I'm an English major. I love reading more than I love eating and sleeping. Reading gives you ability to shed your own skin and see the world through someone else's eyes. Books with compelling characters and fascinating plots never cease to draw me in.
Here are 7 of my favorite books.
1. McTeague by Frank Norris
McTeague is an interesting glimpse into how we saw race in the late 1800's and early 1900's. It follows Mac, a dim-witted coal-miner-turned-dentist who falls in love with Trina, his best friend's cousin. Shocking and at times gruesome, McTeague tells the dark tale of the American Dream gone wrong.
2. The Monstrumologist Series by Rick Yancey
The Monstrumologist series follows Dr. Warthrop and his young apprentice Will Henry on their violent, tragic adventures into the unknown. Dr. Warthrop is a monstrumologist, a person who studies creatures rejected by normal sciences. The characters and their relationships grow and change throughout the four book series, and by the end it's easy to forget that they're fictional.
3. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Who's in the right when the one murdered was evil? This Poirot mystery takes place on the stopped Orient Express in the dead of winter. When a passenger is mercilessly stabbed to death, the elderly Poirot uncovers an incredible plan, and a tragic story.
4. The Williamsburg Novels by Elswyth Thane
The Williamsburg novels follow the Day family through American history, starting with Englishman Julian Day's voyage to colonial America in Dawn's Early Light. Spanning seven books and 150 years, the stories explore the changing roles of women, marriage, death, and war in the everyday American's life.
5. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Fahrenheit 451 shows a dystopian future where books are outlawed and the government controls all. We follow Montag, a book burner with a secret stash of books, as he learns the importance of literature to culture and to humanity.
6. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
The Red Badge of Courage explores bravery. A young Henry joins the army with the intentions of being a war hero, only to run during his first battle. The book takes us through the young soldier's experience fighting in a bloody war.
7. The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton
Written by the mastermind behind Jurassic Park, The Great Train Robbery is based off the true story of the Great Gold Robbery of 1855. It follows Edward Pierce as he draws up an extremely detailed plan and tracks down the perfect men for the job. Written from the side of the villains, it shows how Victorian England's criminals lived their lives.
