What Life is Like Without Reading Fiction

     As a biology major, I don't get to read much of anything that doesn't involve science. All the material I read involves scientific fact and science articles and proven hypotheses of science experiments. (I also get to see a ton of equations - I am required to take math up to Calculus II). I can honestly say that it leaves me with a very suppressed feeling; I feel as though I never have time to read or write anything that I want to read. I actually miss writing structured papers with a thesis and body paragraphs, as sad as it sounds. Don't get me wrong, I love what I am doing - organic chemistry is particularly interesting to me - but I feel deprived of creativity without reading.
     The last book I read was called Power Failure by Mimi Swartz. It was about the collapse of Enron and all the shady things that the company did. I know that sounds like a total drag but seriously, it's crazy to read about such appalling and true events, and how people could have been so heartless. I would definitely recommend it to people who are looking for a little boost in their economic education.
     Though I like educational books, I love a good classic novel. There is so much you can learn from the characters and they have such good stories; some authors have the ability to pull you in and make the main character's struggles your struggles. Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights are my favorites by far and large; the Brontë sisters wrote with such eloquence and imagination. I honestly wish we still spoke the way they did back then; I feel like people in general expressed so much more with their words then than we do now.
     The main point of all this is that I signed myself up for a class. It's a free class, and there is no consequence if I do not follow through with completing the material. I don't get credit, but I do get a certificate of completion if I do it all. It is a class where we read sci-fi and fantasy novels and write short essays on them. I feel as though if I have an incentive to read, I will definitely make the time for it. I looked at the syllabus and we will be reading Children's and Household Tales by the Grimm Brothers, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, and Dracula by Bram Stoker. Sadly, I am ridiculously overjoyed at the prospect of reading these novels and having the chance to write about them. It is something I truly miss! Also, the course I am taking is through coursera.org. They have tons of free classes, no catch - you should check it out if you want to branch outside of (or expand your knowledge inside of) your major.

-Bri