A List of Literature

1. Lord of the Flies (1954) by William Golding intrigues me with its dis-topia theme. The survival of the fittest story of plane wrecked young boys should prove to be haunting. The book is about average high school read size, and the writing style seems easy to understand with descriptive clauses and fragments.



2. J. D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye (1951) was recommended to me by my grandma. She and I usually have the same taste in books and movies, so I decided to give it a go. I think I will enjoy the "teenage angst" story, even if I don't have much angst myself. This book will be perfect to reward my hard-working reading muscles since it is only about 300 pages and the writing style is that of a seventeen-year-old boy. I can for see the style adding to the characterization of Holden Caulfield, the main character.



3. The Kite Runner (2004) by Khaled Hosseini tells the story of two boys in Afghanistan and how events affect their bonds. From what I've read, this book seems both moving and interesting. It has been recommended to me by many people who have varying tastes. The 400 pages are written in first-person style, which is different from many books that I read.



4. Last year, nearly every boy in my English class read George Orwell's 1984, (1949) and they continue to rave about it's greatness. The style seems to be very similar to Huxley's Brave New World and the themes match some too, though 1984 is longer at about 400 pages. 1984 presents a "utopian" society that turns out not to be very utopian after all. I love reading utopia/distopia novels such as Anthem, Brave New World, and The Giver which I have read previously in school.



5. Catch-22 (1955) by Joseph Heller was another novel read by and lauded by my classmates. It is a satire on the effects of war, a genre I don't usually read. I have heard that the style, though not overly grammatically difficult, is hard to read. Since the book is about 550 pages, it should prove to be a challenge, a challenge I'm willing to take.



6. The Awakening (1899) by Kate Chopin is shorter than most of the books I read at only 120 pages. I saw it on a "Must Read Classics" shelf at Barnes and Noble, and decided to check it out. Telling the story of a Victorian woman trapped by society and her "awakening" to a new world differs from the scary, adventure stories I love. Online reviews make The Awakening appear to be an intellectual delight. The style seems easy to read with short paragraphs and simple words, since the story takes place in New Orleans, Chopin chooses to use French phrases which might require the use of a translator.



7. I was first introduced to this book when we watched the movie in Oral Comm. I know that the book is probably far better, so Fahrenheit 451 (1953) by Ray Bradbury sits on this list. A classic example of my favorite genre, the sci-fi novel chronicals the tale of a fireman in a world where firemen start book-burning fires instead of putting them out. Soon, he discovers the wonders of the literature that has been kept from him for so long. Bradbury's style in the 200-page novel seems discriptive and full of supporting clauses. I believe I will enjoy the haunting tale.



8. Pride and Prejudice (1813) by Jane Austen has been recommended to me multiple times by Tosh. She simply adores this book, and she and I usually share tastes in books and movies. Written in the 1800s and at about 300 pages, I am expecting to be challenged by the novel, but the sample I read seems to have short chapters and paragraphs. The classic story of courting rituals between rich and poor has appealed to people for ages, and I should be no diferent.



9. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) by Robert Louis Stevenson embodies the classic horror story of man-controlling-science-and-then-science-gets-crazy along with the next entry on my list. A review I read said the ending was one of the best in horror literature history, so I'm excited for that. I expect this book will be a challenge as well as the writing style seems classic of the 1800s and it is almost 300 pages.



10. Frankenstein (1818) by Mary Shelley wraps up my list with a monster. Once again a classic horror story, it tells of Dr. Frankenstein's monster and how he loses control. I have heard that this book can be difficult to read, but that the subject is interesting, so it balances out through the almost 250 pages.

How long is it? How old is it? Writing style? Story?
Title. Author. Publication date. Number of pages. Difficulty level. Reflection.