Amethyst Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 I'm looking for books that you think are so good that students will be required to read them in schools. Or that people who want to be well-read, well-rounded learners will want to read them. Or that so many authors refer to them that you really should read them in order to be cultural literate. I'm not looking for books that are just fun (i.e. Gone Girls), although fun and readable are nice. I would also like it to be at least a high school level but not necessarily young adult literature. Although young adult lit is nice. Anyone want to take a stab? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Hunger Games The Kite Runner I did look at lists of "best books 21st century" via Google, but haven't read most of them. The above two I have read and recommend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 No Country for Old Men Cloud Atlas Never Let Me Go The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muttichen Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 The Road A Thousand Splendid Suns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Harry Potter The Hunger Games The Book Thief The Kite Runner or A Thousand Splendid Suns (or both) Life of Pi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 My submissions. Please note that I do not believe in censorship; our kids all know about sex, drugs, rape and violence by high school not by experience but because we tell them. All the books below involve some sex and violence; several of them, drugs. All of them, however, use these in the context of a humanist perspective on life, and there is no gratuitous use of sex, violence, or drugs. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (about a teen, will appeal to teen boys, outsiders) Middlesex (about an intersex person) My Name is Red (if we're starting in the year zero... this is a historical novel) Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian (not through with it yet but it resonates with me). The Enchantress of Florence (for very advanced teen readers, or adults--a lot of history is required for this one). Anyone have books with female protagonists based on these books? The Road Can we each vote on one book that we think is slavishly over-rated? This one is mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 My submissions. Please note that I do not believe in censorship; our kids all know about sex, drugs, rape and violence by high school not by experience but because we tell them. All the books below involve some sex and violence; several of them, drugs. All of them, however, use these in the context of a humanist perspective on life, and there is no gratuitous use of sex, violence, or drugs. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (about a teen, will appeal to teen boys, outsiders) Middlesex (about an intersex person) My Name is Red (if we're starting in the year zero... this is a historical novel) Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian (not through with it yet but it resonates with me). The Enchantress of Florence (for very advanced teen readers, or adults--a lot of history is required for this one). Anyone have books with female protagonists based on these books? Can we each vote on one book that we think is slavishly over-rated? This one is mine. Seconding Middlesex for sure. Re: female protagonist... how about Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Another female protagonist: A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Awesome, thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Awesome, thank you! I also love Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi. (I prefer it over Boy, Snow, Bird, even though I think Boy, Snow, Bird is a great book.) But, Mr. Fox also less linear & more nebulous, so I think it may not appeal to as many readers as Boy, Snow, Bird does. Ymmv. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Anyone have books with female protagonists based on these books? Cloud Atlas is pretty equally male/female protagonist, Never Let Me Go has a female narrator, and The Immortal Life... is about a real woman. Can we each vote on one book that we think is slavishly over-rated? This one is mine. I hate to yuck someone's yum on a thread like this. Without more information it's all about opinion. If it's only about opinion, it can sound like an attack if we issuing point blank dis-agreeals. There are plenty of books I consider pop literature mentioned in this thread but since it's a list, not a debate, I let them go by. We each are entitled to our own opinion. As a matter of discussion, IMO McCarthy is a masterful writer who will be long remembered and The Road is probably his most emotional and accessible book. Definitely not my favorite, but he gets the kudos for it because lots of people don't want to read Blood Meridian. Kind of like when Al Pacino wins Best Actor for Scent of a Woman or Martin Scorcese wins for The Departed. We all know it's less about the vehicle (which is fine) and more about the pile of good work that hasn't been honored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Interesting question overall. I love some of the books already mentioned (The Book Thief, Cloud Atlas, Middlesex). I also love looking at books that small/indie presses are publishing, esp. (but not limited to) translated works from around the world. But, because the knowledge/exposure of these books/publishers is smaller, they have a small audience & I'm not sure if they're what you mean when you're looking for ones that will be on required reading lists in the future. I think some of them are too small to be noticed (for future posterity), if that makes sense. Which is a shame because there are some great ones out there. Some presses to check out include Archipelago, Coffee House Press, Melville House Books, Pushkin Press, Europa Editions, & oh so many others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 I think Michael Ondaatje will be an author on future to-read lists. His storytelling & writing is gorgeous, even when I don't like a particular work of his (The English Patient) or when I love one (The Cat's Table). