The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them ~Mark Twain

Take a moment to ask yourself: What was the last worthwhile novel I read? Unfortunately for all us Twi-hards, the popular vampire saga is not exactly the most educational summer read.

It is unrealistic to believe that simply receiving a college education will lead to success after graduation. In order to breed generations of thought-provoking, productive, multi-dimensional citizens, college students must consistently focus on the core of education: literacy skill.

While still in college, students with higher reading abilities will be more engaged in all subject areas. This will thus lead to more learning and greater potential for the future. Students must master the necessary skills needed to be effective in the workforce during their college career. Only through reading can a person acquire the critical skills further developed through writing and discussion. By picking up a book, you really can influence your own individual motivation and success.

"There was no real need . . . of crasting any more pretty polly to tolchock some old veck in an alley and viddy him swim in his blood¦ nor to do the ultra-violent on some shivering starry grey-haired ptitsa in a shop and go smecking off with the till's guts."

The use of nadsat in Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange, "a harsh, Russian accented slang“ initially parallels to that of gibberish to the common reader. On the contrary, it was this strange language that first intrigued my interest in the novel.

This particular book, with its unique title, stimulated my interest with its underlying political and moral dilemma. A young sociopath droog, Alex, is given the opportunity to be freed of his prison sentence if he chooses to submit to the repressive super-State's 'Ludovico Technique' “ an experimental aversive conditioning which will ultimately deprive him of his self-determination to choose a path of violence.

As one of The 100 Essential Books You Should Have Read in College by OnlineCourses.org, and as one of my personal favorite novels, I highly recommend finding a time to read A Clockwork Orange this summer. While you have time to spend on some books that aren't in your class syllabus, take time to look over the list and pick out some titles that will give you more to think about over summer break.

"books in a stack (a stack of books) courtesy austinevan via Flickr Creative Commons