I am a firm believer that no one doesn’t like to read; some people just haven’t found the right book yet! It was not until my sophomore year of high school that I discovered my love for literature. Since then, I have taken reading as my hobby into making it my major and, hopefully, my career.
I have compiled a list of ten truly amazing books that I think speak to our generation and should be read by everyone before entering the–dare I say it–real word! So, without further ado, here are the ten books, in no particular order.
1. "A Visit From the Goon Squad" by Jennifer Egan
This incredible novel focuses on the lives of Bennie, a record executive, and his employee, Sasha. Egan tells the story in the most creative way possible; each chapter is from the point of view of a different character. Through these different narratives, Egan reveals the past of Bennie and Sasha, while he demonstrates how humans affect each other without noticing or intending to. I have never read anything like "A Visit From the Goon Squad"; it is truly a one of a kind novel.
2. "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom
While Mitch Albom is probably most famous for his tear-jerking novel, "Tuesdays With Morrie", I feel that "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" is more of a must-read. In this story, the main character, Eddie, dies in a disastrous accident on his 83rd birthday.
He then takes a journey before he can go to his own heaven. He must meet with five people who explain his own life to him. Eddie knows some of these people well, but others he doesn’t even remember meeting. These five people recall their experiences with Eddie over the course of his whole life, enlightening Eddie and teaching him that his life was not insignificant.
3. "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
John Green is perhaps one of the most sincere writers of our generation. His books, though they are young adult fiction, can be enjoyed by all ages. Any of his novels could have made this list, however, I feel that Green captures young love and losing loved ones perfectly in The Fault in Our Stars. Hazel has lived her whole life waiting to die ever since she was diagnosed with cancer at a young age. But when she meets Augustus in a Cancer Kid Support Group, she begins living her life again. Never has a book ever made me cry as much as this book. A definite must-read!
4. "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Everyone knows the story. Everyone’s probably “read” it multiple times between high school and college. However, I think that everyone should actually sit down and READ The Great Gatsby. It is the quintessential 'Great American Novel' for a reason. Reading The Great Gatsby for pleasure makes all the difference. Trust me, just read it without worrying about Daisy’s character development or Nick’s sexuality, and you will realize what a truly great novel it is.
5. "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger
This is another one of those books you’ve probably “read” at some point in you educational career, but it is honestly one of the best coming of age stories of all time. The first time I read The Cather in the Rye, I absolutely hated it. It wasn’t until I read it for fun one summer that I realized the absolute brilliance behind Holden Caulfield’s character and his beautiful character development throughout the story.
6. "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
Craig Gilner is a determined teen. He is adamant about being successful in life and puts a great deal of emphasis on doing well in school so that he can get a good job. However, the pressure he puts on himself proves to be too much, and he attempts suicide. This gets him checked into a metal hospital, where he meets a variety of fascinating characters. It is in this hospital that Craig is able to overcome his anxiety. Vizzini himself spent time in a psychiatric hospital and suffered from depression. Sadly enough, Vizzini did commit suicide at the age of 32. It’s Kind of a Funny Story is a remarkable coming of age story that most of us can definitely relate to.
7. "The Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling
I shouldn’t even have to explain this one. The Harry Potter series was our generation’s childhood. Rowling creates a magical world in which wizards and spells are real. Even if you didn’t like the movies, I promise you, the books are much better and worth every second you spend reading them.
8. "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
On a very different note, Atonement is on this list because it is an all-around excellent novel. The story keeps you engaged throughout the whole novel, and nothing compares to McEwan’s writing skills. Atonement is a story about love, war, adolescence, class, honesty, and forgiveness.
One day in 1934, young Briony misinterprets an interaction between her sister Cecilia and the son of a servant, Robbie. Briony is too young and naïve to understand the flirtatious interaction between the two and accuses Robbie of committing a horrible crime. The rest of the story tells the consequences of Briony’s lie throughout the course of World War II, and it comes to a close in the twenty-first century.
9. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky
Charlie is a smart but socially awkward teen, struggling with confronting the horrors of his past. He enters high school and has a difficult time finding friends until he meets two seniors, Sam and Patrick, who take him under their wing. Another fantastic coming of age story that everyone should read!
10. "Belzhar" by Meg Wolitzer
I have chosen this book as the final book on the list because I want to draw attention to it. This young adult fiction is another coming of age story. It is extremely new; it was just published last year, in 2014. I read this book over the summer and physically could not put it down, and everyone I loaned the book to said the same.
The story follows the life of Jam Gallahue, a troubled young girl who went through a very traumatic experience. As a result of this experience, she remains emotionally unstable and goes to The Wooden Barn, a therapeutic boarding school in Vermont. She is placed in a Special Topics in English course, where she and four other students must write in a journal, which takes them to Belzhar. In Belzhar, each student discovers something different, and by the end of the story, each student learns an important lesson, which they needed to learn in order to continue living their lives to the fullest. Belzhar is an incredible story, and if you take any of the literary advice that I am attempting to impart upon you, let 'go read Belzhar' be it!
