<p>While browsing through my summer reading list for AP Lang, I realized I didn't want just "school reading" to take up the bulk of my summer. I'm not really into horror or paranormal fiction but everything else is fine. So anyone got any great book recommendations? And if it's not too much of a hassle, could you briefly say what is it about?</p>
<p>Chinese Cinderella. It’s a book about a young Chinese girl who grows up with her siblings, step-siblings, step-mom, and dad. When she was born, her mother died, so her family thinks that she’s bad luck. The step-mom is especially mean. They try to get rid of her and hurt her feelings, but she plows on and tries to do well in studies. It’s a memoir, but it’s written in a story-like format. It’s not the boring, nonfiction book. It’s amazing!!!</p>
<p>here are some pretty awesome fantasy books/series: A Song of Ice and Fire, Kingkiller Chronicles, american gods, sanderson books, can’t think of much haha used to read a lot then stopped…</p>
<p>Interesting books include
- A separate peace
- Great Gatsby
- 1984
- Catcher in the Rye
- The Kite runner
- War and peace (1,000+ pages if you want to challenge yourself)
- Outliers</p>
<p>Battle Royale by Koushun Takami.</p>
<p>@microphakia That’s funny. Catcher in the Rye is actually one of the books on my reading list and yeah, I’ve heard it’s good. And I’ve read the Kite Runner, also good.</p>
<p>Interesting choices so far. I’ll definitely look into all of them.</p>
<p>The Kite Runner is very good, but I liked the author’s other book A Thousand Splendid Suns even more.</p>
<p>Life of Pi by Yann Martel was an interesting read. it starts off with the main character’s life in Pondicherry and then goes into how he survived 227 days on a lifeboat with a tiger. (btw, it’s fictional, but it sounds believable.) if you’re a sucker for religion, zoology, and survival stories, you might like this.</p>
<p>The Boys From Brazil by Ira Levin was a lot of fun. The first chapter might seem bizarre and boring, but once you get through that, it’s a breeze. this book…it’s best if you don’t know a brief summary of the plot because the plot is honestly the best part. it’s a great sci-fi read, even if you’re not interested in how the Nazis in the 1970s are trying to bring about the Fourth Reich, like me.</p>
<p>If you like reading those personal memoir sort of books, I’d recommend Jeannette Walls’s The Glass Castle, which details her very unconventional upbringing. If you like that but with a sense of humour, then I’d recommend any books by David Sedaris. I don’t usually get emotional reading books, but his essays make me smile. sometimes, I even laugh, which is unheard of for other books. :D</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The Great Gastby: The story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, of lavish parties on Long Island at a time when The New York Times noted “gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession,” it is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s.</p></li>
<li><p>Water for Elephants: As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.</p></li>
<li><p>Norwegian Wood: Toru, a quiet and preternaturally serious young college student in Tokyo, is devoted to Naoko, a beautiful and introspective young woman, but their mutual passion is marked by the tragic death of their best friend years before. Toru begins to adapt to campus life and the loneliness and isolation he faces there, but Naoko finds the pressures and responsibilities of life unbearable. As she retreats further into her own world, Toru finds himself reaching out to others and drawn to a fiercely independent and sexually liberated young woman.</p></li>
<li><p>Brave New World: Aldous Huxley’s tour de force, Brave New World is a darkly satiric vision of a “utopian” future—where humans are genetically bred and pharmaceutically anesthetized to passively serve a ruling order. A powerful work of speculative fiction that has enthralled and terrified readers for generations, it remains remarkably relevant to this day as both a warning to be heeded as we head into tomorrow and as thought-provoking, satisfying entertainment. </p></li>
<li><p>How to be a High School Superstar: What if getting into your reach schools didn’t require four years of excessive A.P.-taking, overwhelming activity schedules, and constant stress? Cal Newport explores the world of relaxed superstars—students who scored spots at the nation’s top colleges by leading uncluttered, low stress, and authentic lives. Drawing from extensive interviews and cutting-edge science, Newport explains the surprising truths behind these superstars’ mixture of happiness and admissions success.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Descriptions from Amazon. :)</p>
<p>i think you shouldn’t read a book unless <em>you</em> really want to read it. reading is more fun when you are reading for a purpose that is meaningful to yourself.</p>
<p>Do Hard Things A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations- A nonfiction book. I haven’t read it yet, but it seems good.
The Alchemist- Very transcendentalist. I can’t really tell you what happens without spoiling things.
Howl’s Moving Castle- A nice story which is really enjoyable. It’s not a big classic or “proper English literature,” but I really liked it.
The Invention of Hugo Calbret (I may have spelt the last name wrong)- Largely composed of pictures, as well as words. It’s an OK book.
A Thousand Splendid Suns is a good book. It’s a story about two women who lived in Afghanistan. It spans across Russian occupation, the Taliban, up to when the US declares war about. It’s really good, but it’s very hard to read sometimes. NOT recommended for younger readers. Personally, I don’t think anyone should read it before they’re 18, but I’m a bit conservative with these things. It’s your call.</p>
<p>^I second Howl’s Moving Castle! Great book and an animated movie adaptation has been made. It’s fantastic, simply magical.</p>
<p>The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer (endearing ^^)
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin (non-fiction but interesting)
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
(These are all very personal choices, of course, but they’re all great books)
I SECOND THE OTHERS’ RECOMMENDATIONS ON :
A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Kite Runner and Water for Elephants</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for your recommendations!</p>
<p>If you want real page turners and books that will make you a more intelligent and aware individual, then I would suggest reading books by Jeffrey Archer. My favorite ones were Kane and Abel, and A Prisoner of Birth.
I finished both books in about 3 days each, and they were incredibly well-written and striking.</p>
<p>I second The Great Gatsby and also Brave New World. I read them in class and actually enjoyed both a lot.</p>
<p>50 Shades series.</p>