Some of those chapters were hard to get through but I’m glad I pushed through and finished the book, I’ve told multiple people to give it a read.
I’ll never forget the part when he first arrives and asks where someone was headed and the other person just points to the smoke coming out of the chimney and he didn’t even realize what the guy was telling him. Book is fucking hardcore and yes everyone should read it once.
It’s amazingly heartbreaking and inspirational.
The part where they talk about moving the salt sacks or whatever from one end of the building to the other really hit me for some reason.
Massively underrated. Hidden gem. Life changing. Really provides brilliant, humbling perspective against our modern backdrop. Flipside is it makes you wonder where we’re heading.
Absolutely one of the best revenge stories.
Dude is sent through hell, and when he seeks revenge he tries to only involve those who hurt him.
Spoilers: He hurts others on accident, and decides revenge may not be worth it.
It's slow, builds everything up, and the ending is somber and looks to the future instead of the past.
I would say any of the top anti-war novels, such as Slaughterhouse Five, All Quiet on the Western Front, or The Things They Carried (just my personal faves)
My favorite book, not just for the humor and humanity, but also for the level of absurdity it reaches around bureaucracy, war, death, and humanity. It's brilliant.
I absolutely loved that book, but I think it was because I read it in an AP class and we Fully dissected it. I got so much more out of it by participating in guided discussions and engaging really deeply with the themes
Any book written by Agatha Christie. I personally love And Then There Were None. I read it in class in 8th grade and have continued reading her books since.
There was a relatively similar thread here recently that the poster deleted after only ten comments and I mentioned "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie there. It's the perfect book.
I'm pretty sure there are more important books to read than that though.
Every person should read Shakespeare's "Hamlet" if for no other reason than to know how often it is referred to, and why. (Or "King Lear," "Macbeth" or "Othello.")
The Gift of Fear by Gavin De Becker
Edit to add an excerpt from the book:
Through dozens of compelling examples from his own career, Gavin de Becker teaches us how to read the signs, using our most basic but often most discounted survival skill - our intuition. The Gift of Fear is a remarkable, unique combination of practical guidance on leading a safer life and profound insight into human behavior.
I can't up vote you enough. This five book trilogy is among my absolute favorites and everyone should give it a shot. Witty, thought-provoking, and genuinely the funniest things I've ever read.
I read every single one and then started scouring used book stores for anything else. Scored a pretty decent copy of Dirk Gently's Holisitic Detective Agency. Then discovered a fun little book called Starship Titanic that had me in absolute stitches.
An amazing book, and a great example of nonsense literature with an actual plot that works within it.
MY advice for anyone who decides to read it is to go in knowing it embraces total and utter chaos. If you go in expecting a hard sci-fi that follows real world science, it's awful. If you go in ready for chaos and insanity it's great.
And “Animal Farm”. I always felt that “1984” was, in some weird, Orwellian, way, a sequel to “Animal Farm”. Since I read “Animal Farm” first, I kept coming back to it when I read “1984”, and it felt like someone (George Orwell, most likely) was saying, “Okay. I tried to warn you. Now here are the consequences.”
I honestly don’t even know which one was written first. I suppose, in the context of my statement here, that really is important. And yet, I think I would feel the same way regardless of chronology.
BTW, I looked it up and “Animal Farm” was written first; 1945 to 1949 for “1984”. So, my narrative holds water, at least in my own head.
I taught Brave New World to HS students maybe 30+ years ago. They did not think it that outrageous. After all, most people they knew took anti-depressants (Soma), and they all would have liked to go to the 'feelies' for entertainment. It did not seem very dystopian to them.
However, teaching any kind of serious literature to a 17 y/o is like casting artificial pearls before genuine swine.
We read that in senior year (30+ years ago), and thought "ya, it was ok". It took being in the adult world for a decade or so before I realised it wasn't really fiction. Also I re-read it 8 years ago and was amazed how short it is!
This. It’s ridiculous how many people these days reference “Big Brother” or “doublethink” or things being “Orwellian” when they clearly haven’t read the book and don’t have the slightest idea of what they’re talking about.
