Spring break is swiftly approaching! Whether you’re lounging at home or relaxing on the beach, these quick reads are the perfect companion.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven – Mitch Albom

 This story begins at the end. Yes, Eddie, the main character, dies within the first chapter of the book because he was trying to save a young girl from a falling amusement park ride. Don’t worry, the book isn’t over just yet. Eddie wakes up in heaven, and he is shown his impact on the lives of five people. Some are strangers, and some are friends. Each has a story, some positive and some negative. From childhood to soldier to old age, Eddie is given the opportunity to see that his life was not meaningless. This is a beautiful story that answers the timeless question, “Why was I put on this Earth?”

The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald

Jay Gatsby, self-made millionaire, embodies greed, money, ambition, and new beginnings. He completely reinvents himself for love, which we all know is never a good idea. He is fascinated by Daisy Buchanan, and they fall in love. But Gatsby leaves for war, and Daisy marries a rich man, Tom Buchanan. When he comes back he is blinded by his desire for wealth in order to win Daisy back. Gatsby’s rise to wealth and fall from grace has become one of the greatest novels of all time.

The Outsiders – S.E. Hinton

If you’ve been to Bethel Middle School, you’ve read The Outsiders. But this is a novel definitely worth a second read. It is told from the perspective of Ponyboy, a 16 year old “greaser”, who is thrust into the middle of an epic struggle between two social classes. Clashes between the “greasers” and “socs” escalate and climax with a large rumble. Ponyboy begins to see that pain can be felt equally by both classes, and that everyone is human. The Outsiders is a contemporary classic that deserves another look.

These novels will captivate you completely, you’ll wish that these novels were 400 pages instead of 200.