Reading can be a very tedious assignment, especially nowadays in college when the text is either an analytical essay or a complicated novel. It’s hard to immerse yourself in content you find uninteresting and I think that’s why most students complain about reading for homework. Even as a creative writing major, I admit that I didn’t always look forward to reading few of the books in my past classes and just skimmed through them. However, we shouldn’t be too quick to throw shade on every book we’re assigned to read. Because if we take them for granted, we don’t give ourselves the chance to appreciate them for what they are.
Some books just stuck with me beyond the classroom; they didn’t feel like homework to me because I loved reading them. Even though I haven’t read a few of them in a long while, that doesn’t erase my memories of cruising through chapter after chapter late at night in my bedroom so I can read ahead. These following books really stood out for me:
1. Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
One of my favorites that I read during elementary school and my fifth-grade teacher even introduced me to the rest of the series after we read it in class. Among the Hidden was the gateway to unleashing my creativity; it provided my eleven-year-old with many story ideas. I don’t know, I just really enjoyed the concept.
Among the Hidden introduces a totalitarian government working to diminish overpopulation by forbidding parents to having more than two children. Luke, a third child, spends his life in hiding out of fear that the authorities will discover and kill him. So when he realizes that a third child lives in one of the neighboring houses, Luke discovers more than his own kind.
2. The Giver by Lois Lowrey
Looking back, I honestly don’t remember any of the books I read in middle school. I mean, I remember some of the titles but if you asked me what they were about I couldn’t give you a straight answer. None of them really sparked that much interest in me. Then The Giver came my way during my eighth year and I was fascinated by how Lois Lowrey unfolded the world inside through the perspective of her character Jonas.
The Giver revolves around Jonas and the seemingly perfect community he lives. When he is assigned the position of the Receiver of Memory, Jonas’s life takes a new shift as he uncovers the complications of his world.
3. Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Surprisingly, I read this for my high school freshman biology class. I wasn’t sure what to expect when my teacher explained that we were reading Unwind as it contained elements of biology. In the end, I’m glad I gave Unwind a chance because it is so underrated and deserves more recognition.
Unwind takes place in a society in the aftermath of a civil war fought over reproductive rights. The process of “unwinding” was introduced to resolve the war. Life is legally considered valuable between conception and age thirteen. However between ages thirteen and eighteen, parents are granted the option to unwind their child. Meaning, all their organs can be harvested for donation. The story follows three teenagers running away from their order to be unwound.
4. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
I heard good things about this book leading up to my junior year, also the year of the infamous research paper every junior dreaded doing. When I saw The Catcher in the Rye among the titles we could select, I put it down as my first choice just to see what the hype was about.
Basically, the story centers on the rebellious and depressed teenager Holden Caulfield as he figures his way through life during a three day trip in New York City.
5. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
One of the recent ones I read. I read it during Spring Term last year for English 239 Women in Literature. It was a class I wanted to take since I sat in it during one of my Augie visits so I looked forward to it when I signed up. Honestly, I dreaded reading The Handmaid’s Tale not because I didn’t like it but because it gave me nightmares.
The story is set in the Republic of Gilead and an era of declining birthrates. Now stripped of her rights as a woman, Offred is a handmaid whose purpose is reproduction because her ovaries are still viable. In this oppressive society, Offred yearns for her old life and learns about the underground rebellion.
6. Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown
Another recent one. I read it for my Spring Term LSFY (or FYI for you youngsters reading this) about LGBT activism. This class helped open me to LGBT fiction and I wish I discovered Rubyfruit Jungle sooner. I appreciated the bold narrative and the female lead very much.
A coming of age story about lesbian Molly Bolt making her way through life and the world with her wits and charms.