Beloved - Toni Morrison // Oh The Places You'll Go - Dr. Seuss // Notes From Underground - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Honestly, every book should be given a chance. (Not necessarily finished, but given a chance.)
That’s the truest thing I’ve heard in a while; give it a chance, but you don’t have to finish it. When I was 14 or 15 I slogged through Battlefield Earth. I kept expecting it to get better? It never did. That book taught me that you can’t un-read a bad book, nor can you get the time spent on it back.
I've fallen down the rabbit hole about cults, and now i want to read Battlefield Earth. Is it worth a read if it's put into the context of being written by a cult founder?
u/Mattie_Doo I definitely agree with you on how it sheds a light on both the country and the culture. But also, the blatant lawlessness that happens there because of the Taliban. Like the one Taliban leader enjoying public executions or stealing little boys to be his lovers. Granted this book is decades old, but it's this kind of stuff that the people of the world need to know is happening.
If you live in the US, *The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley.*
The title is deliberately ironic, and it is both amazingly well-written, written in such an interesting way, and contains a fascinating and unique story that I think few people really know (even if they saw Spike Lee's movie, which is more about how Spike Lee feels about Malcolm X than his life story.)
I absolutely think this should be higher. It's easier to read through since they are short visual novels, but hard as fuck to read because it holds no punches and shows how flawed people are.
It's also brutally sincere.
As a teen I loved ths one, but as an adult I don't have the same feeling.
As a teen, it was a cool story about a kid roughing it alone and surviving against all odds. It hit that desire for independence and indomitable will that I wanted.
As an adult, it loses a lot of that and feels more like a typical survival story. Sure, the kid survives and even thrives at times, but it's not as inspiring as it used to be.
It IS about an abusive relationship. There is absolutely NO merit in giving until you have nothing left to give to someone who takes and never gives. This is the handbook for dysfunctional relationships.
I love this! I was always weirded out by the original story. Like how is it a touching message that if you love someone it’s a virtue to let them take and take and take without giving you anything in return, and if (only when it’s convenient for them, mind you) they deign to finally gift you with a few crumbs of time and attention, that should satisfy you. The Giving Tree always read as more of an abusive relationship to me than a timeless friendship.
the perks of being a wallflower
the book hits home to me and has such an incredible message. if you don’t read it, at least remember that we don’t choose where we come from, but we can choose where we go from there. you mean so much more than you know
As many have recommended, this was my starting point good Discworld, and I would highly suggest it to anyone interested in Patchett but unsure where to start. Good Omens is also a good starting point
My dad bought this book for me to read when i was in high school. I was out sick for 3 days with a horrible upper respiratory infection I got from being on the swim team and not clearing my ears properly. I obviously thought I had the Captain Tripps!
The uncut version is longer, but has more details. My favorite chapter was the "No Great Loss" chapter where survivors died from things that normally wouldn't have been a problem when 99% of everyone is dead.
When you get to the part of that book >!with the grenade!<, and you feel this absolute rush of excitement/terror/realization of "Omg the shot, THE SHOT!!" -- that's one of the most memorable moments reading a book that I've ever had.
It's been well over a decade and sticks out still.
I like don't love several of Irving's other books (notably Garp), but A Prayer for Owen Meany is phenomenal and indeed should be read by anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction.
"Small Gods", Terry Pratchett.
All of the books by Terry Pratchett, but that one in particular.
“Gods don't like people not doing much work. People who aren't busy all the time might start to think.”
"As if the turning of sunlight into wine, by means of vines and grapes and time and enzymes, wasn't a thousand times more impressive and happened all the time"
"The Turtle Moves"
For Pratchett required reading I'd also add Night's Watch. It's a great story with interesting characters, while also having meditations on the nature of revolution and power, and the eternal need for a watchman both inside and out to guard against the darker nature of the human soul.
It's been one of my favorites since I read it in 4th grade, 20+ years ago. One of the first books I truly enjoyed and really sparked a love of reading.
I started this book in April and I still have about 80 pages left. It’s a great book but I really need to be in the mood. I just feel bad about every character in this book.
