Another season, another semester which means another list of books to conquer. If you are looking for a place to start, we can help! Check out The English Society’s Top 10 picks to read this semester!

“I Capture the Castle” by Dodie Smith.

Based in the 1930s, Cassandra and Rose Mortmain are the daughters of a peculiar author suffering from writer’s block. Living in a run-down castle, Cassandra plots to end their financial struggles involving two American men, a slimy photographer, and the dungeon of the castle tower. -Eliza Howard

‘The Latehomecomer’ by Kao Kalia Yang.

The target of genocide in retaliation for aiding the Americans in the Vietnam War, the Hmong are an ethnic group who were violently driven from their homes in the mountains of Laos. In her memoir, Yang recounts her family’s journey from their homeland to multiple refugee camps in Thailand, and finally to a new and unfamiliar life in America. Filled with graceful prose, Hmong folklore, and childhood memories, ‘The Latehomecomer’ is just as beautifully captivating as it is fascinating and informative. -Emma Nymoen

‘These Is My Words’, by Sarah Prine.

It’s a memoir about her life growing up on the western frontier and all of the challenges that she faced. My favorite part is that Sarah’s voice comes through so clearly! I can empathize with her because I feel like I’m there on the range with her. -Shelby Ward

“The Lunar Chronicles”by Marissa Meyer.

It follows the story of a cyborg and her friends (all loosely based on fairytale characters) who get caught up in the middle of tensions between the people of Luna (the moon) and Earth. What I loved most about the series was how well-developed the characters were; as a reader, you become so invested in each of them and their growth, and you aren’t disappointed. -Anika Argyl

“Everything is Illuminated” (and everything else)  by Jonathan Safran Foer

The book really challenges what constitutes a novel as the chapters alternate.The whole thing is a weird mess that I can’t ever seem to put down. The writing is awesome and it captures the spirit of the Old Testament in a lot of ways. -Davis Blout

“Alanna: The First Adventure” by Tamora Pierce.

Alanna, a young girl trades places with her twin brother to become a knight. She overcomes social norms, palace protocols, and the law in this first book of a fantastic new world. -Marissa Brown

“Me Talk Pretty One Day” by David Sedaris.

I read it a long time ago and recently picked it back up. The reason I love “Me Talk Pretty One Day” is because David Sedaris has perfect command over his writing. His personal anecdotes, while at face value are not particularly interesting or surprising, are made to be clever and unique through creative word choice and sentence structure. It is also a great book to read out loud to family and friends. Every time I read this book, I end up calling my husband or my grandparents to share it because I am in tears from laughing so hard. -Lainey Wardlow

“No Matter the Wreckage” by Sarah Kay

The only poetry book you’ll find in Barnes and Noble published in the last 50 years, No Matter the Wreckage is a brilliant collection by a young poet, Sarah Kay, from New York. Sarah Kay writes beautifully about city life and family and love and loss, and everything you could want from a book of poetry. She’s influenced by her travels and her experience with Spoken Word in a way that brings fresh insight into the same stories we’ve all heard before. -Madelyn Taylor

“A Farewell to Arms” by Ernest Hemingway

It’s a good story and the writing style is so weird and different that it might be a nice change. – Deborah Jenson

“The Complete Poetry of Edgar Allen Poe” by Edgar Allan Poe

There’s no better read during the fall season than Edgar Allan Poe. His Annabel Lee is haunting yet beautiful. The Raven is chaotic with a supernatural atmosphere. A great read during the month of October especially, although any time is a good time to read Poe. -Nicole Ratliff

Tell us what you think and share with us the books you think we should add to our NEXT reading list!

It’s the second week of school and already we have been blessed with an extra long weekend. Thank you, Labor Day! For those who don’t have plans, and for those that do, here are some new ideas to make your day off full of fun and excitement!

And if you haven’t checked out our other blog posts, click here to see our 3 Part How to Survive the First Week of School for English Majors Series.

Catch Up or Get Ahead

As of last Friday, we have all seen the daunting lists of reading assignments, papers, and presentations that will be completed throughout the semester. Even if you’re the biggest literature lover, syllabi are more than overwhelming, especially when you realize that you’re already behind. Although not the first thing you would think to do on your day off, use this time to get caught up. And even get ahead you overachievers! Your sanity will thank you later.

Get Moving

Has anyone else seen those rad workouts you can do while binge watching your favorite TV show? How about applying that to your favorite book? Add exercise to your reading today! Try this:

     10 Crunches- Anytime the main character says their catch phrase

     15 Jumping Jacks- When your prediction comes true

     10 Squats- Anytime the protagonist resolves a conflict or does something noteworthy

     And finally two laps around your living room- As a way to celebrate finishing another          chapter

Keep count of the workouts and after finishing a chapter get your heart rate up!

