school reading I actually enjoyed

The Great Gatsby

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald's classic was the topic of my first high school term paper—and despite that, I still love it. Fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby has built a mansion on Long Island Sound for the sole purpose of wooing and winning his lost love Daisy Buchanan, who married another man while Gatsby was serving overseas. This classic American novel captures the Jazz Age in all its decadence and excess, while weaving a wistful story of love and loss. Even if you've seen the movie (especially if you've seen the movie) you need to read the book. The Audible version, narrated by Oscar-nominated actor Jake Gyllenhaal, was an Audie Award Finalist.

Emma

by Jane Austen

My favorite Jane Austen novel (at least during the times when my favorite isn't Pride and Prejudice or Persuasion) centers on an unusual household of two: Emma Woodhouse, old enough to marry but independent enough to not want to (and who can avoid the shame of spinsterhood because she's "handsome, clever, and rich") and her well-meaning but exceedingly nervous father. Distinctive friends, neighbors, and love interests spin their way into the Woodhouse orbit throughout the story's course—some quirky, some endearing, some downright obnoxious, but ALL entertaining.

Jane Eyre

by Charlotte Bronte

This groundbreaking classic is a gothic romance, mystery, and psychological thriller all rolled into one; its themes were astonishingly modern for 1847. If you never read it in high school, give it a try now. You’ll be kicking yourself for not reading it decades sooner. Those who have read it will spot its influence everywhere. We follow Jane Eyre from childhood to adulthood as she learns to speak up for herself and makes bold choices.

My Brilliant Friend (Neapolitan Novels Book 1)

by Elena Ferrante

This is the first installment of Ferrante’s Neapolitan Quartet, which revolves around the friendship between Elena and Lila. This book begins when the girls are in first grade and carries them through adolescence. I picked this up from my local bookstore's blind date with a book shelf: the bookseller had described it as "a masterpiece you probably haven’t read yet. (Three and a half years later, booksellers can no longer say that with confidence!) Originally written in Italian and beautifully translated by Ann Goldstein. (Hot tip: I LOVED this series on audio.)

A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories

by Flannery O'Connor

Some of my best and most meaningful school reading experiences came from those moments when I sat back, stunned, and thought I didn't know an author could DO that on the page!" So it goes with Flannery O'Connor, widely regarded as one of the all-time finest writers of short stories and Southern fiction. I encountered this specific groundbreaking collection, highly regarded even today for its originality, as a high school junior, and was by turns captivated and repulsed by its shocking, reverential, almost mythical, and often grotesque content. I can still remember reading my first O'Connor story in English class: we dove straight into the deep end with "A Good Man is Hard to Find." A jarring introduction to be sure, but it made me want to come back for more.

Crime & Punishment

by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

I don't like to throw the word "should" when it comes to reading, but everyone should at least consider reading this classic-for-a-reason. Raskolnikov wonders whether it’s possible to murder someone without remorse and concludes it’s possible for an important person to kill someone they deem unimportant. And he sets out to do exactly that but he doesn’t count on a growing conscience or pursuit by an investigator. You could read it every year for the rest of your life and discover something new every time. My preferred translation is by David McDuff.

Never Let Me Go

by Kazuo Ishiguro

An eerie take on the coming-of-age theme. Ishiguro expertly combines speculative fiction and literary fiction to great effect. I talked about my love for this one in Volume III of One Great Book. Haunting and atmospheric, with a sad truth that dawns on you gradually. Ishiguro slowly introduces the reader to three teens in a 1990s British boarding school. His prose says so much while revealing so little, as it slowly dawns on the reader what is not-quite-right about these children's lives.

school reading I actually enjoyed

The Great Gatsby

Emma

Jane Eyre

My Brilliant Friend (Neapolitan Novels Book 1)

A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories

Crime & Punishment

Never Let Me Go

Find your next read with:

100 Book recommendations
for every mood

school reading I actually enjoyed

The Great Gatsby

Emma

Jane Eyre

My Brilliant Friend (Neapolitan Novels Book 1)

A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories

Crime & Punishment

Never Let Me Go

Find your next read with:

100 Book recommendations for every mood

100 Book recommendations
for every mood