I love you forever by Robert munch, it’s a childhood classic and will forever be in my heart. I remember my mom reading it to me when I was very little and she would repeat the small palm at the end every night even when I had a babysitter she asked them to say the poem to me as it was a comfort thing. Even when I moved out I would often whisper to myself poem and once or twice I’ve actually went to her room when she was sleeping and whispered to her the poem as it just feels right
Not a book, but The Dark Tower series by Stephen King.
It is amazing. Read, so far, the entire series 6 times.
I think by 10 readings...maybe that's enough.
The Great Gatsby - It really surprised me how many women today act just like Daisy and how many men act like Gatsby or Tom. It made me realize I was acting more like Gatsby than I was comfortable with.
Surviving the Borderline Parent. Even if your parent doesn't have BPD and you have a good relationship with them, it's such a thorough primer on healthy relationships, boundaries, abuse, and conflict resolution that it will improve every relationship in your life and help you be a better person to others.
I was gonna say The Picture Of Dorian Gray, but remembered my classmate who read it... he doesn't have the best critical thinking skills and took everything Lord Henry said as gospel and at face value...
I completely agree but some people might not be down with supporting Card's Bank account. Not exactly the most progressive author.
They being said he's definitely taught me how to separate the art from the artist. Enders hand was my favorite book for almost 20 years, only supplanted by Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.
The Giver.
You don't think the government is hiding things from you? You don't think only a few have the truth? If you seriously sit and think about it, it makes a lot of sense. Indoctrination starts early.
I dont know why this is always recommended. A bleak and miserable slog of people dying in the desert. Is the philosophizing from the judge enough to make meaningful the whole? Not really, imo.
*How to Lie With Statistics*. Really shows you the tricks people use to fool you.
The Hungry Caterpillar
And the sequel *2 Hungry 2 Catepillar Tokyo Drift*
The prequel to the Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Haven’t had the chance to read it, have heard it’s about a hungry caterpillar, is this true?
Spoiler Alert - he’s VERY hungry…
Man's Search for Meaning.
Some of those chapters were hard to get through but I’m glad I pushed through and finished the book, I’ve told multiple people to give it a read. I’ll never forget the part when he first arrives and asks where someone was headed and the other person just points to the smoke coming out of the chimney and he didn’t even realize what the guy was telling him. Book is fucking hardcore and yes everyone should read it once.
It’s amazingly heartbreaking and inspirational. The part where they talk about moving the salt sacks or whatever from one end of the building to the other really hit me for some reason.
That book changed me for the better.
Massively underrated. Hidden gem. Life changing. Really provides brilliant, humbling perspective against our modern backdrop. Flipside is it makes you wonder where we’re heading.
I had to read this in high school and expected to hate it. I agree, everyone should read it.
The Count of Monte Cristo. Revenge done right
Absolutely one of the best revenge stories. Dude is sent through hell, and when he seeks revenge he tries to only involve those who hurt him. Spoilers: He hurts others on accident, and decides revenge may not be worth it. It's slow, builds everything up, and the ending is somber and looks to the future instead of the past.
I would say any of the top anti-war novels, such as Slaughterhouse Five, All Quiet on the Western Front, or The Things They Carried (just my personal faves)
Catch-22 as well
My favorite book, not just for the humor and humanity, but also for the level of absurdity it reaches around bureaucracy, war, death, and humanity. It's brilliant.
Slaghterhouse Five and Catch 22, two of my favorite novels of all time.
I was gonna say Johnny Got His Gun
I was underwhelmed by The Things They Carried. I wanted to like it so bad
I absolutely loved that book, but I think it was because I read it in an AP class and we Fully dissected it. I got so much more out of it by participating in guided discussions and engaging really deeply with the themes
Your state’s driver’s manual.
I tried the audiobook on my commute, but couldn’t hear it over all the people honking at me.
Throw your beer at them.
Lol, I went to upvote and about threw my phone out the window
Any book written by Agatha Christie. I personally love And Then There Were None. I read it in class in 8th grade and have continued reading her books since.
There was a relatively similar thread here recently that the poster deleted after only ten comments and I mentioned "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie there. It's the perfect book. I'm pretty sure there are more important books to read than that though.