Explore

Why just read about adventures? Days off give you the perfect opportunity to create your own experiences, and live in your own novel! So tackle that mountain you have always wanted to climb- literally and figuratively. Get a group of friends to come with you or embark on your journey alone. Today is another opportunity to live the life you have been reading about.

Socialize

Sometimes during the semester it seems like your social life is falling to the wayside as you fill up your time with work, classes, studying, and the millions of responsibilities that seem to grow exponentially in the next few weeks. Take this time to catch up with friends you haven’t seen the entire summer, get to know your neighbors and new roommates, and you could even take this time to create that book club you’ve always wanted. Get together with friends, people from your classes, and anyone else who wants to join the fun and create lasting friendships through your love of literature!

Relax

If those other options weren’t what you were looking for, don’t worry! We have the thing for you! How about try relaxing? Curl up with your favorite book, blanket, or human and dive back into the summer read you are dying to finish. Or watch the movie interpretation of your favorite novel… Because we all know that you’ll never say no to a Harry Potter Movie Marathon. Take this time to relax from the stresses of the first week of college and rejuvenate so that you’re ready for the rest of the semester!

We hope that you enjoyed our Guide to Days Off for English Majors! Let us know what you do on your days off and enjoy the rest of your long weekend!

Tonight is the night! Check out the first poetry slam of the FALL 2016 Semester! Hang out with your friends, watch amazing performances, and learn how you too can get involved in the event. It’s the hottest topic on the streets!

So come have fun and kick off the school year right with the BYU Saturday Night Slam Series!

As part of the BYU English Society’s 3-Part “How to Survive the First Week of School for English Majors” Series- we have covered tips for success and necessary items for your survival! The last thing that is needed to get you through this week is our top 5 ways to de-stress and get ready for the rest of the semester!

See below: How to Survive the First Week of School for English Majors (Part Three)! And you can find part one and two here!

Grab Your Favorite Book!

What better way to de-stress than picking up your favorite read? Whether it’s a novel, short story, or even magazine article, this will immediately remind you of why you chose to be an English Major. Go to your quiet place as previously mentioned in Part 1 and see the stress disappear right before your eyes!

Book Club, Anyone?

Talk about it, talk about it, talk about it! You have just started diving into your course reading lists, finished your summer books, and let me guess- you can’t wait to share you new insights and favorites with everyone around you? Why not try creating a book club? You’ll have fun getting to know new people while talking about the things you love the most!

Write!

Some people doodle. Some people workout. Why not try writing? Put your skills to the test! After all who hasn’t been dreaming since birth about publishing a novel? Write a poem, or flesh out some ideas for writing projects you want to start! Working on your own goals and dreams will help you get motivated and excited again about the future!

Join the English Society

BYU’s English Society is the perfect way to de-stress and make friends. Be apart of a community of people who love English as much as you do! With activities, daily blog and social media posts, and so many other opportunities for fun- you’ll be de-stressed before you know it. Plus the English Society is the BEST society on campus (completely unbiased- promise). Write your email in the comments below to get updates about upcoming activities and follow us on our social media accounts to stay involved!

Stop and Smell the Books?

Most people would say, “Stop, and smell the roses.” But we are more original than that! So stop and smell the books! Take a moment to remember why you love English and literature! Look at all of the awesome things around you:

You attend the best university out there #BYUrocks

You are an English Major

and… You just survived your first week at BYU!

We hope that you enjoyed our 3 Part Series on How to Survive the First Week of School for English Majors and would love to hear your feedback! Tell us all about your first week at BYU and share any of your survival tips. You could be featured in our next post!

Click here to get to our other blog posts! And check out Part One and Part Two!

Have a Great Semester!

The English Society is excited to introduce to you to four NEW characters that will be joining us weekly during the 2016 Fall Semester!

Tell us which character represents you! And check back every Thursday at 6:00PM for a new story.

So you’ve successfully made it through most of your first week of the Fall 2016 semester without blowing anything up. Congrats! But before you buckle down for another challenging semester, why don’t you take the time to start the year off right with a Back to School Poetry Slam?

ONE: IT’S NOT JUST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS

Last year, BYU poets rocked the wall with some killer performances, and the best part of the slams?They aren’t dominated by just English majors. In rare form, kids from all lengths of campus join the Saturday Night Slam Series once a month for some literary good times. Seniors, Freshman, Engineers and Linguists, all frequent the Wall to enjoy hearing their classmates share original raps, poems, soliloquy, rants, and the occasional bouts of unexpected wisdom in the boisterous atmosphere new ideas are often introduced into.

TWO: SLAMS ARE WHERE IT’S AT

Slams are where conversations are happening! The history of spoken word poetry is rooted in civil rights and literary innovation, influenced by speech-writing and classic poetry alike. The ultimate goal of poetry slams is to provide an open space for everyone’s voice to matter and be heard, in a fun, competitive environment.

