Another season, another semester which means another list of books to conquer. If you are looking for a place to start, we can help! Check out The English Society’s Top 10 picks to read this semester!
“I Capture the Castle” by Dodie Smith.
Based in the 1930s, Cassandra and Rose Mortmain are the daughters of a peculiar author suffering from writer’s block. Living in a run-down castle, Cassandra plots to end their financial struggles involving two American men, a slimy photographer, and the dungeon of the castle tower. -Eliza Howard
‘The Latehomecomer’ by Kao Kalia Yang.
The target of genocide in retaliation for aiding the Americans in the Vietnam War, the Hmong are an ethnic group who were violently driven from their homes in the mountains of Laos. In her memoir, Yang recounts her family’s journey from their homeland to multiple refugee camps in Thailand, and finally to a new and unfamiliar life in America. Filled with graceful prose, Hmong folklore, and childhood memories, ‘The Latehomecomer’ is just as beautifully captivating as it is fascinating and informative. -Emma Nymoen
‘These Is My Words’, by Sarah Prine.
It’s a memoir about her life growing up on the western frontier and all of the challenges that she faced. My favorite part is that Sarah’s voice comes through so clearly! I can empathize with her because I feel like I’m there on the range with her. -Shelby Ward
“The Lunar Chronicles”by Marissa Meyer.
It follows the story of a cyborg and her friends (all loosely based on fairytale characters) who get caught up in the middle of tensions between the people of Luna (the moon) and Earth. What I loved most about the series was how well-developed the characters were; as a reader, you become so invested in each of them and their growth, and you aren’t disappointed. -Anika Argyl
“Everything is Illuminated” (and everything else) by Jonathan Safran Foer
The book really challenges what constitutes a novel as the chapters alternate.The whole thing is a weird mess that I can’t ever seem to put down. The writing is awesome and it captures the spirit of the Old Testament in a lot of ways. -Davis Blout
“Alanna: The First Adventure” by Tamora Pierce.
Alanna, a young girl trades places with her twin brother to become a knight. She overcomes social norms, palace protocols, and the law in this first book of a fantastic new world. -Marissa Brown
“Me Talk Pretty One Day” by David Sedaris.
I read it a long time ago and recently picked it back up. The reason I love “Me Talk Pretty One Day” is because David Sedaris has perfect command over his writing. His personal anecdotes, while at face value are not particularly interesting or surprising, are made to be clever and unique through creative word choice and sentence structure. It is also a great book to read out loud to family and friends. Every time I read this book, I end up calling my husband or my grandparents to share it because I am in tears from laughing so hard. -Lainey Wardlow
“No Matter the Wreckage” by Sarah Kay
The only poetry book you’ll find in Barnes and Noble published in the last 50 years, No Matter the Wreckage is a brilliant collection by a young poet, Sarah Kay, from New York. Sarah Kay writes beautifully about city life and family and love and loss, and everything you could want from a book of poetry. She’s influenced by her travels and her experience with Spoken Word in a way that brings fresh insight into the same stories we’ve all heard before. -Madelyn Taylor
“A Farewell to Arms” by Ernest Hemingway
It’s a good story and the writing style is so weird and different that it might be a nice change. – Deborah Jenson
“The Complete Poetry of Edgar Allen Poe” by Edgar Allan Poe
There’s no better read during the fall season than Edgar Allan Poe. His Annabel Lee is haunting yet beautiful. The Raven is chaotic with a supernatural atmosphere. A great read during the month of October especially, although any time is a good time to read Poe. -Nicole Ratliff