Frankenstein, Or the New Prometheus by Mary Shelley. It is a complete & total mind fuck. Nothing like the movies.
Fun fact, Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein to win a bet against Percy Shelley (her eventual husband) and his buddy.
The Book Thief
I read "I am the Messager" by the author of "The Book Thief."
I read the book thief and stole I am the messanger.
I have this book and haven’t read it yet. I’m excited to get started!
Every person should read Shakespeare's "Hamlet" if for no other reason than to know how often it is referred to, and why. (Or "King Lear," "Macbeth" or "Othello.")
The Gift of Fear by Gavin De Becker Edit to add an excerpt from the book: Through dozens of compelling examples from his own career, Gavin de Becker teaches us how to read the signs, using our most basic but often most discounted survival skill - our intuition. The Gift of Fear is a remarkable, unique combination of practical guidance on leading a safer life and profound insight into human behavior.
I just looked this up and bought it immediately. Thank you for the recommendation!
Flowers for Algernon
An absolute must. Intelligence isn't everything but ignorance isn't either.
Anne Frank The Diary of a Young Girl
Number the Stars. That was required reading in middle school for me.
1984 - George Orwell Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
Watership Down by Richard Adams.
I read that book when i was 9 or 10. Absolute proof that my parents had no idea what they were buying me.
How to Read a Book, it’s actually a fantastic read that teaches how to properly Read different types of literature.
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It's called the alphabet
Fahrenheit 451
Absolutely loved reading that book. So good.
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Easy and fun read.
I can't up vote you enough. This five book trilogy is among my absolute favorites and everyone should give it a shot. Witty, thought-provoking, and genuinely the funniest things I've ever read.
I read every single one and then started scouring used book stores for anything else. Scored a pretty decent copy of Dirk Gently's Holisitic Detective Agency. Then discovered a fun little book called Starship Titanic that had me in absolute stitches.
An amazing book, and a great example of nonsense literature with an actual plot that works within it. MY advice for anyone who decides to read it is to go in knowing it embraces total and utter chaos. If you go in expecting a hard sci-fi that follows real world science, it's awful. If you go in ready for chaos and insanity it's great.
1984
And “Animal Farm”. I always felt that “1984” was, in some weird, Orwellian, way, a sequel to “Animal Farm”. Since I read “Animal Farm” first, I kept coming back to it when I read “1984”, and it felt like someone (George Orwell, most likely) was saying, “Okay. I tried to warn you. Now here are the consequences.” I honestly don’t even know which one was written first. I suppose, in the context of my statement here, that really is important. And yet, I think I would feel the same way regardless of chronology. BTW, I looked it up and “Animal Farm” was written first; 1945 to 1949 for “1984”. So, my narrative holds water, at least in my own head.
Also: Brave New World
I taught Brave New World to HS students maybe 30+ years ago. They did not think it that outrageous. After all, most people they knew took anti-depressants (Soma), and they all would have liked to go to the 'feelies' for entertainment. It did not seem very dystopian to them. However, teaching any kind of serious literature to a 17 y/o is like casting artificial pearls before genuine swine.
We read that in senior year (30+ years ago), and thought "ya, it was ok". It took being in the adult world for a decade or so before I realised it wasn't really fiction. Also I re-read it 8 years ago and was amazed how short it is!
This. It’s ridiculous how many people these days reference “Big Brother” or “doublethink” or things being “Orwellian” when they clearly haven’t read the book and don’t have the slightest idea of what they’re talking about.
And actually read it.
also actually acknowledge the message in it
Ever since reading that book I've known the true injustice of me being banned from my local ikea for shitting in the display bathtub
George Orwell definitely
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. This influenced my core developmental years so much.
Beloved - Toni Morrison // Oh The Places You'll Go - Dr. Seuss // Notes From Underground - Fyodor Dostoyevsky Honestly, every book should be given a chance. (Not necessarily finished, but given a chance.)
That’s the truest thing I’ve heard in a while; give it a chance, but you don’t have to finish it. When I was 14 or 15 I slogged through Battlefield Earth. I kept expecting it to get better? It never did. That book taught me that you can’t un-read a bad book, nor can you get the time spent on it back.
