Hey Hoot Readers … sorry about my previous article. I got a little crazy there. If you’ve been keeping up with my articles this semester, you’ll see they’ve become rather dark. I’m very proud of the work I’ve done (Google “Zach Duvel Hoot” to find them!!!!!!), but I want to spread some positivity for my final article before studying abroad in Edinburgh. For this article, I should preface by telling you that I love reading! Can’t get enough of it. As we move closer to Winter Break, I’d thought I’d recommend some of my favorite books for you to enjoy. I simply couldn’t put these amazing stories down. Happy reading:
- “The Love Pact” by Marianne Birchwood
This romcom had me giggling and kicking my feet with its fun premise and electric chemistry between leads. It follows Hadyn Jackson, a junior at Buckmore College as he chases the girl of his dreams Dani Fitzpatrick. Dani is dating Buff Jambleson, the football MVP, when she’s suddenly and cruelly dumped. Poor Dani! In an effort to make Buff jealous, she recruits Hadyn, a weird nerd, in concocting a shocking, never before thought of, fake dating scheme. How will Buff react? Will Hadyn win Dani’s heart? Read more to find out …
- “Truth and Untruth: My 90 Days in the Trump Administration” by Cal Whiteman
A political memoir that shook me to my core. Undersecretary Whiteman tells a gripping narrative of total chaos within the Trump Administration over the course of his short tenure in 2017. If you don’t remember, he was fired after objecting to Trump’s suggestion that 100,000 Big Macs be purchased with NATO funds and sent to Kim Jong-Un. Appalling. This scandal takes up a good chunk of the book, but there are other highlights. I especially enjoyed the fifteen chapters about his upbringing and how his role models taught him that lying is bad, even when the president that appointed you does it. He later details his proud work for the George W. Bush Administration. Additionally, the final chapter about starting his legendary Never-Trump Republican podcast was absolutely exhilarating. Can’t recommend this book enough for our current political climate!
- “The Longest Goodbye” by Tracy Gelson
Set 100 years in the future, this book takes you to a dystopian reality where climate change has flooded the entire planet, except for the American Midwest. All seems futile for this (very nice and down to earth) last surviving remnant of humankind until 12 year-old Catherine Osborn-Owens (Cathy) is revealed to have the power to slow time. As Earth’s chosen one, Cathy is tasked with preventing total climate destruction. I find Cathy’s character arc very intriguing as I can’t imagine being given all that power at such a young age. I’d probably lean on my friends, which is exactly what Cathy does. She also bonds with her old and wise mentor, Doctor McStuffins (don’t get too attached). I found all of this very unique for a dystopian novel. Mary Kate’s internal struggles rage as she’s tasked with giving the world’s scientists more time to prevent almost certain apocalypse. If they find a solution, humanity survives. But if science fails, the Midwest will end like its people’s social interactions: with one very long goodbye.
- “13 Reasons Why Not: A Call to Keep Going” by Daniel Bobbins
So inspirational!!! Dan Bobbins expertly draws upon his own experiences to show us how we can all persevere through life’s lows and succeed in the end. I found the chapter about his lottery win and epilogue about why we all need to invest in his cryptocurrency right now to be quite captivating. Read this book if you lack motivation or purpose.
- “The Tragedy of Bartholomeus” by William Shakespeare
A harrowing tale by the greatest playwright of them all. I found myself enraptured by the sheer drama of this tale. In the Renaissance kingdom of Hinterland lies Bartholomeus, who once ruled with an iron fist. By exploring the lives of his many offspring we learn about his life and impact on the character. What follows is a complex web of relationships, romance and of course, murder. Bartholomeus’s daughter Claudia’s monologue about whether or not to kill her husband/distant cousin Peter is particularly stirring. In addition, the script is so relevant and I understood it very well. This Shakespearian tragedy rivals even the greats like “Romeo and Juliet” and “Hamlet.” Experts agree that you can’t call yourself a Shakespeare fan if you haven’t read this play!
- “West Wing … Best Fling?” by Polly Tishan
Another romcom (sorry I can’t get enough of these). This outrageous novel tells the story of Josh, a progressive environmental lobbyist in Washington DC who nearly dies in a freak lobbying accident. Upon waking from his coma he is able to speak only in Aaron Sorkin quotes, seemingly ruining his life. However, on his first day back at work, he bumps into Sam, the wisecracking but disillusioned comms director for Rep. Ryan Dolt (R, TX-39). Sam, an avid fan of “The West Wing,” realizes that only he can understand Josh and offers to help interpret his words. Sam tells himself he’s doing this to steal secrets about Josh’s lobbying firm, but another more intimate desire lurks beneath. From there, a whirlwind romance begins. And when I mean whirlwind, I mean lots of “bipartisan cooperation” and even the election of the third party (wink wink, nudge nudge).Their relationship is rocky and tumultuous, but by the end, your faith in love and our form of government will be restored.
Epilogue:
Those were some of my all time favorite books! With that, I’m signing off for the semester and possibly the year (depends how things are going in Edinburgh). No matter what, I’ll be back by Fall 2025. I love my readers too much to stop. If you’ve read one or all of my articles this semester, thanks for putting up with my bullshit! It’s much appreciated. Thank you also to Lucas Alexander, who was a very responsive and encouraging Arts Editor this semester! And thank you to my friend and Arts Editor Naomi (who I’ve missed while she’s abroad) for recruiting me to The Hoot. Writing silly articles has turned into an creative (and therapeutic) outlet that I value immensely. Good luck to everyone during finals and happy holidays! May the horrors of 2025 spare you. Seems like it’ll be a scary one and personally, I’d love it if we made it. (HADN’T MADE A MATTY HEALY REFERENCE IN SO LONG, APOLOGIES). So long for now.
P.S.
Those books were all fake lol. This is what it sounds like to me when people talk about popular books I haven’t read. That’s the joke. Consider this an early April Fool’s Day prank.
