Can you recommend two books from this list?

Question

I have to read three books for summer homework, and I have already read Ender's Shadow. Can you suggest two books from this list to read.

into thin air, ender's shadow, angela's ashes, a tree grows in brooklyn, the once and future king, the boys of summer, the beardless warriors, girl with a pearl earring, daughter of fortune, the chosen, the perfect storm, a northern light, the other boleyn girl, snow in august, ella minnow pea, ship of gold in the deep blue sea, summerland, self help, and city of beasts

Answer 1

These books are all so different. You will have to choose depending on what kind of books you like--or what you are in the mood for this summer.

I have read about half of them and liked them all, but my favorite from this list--and one of my favorite books for all-time--is The Once and Future King. Yes, it's the old King Arthur story, but T. H. White has a very humorous take on it and his wry sense of humor gives it a modern twist. The first third is about the boy Wart (who becomes King Arthur), and it reads like a children's story. In fact, it was published separately as The Sword in the Stone, and became a popular movie. The latter two-thirds is more serious and more challenging, but has its own humorous twists too. Play the sound track of Camelot in the background while you're reading it.

My other personal favorite would be The Chosen. Chaim Potok has written a masterpiece about an adolescent growing up, and incidentally the kid is growing up Jewish in a good, old-fashioned straight-laced family. But it speaks for us all, both kids and their parents, and anyone who has ever been either one. And, by the way, in this case, the movie really doesn't do it justice.

To compare a good book with an even better movie (for sometimes the movie actually is better than the book), try Girl with a Pearl Earring. From among your list, my wife would put it probably #1. I liked the movie much better, but I did enjoy comparing the two.

For a good older book on growing up, try A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. That was made into a very popular movie in the 1940s with child star Peggy Ann Garner. I read that one so long ago that I don't remember it very well, but it's also one of my wife's favorites. Maybe I should try it again...

Enjoy!!

Answer 2

I've read Angela's Ashes, The Once and Future King, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and The Girl with a Pearl Earring. All are good choices. Angela's Ashes would by my top pick. It covers the entire range of human emotions. It's one of those books that you really should read at some point in your life, even if you don't read it this summer. I'd choose the other two over The Girl with a Pearl Earring. It's good, but it didn't touch me as much as the others did.

Answer 3

the list is full with very good books. The purpose of the summer book lists is to try something different and new. Some of these were made into movies. A girl with a pearl earring is base on a painting. Go over board and try to read more than the three.
Snow in August is prefect for a hot day. Into thin air is very good, and also try a northern light.

Answer 4

I recommend Angela's Ashes -- excellent! Girl With A Pearl Earring; great book, terrible movie. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn; not as captivating as some of the others on your list.

Answer 5

I've only read Angela's Ashes and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, but I can recommend both of them definitely.

It depends on what you like, though. For example, both those books are about kids growing up in poor neighborhoods. They pick out little details and bad experiences like you'd remember from being a kid yourself. If you were ever poor, or wanted to know what it was like to be poor, I think you'd find them interesting.

The main characters are both young people (a boy in Angela's Ashes and a girl in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn) who don't let their situation get them down too much and try to make the best of what they have. I loved them both.

Answer 6

I've read A tree grows in Brooklyn, Girl with a pearl earring, the Perfect storm and ella minnow pea. The other boelyn girl and snow in august are on my nightstand right now.

Perfect storm was OK - compelling since it is a "true"story (with "imagining" filling in the details no one can know)

A tree grows in Brooklyn and Girl with a Pearl erring are both great - real doors into another life.

But I love, love, love ella minnow pea. This was recommended to me by a co-worker and I read it in a weekend. I just loved what the author could do with language.

Good luck finding one you love, love, love...

Answer 7

The Once and Future King is quite good. I have also heard that Angela's Ashes and Girl With a Pearl Earring were good.

Answer 8

I would recommend The Chosen and Angela's Ashes. These are both fairly easy reads. Ender's Shadow is very easy to read, but it is a companion series book to Ender's Game. By the way, Ender's Game is one of my all-time favorite books.

Answer 9

Into Thin Air is delightful. Angela's Ashes is a bit tough to get into...but worth it. I have read the follow up to The Chosen (My Name is Asher Lev) and really liked that...so The Chosen may be good. The Perfect Storm is super interesting, and you can picture George Clooney as you read!

Answer 10

Wow, a lot of people have said Angela's Ashes, which is one of the ones I'd pick too! A very captivating memoir.

Number two would be The Chosen. Chaim Potok is a descriptive, enchanting writer.

But why not read them all?