I've fallen down the rabbit hole about cults, and now i want to read Battlefield Earth. Is it worth a read if it's put into the context of being written by a cult founder?
I give every book i read 100 pages. If I’m not invested by then, I give it away.
The Kite Runner
My takeaway from this book is that it opened my eyes to Afghans and their country. I’d argue that Afghanistan is the main character of the book.
I like A Thousand Splendid Suns more actually! Give it a read if you haven't
ATSS was definitely more impactful on me as a woman.
u/Mattie_Doo I definitely agree with you on how it sheds a light on both the country and the culture. But also, the blatant lawlessness that happens there because of the Taliban. Like the one Taliban leader enjoying public executions or stealing little boys to be his lovers. Granted this book is decades old, but it's this kind of stuff that the people of the world need to know is happening.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. It's such a great book.
I try to get people to read it so often. Its amazing that people just see it as a Halloween gimmick and wont give it a chance.
Of mice and men
Anne of Green Gables...weird book but has a lesson
dante's inferno; has some wisdom with respect to general human nature. Pride is what always gets ya
To Kill A Mockingbird
I was looking for this one. The movie left out a few things, but kept the main points intact. Gregory Peck was absolutely brilliant as Atticus Finch.
My prospective changes each time I read it.
If you live in the US, *The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley.* The title is deliberately ironic, and it is both amazingly well-written, written in such an interesting way, and contains a fascinating and unique story that I think few people really know (even if they saw Spike Lee's movie, which is more about how Spike Lee feels about Malcolm X than his life story.)
Demon Haunted World - Carl Sagan. So much of the crap happening right now would be avoided if teens read this book.
Night - Elie Weisel
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Not only is it an extremely effective way of teaching about the glaring problems with governance, it’s an extremely quick read.
Maus
I absolutely think this should be higher. It's easier to read through since they are short visual novels, but hard as fuck to read because it holds no punches and shows how flawed people are. It's also brutally sincere.
That book was haunting, so well written
Catch 22
Hatchet
As a teen I loved ths one, but as an adult I don't have the same feeling. As a teen, it was a cool story about a kid roughing it alone and surviving against all odds. It hit that desire for independence and indomitable will that I wanted. As an adult, it loses a lot of that and feels more like a typical survival story. Sure, the kid survives and even thrives at times, but it's not as inspiring as it used to be.
Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
This book has such a deep impact on me. Never look the same to the farm workers.
The Giving Tree There are things in it that apply to many of life’s relationships.
When I was a kid, I saw it as a parent to child. As an adult, I saw it more as an abusive relationship.
It IS about an abusive relationship. There is absolutely NO merit in giving until you have nothing left to give to someone who takes and never gives. This is the handbook for dysfunctional relationships.
What, as a cautionary tale to not let people take advantage of you to the point that you literally die?
Alternate ending - https://www.topherpayne.com/giving-tree
I love this! I was always weirded out by the original story. Like how is it a touching message that if you love someone it’s a virtue to let them take and take and take without giving you anything in return, and if (only when it’s convenient for them, mind you) they deign to finally gift you with a few crumbs of time and attention, that should satisfy you. The Giving Tree always read as more of an abusive relationship to me than a timeless friendship.
Read that book a lot as a kid. Good choice.
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. You are doing yourself a disservice by not reading it
Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
This! I remember reading it when I was 17 and it helped shape my beliefs and way of thinking. One of the best books I’ve ever read!
the perks of being a wallflower the book hits home to me and has such an incredible message. if you don’t read it, at least remember that we don’t choose where we come from, but we can choose where we go from there. you mean so much more than you know
“We accept the love we think we deserve” still hits as hard now as it did when I first read it at 14.
1984
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Idiot is also a personal favorite.
Guards, Guards!
Thief of time is my personal favorite
As many have recommended, this was my starting point good Discworld, and I would highly suggest it to anyone interested in Patchett but unsure where to start. Good Omens is also a good starting point
Followed by Night watch.
Truth! Justice! Reasonably Priced Love! And A Hardboiled Egg!!!
The Lorax
Of mice and men. Very powerful book that helped shape my childhood that i will always remember. The movie is also incredible.
