Have you ever been assigned a reading assignment in English and had no idea what to read or if a book would be good enough to keep you interested? If you have, I have a list of books that may help you decide. This list features all different kinds of books from History to Fantasy. There is something for everyone to enjoy.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Genre– Southern Gothic Bildungsroman
Year Written– 1960
-This book is compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving. It takes readers on a deep-dive expedition to explore the roots of human behavior, innocence, experience, kindness, cruelty, love, and hatred. This book covers subjects with which many readers will identify on a personal level.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (AP)
Genre– Dystopian
Year Written– 1953
-This book is set in the twentieth century in a bleak, dystopian future where Guy Montag is a fireman. In this world of Fahrenheit 451, television rules are on the brink of extinction and firemen start fires rather than put them out.
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthrone (AP)
Genre– Dystopian
Year Written– 1850
-This book weaves themes of sin, guilt, and redemption, throughout a story of adultery in the early days of the Massachusetts Colony. These topics are revealed with remarkable psychological penetration and understanding of the human heart.
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut (AP)
Genre– Science fiction-infused anti-war
Year Written– 1969
-This is one of the world’s greatest anti-war books. Centering on the infamous fire-bombing of Dresden, Billy Pilgrim’s odyssey through time reflects the mythic journey of our fractured lives as we search for meaning in what we are afraid to know.
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Genre– Young Adult
Year Written– 1999
-” Speak up for yourself–we want to know what you have to say.” From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She finds herself an outcast after she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Her decision leaves her in a place where nobody will talk to her, let alone listen. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Genre– Young Adult, Historical Fiction
Year Written– 2006
-Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she discovers a deep love of books that she didn’t know she had. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (AP)
Genre– Classic Regency and Romance
Year Written– 1813
-Few have failed to be charmed by the witty and independent spirit of Elizabeth Bennet in Austen’s beloved classic Pride and Prejudice. When Elizabeth Bennet first meets eligible bachelor Fitzwilliam Darcy, she thinks him arrogant and conceited, because he is indifferent to her good looks and lively mind.
If none of these books intrigue you then I have no idea what will. But on the other hand, I hope this list helps when you have a book assignment and have no idea what to read.
Teacher’s book recommendations!
Mr. Thompson- Invisible Man by Ralph Elision. “Was about him growing in society as a black man.”
Ms. West- The Princess Bride by William Goldman.”It’s just a really good book to read.”
Ms. Lampus- The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. “Honestly it’s a really good read that everyone enjoys.”
Ms. Hanner- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. “It is a good but complicated read but I would recommend it.”
Ms. Vereb- Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke. “A student recommended it to me and she was so thrilled she read it again.”
Ms. Taylor- Inherence Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. “I would recommend this book because of the book’s intriguing suspense that leaves me wanting more.”
Mr. Durand- Taking it to the Limit with Basketball- Cybernetic by Stan Kellner. “It’s about being positive. Basketball is involved, but it works for life as well.”
