If you’re a high school student, you probably already know that reading is an important part of your education. In fact, it is one of the most effective ways to stimulate your brain and learn new vocabulary.
However, not all students enjoy reading for pleasure. That’s why many high schools have started allowing students to choose their own books for required reading.
Jane Austen’s Emma
The story of Emma Woodhouse, written by Jane Austen in 1815, is one of the most popular novels in history. Many people agree that it is her best work.
The book is about Emma, a young woman who has everything a girl could ask for in life. She is rich, intelligent, good looking and has a nice home.
However, she is snobbish and selfish. She is also stubborn and a spoiled brat who likes to control others. But as the story progresses, she slowly learns to be a little more mature and kinder.
Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes
Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes is one of the most beloved literary characters of all time. He has become a pop culture icon in films, television and radio shows.
The detective’s methods of deduction are so remarkably accurate that he rarely fails to solve a case. His stories also display a broader range of social and cultural issues than any other crime fiction writer.
Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World
Brave New World, written in 1932 by Aldous Huxley, is one of the most influential dystopian novels of all time. Set in a future world where everything is programmed according to social class, it explores issues of individualism and conformity.
Despite its satirical and pessimistic themes, Brave New World is still a relevant and thought-provoking novel that has been ranked on many best-books lists.
The main character, Bernard Marx, is excluded from society because he is short and slender and acts differently than other people. This causes him to become upset with the world that he lives in, but he finds solace on a visit to a Savage Reservation where the old ways of life are still in place.
Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn
Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a comic masterpiece that also explores what makes America unique. It’s an enduring tribute to American longing for freedom, but it also portrays the dark side of the American dream.
In Huckleberry Finn, Huck finds himself battling aristocracy and democracy. In Twain’s view, aristocracy is simply fraud, people claiming falsely that they are born to rule over others.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne is known as the “father of American literature.” His famous novel, The Scarlet Letter, explores the themes of sin and guilt in 17th century Puritan society. It also deals with the classic struggle between personal integrity and public reputation.
Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts. He was the son of a sea captain and a Quaker. His ancestors had emigrated from England to America in the 1600s and settled in Salem.
Homer’s The Odyssey
Homer’s The Odyssey is an epic poem that tells the story of Odysseus’ journey back from the Trojan War. It also highlights the trials that Penelope and Telemachus go through as they try to find a way to live without their husband.
Homer’s The Odyssey is one of the oldest works of Western literature and is a must read for anyone interested in Greek history and culture. It’s full of themes that have been relevant to people throughout the centuries including desire, power over adversity, strong mortal leadership and masking real world ideas with storytelling strategy and fiction.
William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies
The Lord of the Flies is an allegorical novel by William Golding that explores human nature. It follows a group of schoolboys who are shipwrecked on a deserted island.
The book begins with the boys living reasonably, but they soon descend into brutal superstition and violence. Their propensity for violence reflects Golding’s own pessimistic view of humanity.
Although the novel has been criticized for its extreme brutality, it is still considered a classic. It is a fascinating tale of how humans can become brutal when they are forced to live outside of their normal society.