nikolay Gogol

For those who want a fun, yet slightly more sophisticated read, the short stories by Nikolay Gogol never seem to disappoint. Although most short stories are a good pick for rainy days, Gogol’s are both deep and amusing at the same time. Stories like “The Nose” is so incredulous to have a nose as the supporting role, while “The Diary of a Madman” is so funny, I almost felt guilty as I laughed at the poor narrator. Gogol’s short stories are a bit longer than others, but you can still several with a day’s time. And, with a collection of shorts, it is easy to just put the rest of the book aside once you have finished a particular story. There is no commitment to reading all of the short stories if you do not have time.

Psych – A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Read by William Rabkin

If you are a fan of the show, you are going to love the books, particularly this one. Although many popular shows are providing a series of books alongside their show, Psych is one of those shows that is both smart and funny at the same time, which is exactly what the books are like, too. A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Read happens to be only 273 pages, which makes for a quick read with all of the dialogue and humorous activities.

By Amelia Anderson

There is no avoiding the anxiety that comes with the start of a new school year. Students cannot help worrying whether they will like their teachers or whether they can handle the new homework. It is the unknown that can be so frightening, and being unprepared only heightens that feeling. However, if you have an idea of what to expect from your classes and can get yourself ready for them, you will not feel so overwhelmed and nervous at the beginning of class. Here are some ways to prepare yourself for your new classes even before they begin.

Buy Your Books Ahead of Time

Most teachers make the book lists for their classes available to the students in advance. It is a good idea to buy all the books you can before classes start, so you can be prepared for class. So many students make the mistake of buying their books the day after classes start, but this often leads to problems. Long lines at the bookstores are a nuisance and books are easily sold out. Having a delay in getting your books can make you fall behind with your homework early in the semester, and turning in homework late is a bad way to start your classes.

Read Some of Your Homework Before Class Starts

Reading the introduction or skimming some of the homework in your new textbook is a good way to see what is coming in the next few months. Instead of wondering whether your homework is going to be difficult, take a look and see what your book has to offer, so you can mentally prepare yourself for upcoming homework. Don’t get so ambitious that you actually do the homework, but familiarize yourself a little bit with what you will be studying. Getting too far ahead probably isn’t a good idea since you may see some material that is confusing, which could just make you that much more nervous in the first place. The idea is to make yourself aware of what you can expect, so there are no real surprises when you start your classes.

Practice Skills You May Have Forgotten

Subjects that require practice like math and grammar rules may be difficult to remember when you come back from a long break. If you feel you are getting a little rusty with your algebraic formulas, or are having trouble remembering punctuation rules, it may help to do some light studying before the new classes begin.  Skim through an old grammar book, or find some math sheets online that you can practice a little bit with. Getting some practice will not only jog your memory, but it will help you feel prepared for the upcoming school year.

Skim Through Last Year’s Grades

Take a quick look at the kind of work you turned in last year. What kinds of grades did you get? Were you happy with them? What did you do well? What did you do badly? Keep these past grades in mind as reminders of what good habits you should keep up with the New Year, and what bad habits you should be fixing this coming year. If you slacked off or turned in-work that was incomplete, these old assignments should be a wake up to make better practices for the upcoming school year.

Have Your Backpack Ready

It may seem minor, but having your backpack organized and set with your binder, books, pens, and pencils will make you feel prepared for the first day of school. Throwing all of your things in your bag at the last minute can make a student feel anxious and unprepared. If you are rushed into putting things together, you are likely to forget something important, or leave yourself with the fear of forgetting something. In short, if your backpack is prepared early, you will feel less anxious and more prepared for class.

There is no shame in wanting to make a resolution to help improve yourself. But, how many New Year’s resolutions have you kept in your life? Almost every person I have ever heard make a New Year’s resolution will only hold that pledge for a small percentage of the year. Resolutions should be a sign that people are taking charge of their lives by trying to improve themselves. Unfortunately, promising yourself to get into a good habit will not alter your life unless you actually take steps to ensure your change. Here are some tips to taking charge of your resolutions and finally sticking to them. You should use at least two of these tips, if not all of them, to encourage yourself to stick to that resolution. One reminder or reason is rarely enough to help anyone.

1. Have daily rituals for your resolution

Use some form of a daily calendar to keep yourself aware of your changes. If you are trying to lose weight, find a daily calendar on cooking healthy, or if you want to learn a new language find a word-a-day calendar in that new tongue, or find some form of inspirational calendar to remind you to be nicer to yourself or others. You can even try placing sticky notes around your home in strategic places you look at every day to remind yourself of your resolution. Or, set up reminders on your phone or on an Outlook calendar to help you follow through with your tasks.

2. Make your resolutions important to yourself

It may be helpful to actually write a list of all the reasons why you want to start this resolution. People who are trying to improve their health will probably have an easier list to make, but even resolutions that involve learning a new skill or taking up a new hobby should have some importance, so be sure to list those reasons. If you keep in mind why you initially made your resolution, it will be easier to stick to it.

3. Give yourself a goal to reach part way through the year

Maybe you want to lose so many pounds by March, or be able to speak simple sentences in Italian by April. Reaching your goals should encourage you to stick with your plan through the rest of the year. And, if for some reason you do not reach your goal, do not feel discouraged. Instead, you should feel more determined to try that much harder with your resolution in the coming months and create newer goals that may be more realistic.

4. Plan rewards for yourself for reaching your goals

Maybe plan a trip France to practice your new-learned French, or buy yourself some new clothes after losing 20 pounds. You should congratulate yourself for sticking to your resolution and give yourself incentives to keeping up your new habit or skill. Make sure your reward is something that you control, though. Your resolution is for yourself, so your reward should be from yourself, too.

