Once I graduated high school, I finally had time to think about the books that I was "forced" to read for my English classes. As someone who loves to read, reading those assignments weren't always hard for me, but it still sometimes took a toll on me or my other classes. Or even on my English class because I wasn't able to fully digest the book I was supposed to read. Now that I'm older, I would really like to go back and read some of the books that I didn't have a lot of time to read. I want to savor these books and give them another chance.
1. "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
I know Dickens isn't very popular, but I've always said that I love his plots and storylines, but because of the nature of how he was paid to write them, they were just too wordy. I'm telling you, if someone translated a Dickens book into the English we know, his books would be so popular.
2. "Catch 22" by Joseph Heller
This was one of my favorite books in high school, because it was something different than what we normally read. Because it was written in the modern era, there is just so much to the book beyond the actual text. I was to reread it just to see if I can pick up on more things.
3. "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
To date, this is the best book I've had to read for an English class. Every page is full of imagery and metaphors and I remember going through and just writing pages and pages of notes, just because every time I went to start reading again, Fitzgerald had gotten even more imagery in the book. Can you imagine what I'd find if I went through it again?
4. "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
I really, really disliked this book the first time through. And that's why I would give it another chance. So many people love it and I've lost count of all the movie adaptations. I just want to see if my 10th grade opinion was right and give it another chance.
5. "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens
Of the two Dickens novels I've read, I much preferred this one, partially because I understood it more. Again, take away a few thousand words and you've got something manageable.
6. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain
Because who doesn't love a good classic? I thoroughly enjoyed this book when I was reading it. Then, a summer ago, I played in the pit of the musical. I'd love to go back and read it just to experience it again. And I want to read about Tom Sawyer.
7. "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte
I'm a huge fan of supporting female writers that were writing even when the profession was dominated by men. I can't say if I loved or hated this book, because at the point I was reading this, I hardly had time to sleep. I want to see if I can read it and decide if I like it or not.
8. "Experience and Education" by John Dewey
I'm an education major, I had to throw this in here. I stand by a lot of Dewey states in his writings. Again, because I was reading them for school, I think part of the experience was taken away from it. Now, after going through three years and beginning my fourth year of education classes, I'd like to see how much I align myself with Dewey's thoughts and theories. Have I changed? Do I believe in them even stronger?
9. "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" by Paolo Freire
This was one of the first "textbooks" I read for a class that blew my mind, but also made a lot of things make sense. I can use this book in a school setting, I can use it talking to someone on the street. Freire's theories tear me apart because I can see everything he lived through happening around me, but it also encourages me to try to make a difference in my students' lives.
10. "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton
A classic, and one that I loved when I read it in 8th grade. Because I loved it so much and because it has such an impact, I want to read it again now that things have changed both in my life and in the world we're living in. S.E. Hinton was only 17 years old when she published this book and that is amazing to me.
This may be my reading list for next summer to be completely honest, with a few other books here and there. If you have any other good books that you read in school, please comment them!
