Classic novels get a bad reputation for being boring or difficult to read, but that's not always true. In fact, it's usually not -- it's just that high schools tend to pick the most boring, most useless novels to force down kids' throats, thus effectively destroying their love of reading. I watched this happen to many of my classmates as we read the play "The Crucible" and suffered through my least favorite Shakespeare play, "Romeo and Juliet." There are plenty of classic novels that have everything readers look for in today's novels--romance, thrills, great escapes, mystery, moral dilemmas, etc. They even have symbolism and great themes to boot, something that a lot of modern novels are lacking. So without further ado (or ranting), here are nine classic novels in which you should spend your summer living.

1. The Call of the Wild by Jack London

This is the first classic that I ever read, so if you're looking for an easy door to classics, this is definitely a good shot. It's one of those books in which both kids and adults can find something to appreciate -- I first read and comprehended it in middle school. It tells the story of a dog named Buck (told in third person but from his point of view, a unique detail that is accomplished very well), who is kidnapped from his home and sold as a sled dog. "The Call of the Wild" narrates the changes that Buck goes through as he endures harsh weather and incredible cruelty by the hands of humans, yet the love and loyalty that he still expresses. This book will forever hold a special place in my heart because it's the first book that taught me that classics weren't stuffy, emotionless, or only for the intellectual.

2. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy

"The Scarlet Pimpernel" is another novel that I read early on in my venture into classics. It's a thin, easy read, but it's also incredibly interesting. It takes place during the French Revolution and tells the adventures of Percy, a British man who acts like a dimwit in society -- even to his wife -- while secretly working as the Scarlet Pimpernel, a man who rescues French nobility from the guillotine and smuggles them to safety in England. As such, Percy is on France's list of least favorite people; the novel details an attempt by Chauvelin, a French official (who is based loosely on this real person) to capture Pimpernel during a high-profile rescue. This novel has everything -- action, daring rescues, a villain and even romance. It's inspired several movies and a broadway musical (which is also amazing).

3. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

This book has become ingrained in today's culture for a reason -- it's incredibly well-written. Written right after Darwin published his theory of evolution and during the reign of High Criticism, which looked at and criticized the Bible as literature, it asks questions about human nature and mankind that all of the Victorian society was asking itself. Its symbolism and themes are so intertwined that one little detail, such as Stevenson's description of the town itself, leads back to everything else. Dualism is a constant -- every single character and every single street express a sense of dualism, not just Jekyll and Hyde (although they are the most pronounced). It's also incredibly short, so it's an easy, quick read for a day at the beach.

4. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien

Okay, so this is technically four books in one, but they go together. If you've only ever seen the movies, the books are a must-read. "The Hobbit" is a bit more meandering, with a lot of interesting characters and scenes that were cut out of the movie for the sake of time (like Beorn, a man who turns into a bear), but it is definitely very good. "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy is just as amazing in book format as it is in the movies -- Tolkien's symbolism and world-building are stunning, and he manages to add Christian undertones and morals without making it a book that only Christians will read.

5. The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

This is a lesser-known piece by Tolkien which relates to the world of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings." Tolkien's world-building is renowned, and this is the reason -- he spent decades composing the creation story, history and mythology of Middle Earth, which is helpfully published in the form of "The Silmarillion." While it is mostly unrelated as far as characters go, you will discover quite a bit of background on both Elrond and Galadriel. If you love Tolkien and/or mythology, you will love this book.

6. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

"Frankenstein" is another book that has worked its way into our culture over the years, but as a consequence, it has become very distorted. Many people refer to the monster in the book as "Frankenstein," when, in reality, Frankenstein is the name of the doctor who creates the monster; the monster is never given a name. Like "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," "Frankenstein" asks questions about human nature (although Mary Shelley comes to a different conclusion than Robert Louis Stevenson does). The novel also forces readers to ask themselves who is at fault: Frankenstein, or his monster? Are they both at fault? It is incredibly thought-provoking and beautifully written, and Mary Shelley accomplished all of this while she was just 16-years-old -- not to mention the fact that she was writing this as a woman in the early 1800s.

7. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

I'll be honest: this book is a project. It's incredibly long. The payoff to reading it, though, is incredible. Hugo's characters are developed and realistic (although Marius is unforgivably stupid in the novel, in my humble opinion), his symbolism is rich, his description is beautiful, and his themes are incredibly meaningful. He addresses social issues regarding poverty, the poor education system, and the injustices of their legal system while still dealing with larger themes such as justice, free will and redemption. It's an absolutely beautiful novel -- there's a reason it inspired a Broadway musical that is nearing its 21st year and still going strong. Disclaimer: Victor Hugo, as much as I love him, can sometimes ramble although he usually does so in clumps. You have my permission to skip the section about Waterloo and the other section about Paris' sewage system if you can't stand it.

8. The Once and Future King by T.H. White

This is my favorite depiction of the Arthurian legends. Many of the other versions, such as Thomas Malory's famous "Le Morte D'Arthur," tend to excuse Lancelot and Guenever's affair and continue to praise Lancelot as a noble, loyal and all-around perfect of the knights, T.H. White, however, uses the affair as an opportunity. After all, Lancelot is sleeping with his supposed best friend's wife -- that's pretty immoral. Rather than excusing him or ignoring the slip-up altogether, T.H. White uses it as an opportunity to introduce themes of sin, redemption and forgiveness. He humanizes Lancelot by giving him an extreme sense of guilt and provides an avenue of forgiveness and redemption. If you love mythology or Arthurian legends, you'll love this novel.

9. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

This novel surprised me; I read it for a class, and to be honest I thought I wouldn't like it. I'd tried to read novels like Jane Austin's "Persuasion" before and could never get into them, so I didn't expect to like "Jane Eyre" either. To my surprise, Jane is an incredibly relatable character, bookish and quiet yet strong-willed and full of wanderlust, and the novel is interesting and well-written. The only thing about the novel that didn't interest me was the romance, as I hate Mr. Rochester intensely; this is an unpopular opinion, though, so you should be fine. Even that didn't ruin the novel for me -- Jane is just too interesting.

Bonus: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

This book isn't technically a classic, as it came out in 1998, but I couldn't help but put it on this list. I knew I was going to love this book within the first paragraph -- that's how beautifully written it is. The description is just amazing. Aside from that, though, it follows the Prices, a missionary family in the Congo during the turmoil of the 1960s. It's full of symbolism (hint: Methuselah is a symbol for the Congo) and brings up a lot of important topics. It points out the immorality of Belgium and America for intervening and treating the Congolese people like slaves under the pretense of "civilizing" them and asks a lot of interrelated questions about Christianity. With what attitude should we go into such countries as missionaries? How much do we embrace the native culture, and how do we reconcile it to Christianity? Despite all the questions regarding Christianity, Kingsolver manages to maintain a safe distance -- it's unclear whether or not she's Christian herself. The novel could be a Christian's commentary on how things shouldn't be done, or it could be anti-Christian altogether. Either way, it raises a lot of questions that Christians should be paying attention to. It's basically amazing. Disclaimer: You'll hate Nathan.