5. Make realistic resolutions

Resolutions should be reasonable. Yes, they are supposed to signify a change in your life, but keep in mind that if your resolution is too difficult, then you are likely to quit after a matter of weeks. Ask yourself what you really need to do to keep your resolution and can you use any of the steps in this blog’s list to help you. If you cannot find realistic ways to follow through with your resolution, then you are probably dooming yourself for discouragement and failure.

By Adam Krause

Now that we’re in the thick of the holiday season, many of us are going the distance to see family, whether on a plane, Amtrak or Greyhound. Long, boring trips are the ideal time to make a dent in your reading list. Here are ten books, each under 250 pages, perfect for one day of travel in each direction. Just don’t read them while driving on the interstate.

1) Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell

Orwell is best known for his allegories of political paranoia, 1984 and Animal Farm. This is his first published book. Though he called it fiction, it is an account of his experiences working as a low-wage dishwasher in Paris and being homeless in England. It is written with wit and keenly observational prose that keeps it fresh today, and provides such advice as how to keep customers from detecting rats in a poorly run restaurant and how to use a taut rope as a pillow while sleeping on the street.

2) St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell

This short story collection, published when its author was only 25, is absolutely crazy. Russell’s subjects range from the title story, about a school run by kindly nuns whose mission is converting the children of werewolves into real human girls, to a story about a family of minotaurs heading west on a covered wagon. No matter how bizarre the situations, Russell never loses sight of her characters’ human side.

3) The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

This first novel by Indian journalist Aravind Adiga is narrated by a chauffeur in New Delhi who murders his rich employer. The chauffeur, who comes from a remote village that he refers to only as “the Darkness,” ruled by greedy landlords that resemble storks and wild boars, makes clear that India’s recent economic rise is only for a few, and that most Indians still have to seize whatever they can get. The novel has been criticized by Indian intellectuals who doubt Adiga’s authority to write in the voice of India’s poorest citizens, but the wicked intelligence of the narrator as he maneuvers through one tricky situation after another makes the novel a fast, gripping read, whatever you think of its message.

4) Sula by Toni Morrison

Though the epic Beloved is better-known, many critics consider this slim novel Morrison’s best book. It chronicles the lives of two girls who grew up in the Bottoms, a rural black community: one who stayed behind to raise a family and the other, Sula, who left for the cities and returns to wreak havoc among the menfolk. The novel reminded me of a compressed One Hundred Years of Solitude; Morrison’s story moves so swiftly across three generations that it seems almost magical.

5) Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov

Funnier than Pale Fire and less scandalous than Lolita, Nabokov again satirizes America and academia in this comic novel about a bumbling Russian professor in New England. Pnin’s adventures are small-scale (getting on the wrong train while trying to be clever with the timetables, and thinking a prized punch bowl has been smashed during a faculty dinner party) but his awkward charm eventually wins over even the narrator, who has spent most of the novel mocking him. He may even make you reconsider that nerdy professor who you gave a 0 to on RateMyProfessors.com.

6) An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination by Elizabeth McCracken

Elizabeth McCracken’s memoir of having gone to France to have her child, then losing the pregnancy, deals with harrowing and personal subject matter in a way that is never sentimental or simplified. There is room for witty observations about the French (who, at the public pool, “could gossip while doing the backstroke”) and yet the reader can’t help but feel the magnitude of the author’s grief through McCracken’s clear-eyed essayistic detail.

7) The Quiet American by Graham Greene

This is the story of the friendship between a jaded British war correspondent and a young, idealistic American who thinks his country should come to the aid of the French in Vietnam. The Brit, however, thinks that the American’s high hopes will only lead to bloodshed, and his private prayer is, “God save us always from the innocent and the good.” The book was written in 1955 but perfectly predicted the Vietnam War, and may come back into relevance with President Obama’s recent troop increase in Afghanistan.

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

If you have seen the movie starring Kirsten Dunst and Josh Hartnett, don’t think you know the story of The Virgin Suicides. The novel is notable for having been written in the first person plural, in which a Greek chorus of suburban boys tells the story of their longstanding obsession with the five enigmatic sisters who killed themselves. The boys hardly appear in the movie, but the beauty and originality with which Eugenides depicts their intense speculation about the doomed Lisbon family makes the novel a completely different experience.

9) The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Japanese-British writer Kazuo Ishiguro has movingly captured the voice of an aging English butler who has given every part of his soul to a level of service that has come, in the modern world, to seem increasingly meaningless. The best demonstration of this comes during a scene in which the butler does his best to cater to a chaotic dinner party while his father dies in the upstairs bedroom; Ishiguro makes this unbelievable character choice seem absolutely plausible and sad. If you think you would never be interested in reading about a repressed butler, this novel might prove you wrong.

10) Embers by Sandor Marai

Finally, this novel by Hungarian anti-fascist, anti-communist (so not very popular in Hungary until recently) author Sandor Marai is a brilliant, sustained duel between a retired general and the childhood friend who betrayed him on a hunting expedition long ago. The dramatic confrontation takes place at the general’s castle, in the waning days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, just before, for many Hungarians, the era when their whole world turned upside down.

Reaching the end of a semester of school should bring on a thrill of excitement for anyone. No more books! No more studying! No more schedules! The winter break should be used as a time to let your brains relax and recharge for the new year of classes. However, there are some students who have a hard time getting back in the swing of things after they have had several weeks of doing absolutely nothing. Sleeping in and staying up late is a hard habit to break when you go back to school. For those who have a hard time restarting their brains for the new school year, here are some activities suggested to help you feel relaxed while keeping your minds from completely shutting down during the whole winter break.

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