High school English classes are not generally anyone’s favorite classes. Many students, myself included, will lose all motivation to read a book the moment a professor stands in front of the class and tells you that you have to read a book--any desire to read it is out the window. It may just be because I’m stubborn, it may be that there was always so much other work to do, but I have never really been a fan of assigned reading. This meant that there were a lot of books that I skipped out on that were definitely worth the hour a night that I devoted to whatever else I was reading or watching at the time. Here are my 5 favorite required high school books that you may have skipped out on, but should definitely go back and:

1. The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald. Hands down my favorite novel of all time. It's short but wonderful. The book truly captured an era of american history. So much happens so quickly in the book.
2. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. This is the type of book that you either love or hate, there is no in between. The main character’s quest throughout the book is to preserve the innocence of those around him because he desperately wishes that he could regain his own.
3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. This book gives a great picture of what it was like to grow up as a tomboy in the south.
4. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. If you can get past exactly how long this book is you will get to experience some truly rich characters and an amazing story. That being said it can definitely be difficult to keep everything straight in your mind.
5. The Tempest by William Shakespeare. Shockingly enough, my favorite Shakespeare play is one of his lesser known ones. Everyone has heard of Macbeth or Hamlet and everyone knows Romeo and Juliet, but my favorite of the plays centers around magic rather than tragedy.
6. Song of Solomon by Tony Morrison. Not every teacher chose to teach this book. It is an amazing picture of America through the eyes of an African American person.