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+---- Thread: 10 books for your Summer reading! (/showthread.php?tid=3613341)
10 books for your Summer reading! - Rivalry - Jul 11, 2013
I was beaten to it by Void, but here are some fiction classics which will instantly expand your vocabulary and give you something intelligent to talk about to your English teacher next year!
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In no particular order:
1. Nineteen Eighty-Four
George Orwell
A true classic. Short, very easy to comprehend, and absolutely brilliant. Set in a dystopian future where you could be being spied on at any moment, the book features one man's struggle against an enemy he cannot hope to defeat. A masterpiece.
2. Animal Farm
George Orwell
Parable about Communism using farm animals. It sounds lame, but it is an amazing book. Very short; Orwell never wasted words. A must read!
3. Catch-22
Joseph Heller
Set in WW2, Heller's cynical and unique take on the American bomber groups and their leadership is at once hilarious and saddening. A great piece of American literature, Catch-22 is rightly hailed as one of the greatest novels of all time.
4. Brave New World
Aldous Huxley
Another short and sweet novel about a dystopian future. Chilling and foreboding, it tackles a unique view of the future with aplomb.
5. Stranger in a Strange Land
Robert Heinlein
Known by some as the 'most well known sci-fi book of all time', Stranger in a Strange Land deals with aggravated themes of consumerism and a media domination. Great stuff.
6. Fahrenheit 451
Ray Bradbury
Yet another dystopian book (lol) in which books are banned and are burned by firemen. A subtle jab at McCarthyism and censorship, it makes for great reading.
7. The Remains of the Day
Kazuo Ishiguro
Considered one of the best books of the last 20 years, The Remains of the Day is about a butler, and his relationship with a housekeeper. Great reading, with an unexpected twist.
8. Foundation
Isaac Asimov
Classic science fiction. Not as deep as the other books listed here. A straight up romp into the future, inspired by sublime 1950's futurism.
9. To Kill A Mockingbird
Harper Lee
The staple of every high school in America (apparently), To Kill A Mockingbird deals with heavy issues of racism in a truly astonishing manner. A must read, if you haven't already.
10. Cosmopolis
Don DeLillo
An off the wall choice to round off the list. An unsettling prose poem which handles themes of capitalism, unrest and revolution in a manner entirely different to any book I've ever read; from the eyes of one of the richest men in the world, viewing the brewing revolution from his limousine. Not for everyone, but if you think you can handle it, it's superb!
Enjoy your summer everyone, and, if you haven't already, give some of the above a read whilst by the pool.
* - z123456 - Jul 11, 2013
Good classics. Sometimes it doesn't hurt to read more simpler books, too. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" is a pretty decent book.
* - strcprstskrzkrk - Jul 12, 2013
Thanks for the list, I have Brave New World somewhere at home, it's on my to-do list.
* - BlackPeopleAreOkay - Jul 20, 2014
A book I would definitely recommend is Ishmael. It's a great read with an interesting bit of philosophy to it. There's a bit of environmentalism that goes into it as well.
* - Mxments - Jul 23, 2014
Animal Farm is a very deep read and is all based off of the Russian Revolution all the characters are animals but act as leaders in the revolution unless you want to spend you summer deciphering this read I don't recommend it to anyone