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 Thanks for ur responses everyone. I will take a look at some of these that i haven't read yet. My only suggestion so far is Feed by M T Anderson but i know it's not for everyone. Keep the suggestions coming! I love getting new book ideas and i want to find some newer relevant books for dd Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 I thought Anderson's The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing was an amazingly pulled-off idea. I have Feed on-shelf and haven't gotten to it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 I was thinking these were more books for book lists and not personal favorites, so less yucking someone's yum and more, "This may not be all it's cracked up to be based on reviews". McCarthy definitely will be remembered as THE Southern Gothic writer of our time and for all his critical acclaim. But you're right--I guess that could be said of all book lists. My thought was not so much to debate but to point out that not all of these would be something you'd necessarily have a kid enjoy--which was why I qualified my own answers with information about prevalence of sex and drugs in the content, knowing that they wouldn't be on many people's homeschool lists for that reason. Cloud Atlas is pretty equally male/female protagonist, Never Let Me Go has a female narrator, and The Immortal Life... is about a real woman. I hate to yuck someone's yum on a thread like this. Without more information it's all about opinion. If it's only about opinion, it can sound like an attack if we issuing point blank dis-agreeals. There are plenty of books I consider pop literature mentioned in this thread but since it's a list, not a debate, I let them go by. We each are entitled to our own opinion. As a matter of discussion, IMO McCarthy is a masterful writer who will be long remembered and The Road is probably his most emotional and accessible book. Definitely not my favorite, but he gets the kudos for it because lots of people don't want to read Blood Meridian. Kind of like when Al Pacino wins Best Actor for Scent of a Woman or Martin Scorcese wins for The Departed. We all know it's less about the vehicle (which is fine) and more about the pile of good work that hasn't been honored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lack Loved this book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 My thought was not so much to debate but to point out that not all of these would be something you'd necessarily have a kid enjoy--which was why I qualified my own answers with information about prevalence of sex and drugs in the content, knowing that they wouldn't be on many people's homeschool lists for that reason. Is this a kid's list though? The OP was kinda vague. YA is such a huge market now, I'm not sure high schools will use many modern "adult" books...at least not the complex ones. The only complex adult stuff is going to be grandfathered in with Shakespeare. The Book Thief and Divergent...already in public schools. It's interesting how modern the local middle school choices are...but all solidly YA. I suppose it's easier than it was trying to get Beloved (Toni Morrison) in without a fight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Never Let me Go White Tiger Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies A Fine Balance (Mistry) The elegance of the Hedgehog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share Posted January 10, 2015 Sorry for being vague in my original post. That might have been somewhat intentional. Im interested in finding some really good books for my senior. She reads plenty of books on her own but she will often lean towards fluff. Nothing wrong with that. And she is taking English at the public school so its not like i need to find some for our homeschool right now. But the public school is doing such old stuff this year... Beowolf, hamlet, canterbury tales. Thats good. She needs that. But it got me thinking about what are the good books coming out NOW that might some day be considered classics. So im looking for books that are worthwhile. Not just fun. Although hopefully some of them are both fun and worthwhile. So it doesnt have to be a book that is popular now because it may be many years before enough English teachers realize it is worthwhile. But maybe my dd can start reading them now Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artichoke Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 How about The Help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 I agree with The Road, The Book Thief, Middlesex, and Never Let Me Go. I would add: Persepolis (complete) Gilead by Marilynne Robinson Life After Life by Kate Atkinson Harry Potter series American Gods by Neil Gaiman The History of Love by Nicole Krauss Devil in the White City by Erik Larson Empire Falls by Russo Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith My lesser known pick (maybe): Nation by Terry Pratchett. Beautiful and brilliant, IMO. There are a lot of others out there that are probably worthy but that I just didn't personally care for. LOL :p I don't believe all of these should be read in high school, btw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted January 11, 2015 Author Share Posted January 11, 2015 I haven't figured out how to quote on yhis iphone yet but i just noticed that someone mentioned Octavian Nothing snd i absolutely love that book!!! Thats why I read Feed... I was so impressed with Anderson. And Feed is wildly different. Loved both. I could have done without the sequel to Octavian Nothing. Not because it was bad but i thought the first book ended perfectly. Sequel completes the story but it's not as riveting. I highly recommend Octavian Nothing. I love to recommend Feed to but not to anyone who is hypersensitive about language. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay White Teeth The Brief and Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao The Book Thief Persepolis Gilead The Namesake This is an interesting exercise... I looked at lists to get myself started. Some of the books that are on them I haven't read like Wolf Hall. And some I liked but don't think will endure like Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. And some I didn't enjoy like The Corrections. I find it nearly impossible to rate big pop books like The Hunger Games on things like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 To my way of thinking "best" and "culturally literate" are often polar opposites when it comes to books. I personally wouldn't rate Harry Potter anywhere near "best" despite its popularity. But (for example) reading the forum last night I encountered a couple of references to it that would have been totally lost on someone who hadn't read at least a book or two of the series. So it qualifies for cultural literacy. And I think the same is true of The Hunger Games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 One book I haven't seen mentioned yet is The Orphan Master's Son. Not only did the story pull me in, but the author does some interesting things with the structure of the book. The subject is disturbing, but I'm still thinking about it more than a year after I read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.