I need book reccomendations ASAP?

Question

I'm a freshman in high school but my reading level was college-level last time I was assessed (8th grade), and I'm looking for book recommendations. Our assignment in English is to chose a book independently and complete a project on it. Since I'm in honors, the book needs to be somewhat advanced (if not college level, college-bound level).

I'm looking for something that not only has a compelling, brilliant plot (with twists, if possible), but deeply crafted characters and beautiful, lyrical prose. I want something that isn't dry and distant, but is still deep.

Genre doesn't matter, so long as the above is present. :)

No chick-lit, though. Please. No crime/action/war novels either. Anything else goes. Thank you. I would prefer YOUR recommendations rather than a link to a website.

Answer 1

Try Sophie's World by Jostien Gaarder. This is awesome. It's actually about the history of philosophy, but not in a boring way. It explores the question: What if we were only the characters in a book someone else was writing; and they controlled our lives? It is very deep and makes you think. I am a freshman, but my reading level is also college, and I found it captivating and pretty advanced.

Answer 2

- Any of the novels by Jane Austen, but given what you're looking for, I'd go for "Persuasion" or "Mansfield Park"
- "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte
- "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte
- "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" by Ann Bronte
- Any of the novels by Charles Dickens, perhaps "David Copperfield" or "Nicholas Nickleby" (but maybe not "A Christmas Carol")
- "Slaughterhouse Five" or "Bluebeard" by Kurt Vonnegut (any Vonnegut is good, though!)
- "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" by Mildred Taylor - I didn't fully appreciate it when I was in 8th grade, and now (10 years later) I think it is one of the most powerful books written in the last century.
- "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
- "A Prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving
- "Native Son" by Richard Wright
- "Annan Water" by Kate Thompson
- "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker

Okay, this is going to be a strange recommendation, but "Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal" would be very interesting to do a close reading of and then compare to religious texts. Reading-level it should be fine for you if you read at a college level, but if it was a movie it would be rated "R" for all sorts of things, so not sure if it would be a good choice for a high school freshman class project. If not, read it in a couple years, it's good.

Also I wouldn't discount books categorized as children's or Young Adult books. I'm in a graduate program for children's literature and can tell you that most of it has a deeper meaning than a young reader might initially grasp. I wrote three, big college-level papers on the Harry Potter series alone, all of which were deeply researched and required a lot of close reading and literary analysis (all of which got at least an A). So I'd say to choose what you love to read and go for it no matter what the genre. Literature is partially what the writer wrote and partially what the reader read (and then partially what the critics said, at least for classes :-P)

Answer 3

Two good choices: I read both for the book club I'm in (I'm 33; most members are between 25 and 40). The first is Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. The second is The Kite Runner--can't think of the author's name all of the sudden, but you can look up both books on Wikipedia.org or just on google and read about them. Both excellent books with LOTS to discuss.
Good luck!

Answer 4

Have you tried Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials'? You may think it a child's book but it has deeper meaning for those willing to look for it. Its a fantasy trilogy consisting of Northern Lights, Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass.

My dad is an avid reader and also like fantasy/science-fiction...he's read Dune by Frank Herbert, Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds. And a rather disturbing book ( a horror) called Wetbones by John Shirley. I assure you none of them are simple children's books

Answer 5

I would definitely recommend My Sisters keeper by Jodi Picoult, as an advanced 15 year old myself and an avid reader, this book was enough to captivate my attention and its plot was amazing and the surprises in the book just amazed me. Even if this book is not the book for you Jodi Picoult has written many more books that might capture your attention, such as The Tenth Circle.

Answer 6

Night- Elie Wiesel

about the Holocaust, great book with definite project possiblities

Answer 7

Queen Of The Amazons.

Answer 8

Harry Potter, King Fortis the Brave and Eragon are all great!

Answer 9

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (good book and if you understand it at a freshman level I consider that admirable)

Answer 10

Try James Joyce, Thomas Mann (them I've read and they are deep). Also June Caldwell and Anne Hebert. Some of these you will be reading in translation unless you read French and German.