People often complain about the books they are assigned for English classes for being boring or hard to understand. However, occasionally you can find a book you actually enjoy. Her Campus Pitt has compiled a list of our favorite books we have read for class, and recommend you give them a try!
1984 by George Orwell
“I wouldn’t say I loved it, but 1984 really stuck with me. I thought it was just another conspiracy theory book, but I found that there is a lot of truth hidden in the novel, and it helped me define some of my views on government and the like.” -Mariah Reinard
100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
“The writing style is beautiful and on top of that it was like reading a soap opera. The family had so much drama.” –Adele Spinder
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
“I love, love, LOVE this book. Plath writes in a way I haven’t seen before, while providing sad, but accurate insights on mental illness feminist issues in the 1950s. The book was so good it inspired me to read some of her poems on my own.” –Kelly Dasta
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
“In high school we had to do a presentation on a novel of our choice that had some literary merit. It was mostly books from Time’s 100 best novels or books by authors we had read previously. I chose Revolutionary Road mostly because it was made into a movie with Leonardo DiCaprio… But it was amazing. One of my favorite books. It’s set in the 50s and is about the struggle to conform to societal standards and the consequences of not doing so. I’ve always found anything about subverting gender roles really interesting, so it really spoke to me. It’s also written really well.” –Hannah Ayars
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
“I really enjoyed having to read Of Mice and Men (and not just because it was really short). The ending completely broke my heart, and it was the first time I became disillusioned with the American Dream. I know those are weird reasons for enjoying a book, but I liked the fact that it challenged me.” –Lexi Nasonti
Night by Elie Wiesel
“It was emotionally taxing, but it was certainly worth it. I think it’s a book that everyone must read at some point in their lives, and it quickly became one of my favorites.” –Elaine Khodzhayan
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
“Americanah was an amazing book about a Nigerian woman coming to America. The character’s observations of race were so astute, and it made me think about race in ways I hadn’t before. Really great for dialogue.” –Casey Schmauder
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
“This was another empowering story about the feeling of guilt and how it follows one through their lives. The shame carried around causes people to make many of their decisions. It gives insight into the separation of social classes in Afghanistan and illustrates the struggle many faced during the rise of the Taliban.” –Tess Augustine
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
“The characters are fantastic, the story is super fun and there’s a great combination of nonsense and truth woven into both stories.” –Lexi Nasonti Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
“Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison is also a book I can’t forget. It was my first introduction to her work, and her work is probably the most powerful that I’ve read.” –Mariah Reinard
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
“I’m a big fan of Hemingway (his writings anyway, he was a horrible husband most of the time) and the first book I read of his was A Farewell to Arms. It’s romantic and easy to read, but the style is really unique.” –Sarah Churchman
Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman
“It was about a young girl in India who faced many struggles to fight for her independence while her country was doing the same. It was an empowering yet tragic story, but it was incredibly insightful into other cultures.” –Tess Augustine
McMafia by Misha Glenny
“Actually not for an English class, but still really great. The author is a former BBC reporter, who spent all of the 90s working in Eastern Europe and Italy investigating Mob rule and the rise of organized crime. If you like The Sopranos, Narcos, or Breaking Bad, this might be the book for you.” –Caroline Eddy
Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
“I’ve never liked a biography before but their story from Hoovervilles to Olympic gold and gives me a lot of inspiration when I’m feeling unmotivated.” –Katie Milliken
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
“I never thought I would be a huge fan of a war story, but I found myself reading ahead of the class in AP Literature my senior year. O’Brien recounts stories based on events he experienced in the Vietnam War and depicts it with such beautiful language I couldn’t put it down.” –Kelly Dasta
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