<p>I have tried to search for a similar thread but couldn't come up with it. (I don't doubt at all that one exists... but CC's search engine is kind of primitive... lol) I know I can just Google "books to read before college" and come up with a list of 100 but I think we can all agree that some "classics" are pretty overrated while plenty of good books are not necessarily considered "classics". Plus, some of those lists feature books that are actually at the young adult reading level (sorry, I'm not reading the entire Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series).</p>
<p>I don't have much to do this summer besides work the occasional shift at a restaurant and sleep till noon. To give you some idea of where I'm at, my previous trips to the library have resulted in Othello, A Midsummer Night's Dream, House on Mango Street, The Joy Luck Club, Tender is the Night, I Am America (and So Can You!), the film Good Night and Good Luck... I'm open to just about everything.</p>
<p>Well, except for Victorian literature. Gah. ;-) But seriously, recommendations or links to previous useful threads on this would be great.</p>
<p>Anna Karenina
Lolita
Speak, Memory
Madam Bovary
Diary of Bridget Jones
Youth in Revolt
The Sea Wall (Duras)
Pilgrin at Tinker's Creek
Blood Meridian
The Making of the Atom Bomb
And the Band Played On
The Handmaid's Tale
Cat's Eye
Dangerous Liaisons
The Sound and the Fury
A Moveable Feast
Wartime Lies
A Winter's Tale
The Last Samurai (nothing to do with the Tom Cruise movie)
Catch 22</p>
<p>That should tide you over till Labor Day ;) Have a great year at Penn.</p>
<p>Some Non-fiction can be both rewarding and entertaining:</p>
<p>Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond
The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollen
Origins of the Modern World by Robert Marks
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson (fun!)</p>
<p>More enjoyable non-fiction: Freakonomics, Nickled and Dimed, Longitude, The Universe in a Nutshell (get the illustrated version)</p>
<p>Fiction: This Side of Paradise, Middlemarch, Of Human Bondage are a few of the classics I loved as a teen</p>
<p>Sci-fi: Miles Vorkosigan series by Lois McMasters Bujold - the smartest, wittiest space opera/bildungsroman out there.</p>
<p>Film: Hiroshima Mon Amour, High Noon, The Searchers, Meet John Doe, Being John Malcovich, Memento, 400 Blows, La Grande Illusion, This Side of Paradise, Jules et Jim, The Marriage of Maria Braun, The Discrete Charm of the Bourgeoisie</p>
<p>Are you looking for a book that will help you in college? If so, and especially if you will be taking much English literature, I recommend reading the Bible, especially the parts that are narratives. You will be surprised how often that knowlege will come in handy when discussing Milton, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Spenser, etc., etc.</p>
<p>The Ben Stein article was interesting. :-) And The Omnivore's Dilemma was Penn's summer book last year! Thanks for all the suggestions, please do continue.</p>
<p>Real Ultimate Power (Robert Hamburger)
Steal This Book (Abbie Hoffman)
Anarchist Cookbook (Can't remember)
Alphabet of Manliness (Maddox)
Look at My Striped Shirt! (The Phat Phree)
Freakonomics (Can't remember)
The Gunseller (Hugh Laurie)
Zombie Survival Guide (Max Brooks)
Syrup (Max Barry)
Jennifer Government (Max Barry)
Company (Max Barry)</p>
<p>I'll second The World is Flat. I got tired of Friedman's style before I finished, but the content is good. I encouraged my daughter to read it before she heads back to school. I think it is good info to have in the back of one's mind while making possible future career decisions.</p>
<p>If you aren't put off by the length, maybe something like Sam Tannehaus' biography of Whittaker Chambers? Great 20th century history and a fascinating story.</p>
<p>A more recent and popular novel that I loved - The Kite Runner </p>
<p>And a great memoir - Waiting for Snow in Havana: Confessions of a Cuban Boy, by Carlos Eire</p>
<p>Do you have a second language that you will be continuing in college? If so, reading in the language would be good.</p>