THREE: EVERYONE HAS A STORY

Everyone’s stories are different. Getting to know BYU means getting to know those stories. Even better, some of those stories are the same as yours. You’re not alone in your frustrations! Who knew?

FOUR: ANY AND EVERYONE CAN COME

“You, your roommates, your significant other, his or her little sister, that one guy with a mustache from your Tuesday 10 a.m. class and everyone else on the planet are invited to compete in this epic poetry slam for fame, glory, and phone numbers. All are invited to come prepared with a three-minute poem to present to a panel of distinguished and randomly selected judges and a crowd of adoring fans. This is the event that your children’s children will be asking you about for years to come.” -Saturday Night Slam Series Facebook page.

The Back to School Slam is This Saturday, Sept. 3, 5:00-7:00

Join us for the fun!

It’s the first week of classes and if you read our How to Survive the First Week of School for English Majors: Part One, you are on your way to success. In addition to those tips, as English Majors you know that you need specific tools to survive this week. To help save you time, we have compiled a list of necessary items for any English Major to get through their first week!

Check out the BYU English Society’s Survival Guide for the First Week of School (Part Two)! And if you missed yesterday’s post, you can read it here!

Sticky Notes

If they aren’t already, sticky notes will be your best friend throughout your journey as an English Major and are especially great to have the first week of class! Choose from a variety of sizes to make notes in textbooks, your planner, and everywhere else! If you haven’t gotten them yet, go now and pick some up! Hurry!

Laptop/Notebook

Depending on you and your professors’ preferences, you will either be taking notes electronically or old school with notebook paper and pen. Make sure to check with your professor that laptops and other electronics are allowed in their classroom. And don’t forget to bring a way to take notes, especially on the first day! If you are unsure, grab a small notebook and pen before heading out! And you’ll be ready for anything that comes your way!

Pens/Highlighters

What do English Majors love just as much or even more than sticky notes? Pens and highlighters! Especially since they are necessary for annotating, drafting, and writing papers- your favorite things of course! And I bet that you have even a favorite brand of pen, right? So grab one or two before heading out for the day!

Accessories

Show off your personality with some rad accessories! Get out your glasses and cardigans to make a fashion statement. And even better add “I <3 English” and “I <3 Grammar” pins to your messenger bag and on your sweater! Guys this applies to you too! They will be great conversation starters and you’ll look great too!

Snacks

This is the most important for your survival. Because as much as you hate to admit it, you have to take a moment away from reading to eat. So make sure to pack some healthy- and even some unhealthy- snacks! You can never go wrong with an apple… or dark chocolate. Both are great choices!

Backpack

And finally you need a place to store all of your necessities! Just make sure that your backpack has enough room for all of your supplies. But don’t pack too much! As English majors, your backpack will get heavy and fast!

And you are ready to go!

Share with us what your necessities are for the first week of school and as an English Major!

Back to School. The most exciting, nerve-wracking, and dreaded time of year for students of all ages. Whether you love school or are counting down the days until next summer break, there’s one thing that everyone has in common. You need to survive the next week filled with an exaggerated amount of syllabus pages, finding your way across campus without getting lost, and keeping your sanity.

Check out this: BYU English Society’s Survival Guide for the First Week of School (Part One) especially for You- Our English Majors!

Bed Times are A Real Thing

First things first. You need your rest! As tempted as you are to pull out a book for some late-night reading turned into reading all-nighters… Put the book down! Grogginess is not the way to start off a semester! Set aside a time during the day for reading your favorites to let yourself get a full night’s rest! You’ll be glad when you can wake up for your classes on time AND pay attention in them too!

Make Your Planner Your Best Friend!

Pair up your class syllabus with an awesome planner! Make sure that you schedule in your classes, study times, assignment due dates, and some free time for relaxation! Use sticky notes to allow for changes in scheduling and keep your planner up-to-date!

Find a Quiet Place

The best thing about the first week is being able to explore the campus a little more! Whether you have been at BYU for years or this is your first year, explore your surroundings and find a quiet place! Make this place your reading and studying go-to! Use it for meditation and some time away from the bustle of your crazy schedule! And don’t forget a notebook and pen to write down your thoughts!

Make Friends

Make a special effort in your classes to make friends. Many of your courses will consist of only 10-30 students! Get to know the people in your classes because they will be the ones that will keep you updated when you miss days, form study groups with you, and be there to talk with before and after class. You don’t have to make them your best  friend on the first day, but it’s always nice to walk into the room with a smiling face waiting for you!

Get Motivated

It’s easy to get discouraged when you see the lists and lists of reading assignments, midterms, and papers due. But don’t let that get you down! Check out the English Society’s Facebook Page every day this week for some inspiration from your favorite professors, authors, and characters! You can do this!

Good luck on your first week back to school!

And check back tomorrow for Part Two of BYU English Society’s Back to School Survival Series!