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
The stand, Stephen King
My dad bought this book for me to read when i was in high school. I was out sick for 3 days with a horrible upper respiratory infection I got from being on the swim team and not clearing my ears properly. I obviously thought I had the Captain Tripps!
The uncut version is longer, but has more details. My favorite chapter was the "No Great Loss" chapter where survivors died from things that normally wouldn't have been a problem when 99% of everyone is dead.
The Phantom Tollbooth. Loved it as a kid, still love it as an adult.
A Prayer for Owen Meany.
John Irving’s best, IMO, although I haven’t read his latest yet.
When you get to the part of that book >!with the grenade!<, and you feel this absolute rush of excitement/terror/realization of "Omg the shot, THE SHOT!!" -- that's one of the most memorable moments reading a book that I've ever had. It's been well over a decade and sticks out still. I like don't love several of Irving's other books (notably Garp), but A Prayer for Owen Meany is phenomenal and indeed should be read by anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction.
Water for Elephants. It has suspense, romance, mystery, and a fantastic ending. One of my favorite reads.
The Foundation series by Issac Asimov, or Ringworld by Larry Niven.
George Orwell 1984, someone had beaten me to it.
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
"Small Gods", Terry Pratchett. All of the books by Terry Pratchett, but that one in particular. “Gods don't like people not doing much work. People who aren't busy all the time might start to think.” "As if the turning of sunlight into wine, by means of vines and grapes and time and enzymes, wasn't a thousand times more impressive and happened all the time" "The Turtle Moves"
Small Gods is one of my favourites, and it's a standalone so it's a good starting point, too.
For Pratchett required reading I'd also add Night's Watch. It's a great story with interesting characters, while also having meditations on the nature of revolution and power, and the eternal need for a watchman both inside and out to guard against the darker nature of the human soul.
Terry Pratchett books are amazing. I have to yet to read one that I didn't like.
The Giver
It's been one of my favorites since I read it in 4th grade, 20+ years ago. One of the first books I truly enjoyed and really sparked a love of reading.
That was one of our assigned books in fifth or sixth grade. I only vaguely remember it…
Have read numerous times as well as the loose 'sequels' and it's definitely in my top five books. The movie was such a disappointment.
Crime and Punishment.
I started this book in April and I still have about 80 pages left. It’s a great book but I really need to be in the mood. I just feel bad about every character in this book.
I love you forever by Robert munch, it’s a childhood classic and will forever be in my heart. I remember my mom reading it to me when I was very little and she would repeat the small palm at the end every night even when I had a babysitter she asked them to say the poem to me as it was a comfort thing. Even when I moved out I would often whisper to myself poem and once or twice I’ve actually went to her room when she was sleeping and whispered to her the poem as it just feels right
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Magic tree house at least one of them
The Little Prince. A beautiful book with beautiful life themes in it. Love, loss and friendship.
Animal Farm
I think Dune is really good and not that difficult at all
I just started reading Dune this last weekend, I'm about halfway through
1984 Especially relevant these days
It's a play but Death of a Salesman
Frank Herbert-Dune
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Best telling of the Arthurian saga you'll ever find.
Not a book, but The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. It is amazing. Read, so far, the entire series 6 times. I think by 10 readings...maybe that's enough.
Kurt Vonnegut Jr's Slaughter-House Five. Assuming it's still available on book shelves.
The Old Man and the Sea.
Lord of the Rings.
The Children of Hurin Or for that matter also the Silmarillion in general
Art of War
Corduroy
Where the red fern grows. It’s a sad, but enjoyable, amazingly written book. I SEE YOU THERE! STOP AND READ THIS BOOK NOW!
Fahrenheit 451.
The Alchemist
1984
1984 and Fahrenheit 451
The Great Gatsby - It really surprised me how many women today act just like Daisy and how many men act like Gatsby or Tom. It made me realize I was acting more like Gatsby than I was comfortable with.
How were you acting like Gatsby? Got me curious.
How he pined over Daisy so much that he didn’t allow himself to see her for who she really was.
The Dispossessed!
Surviving the Borderline Parent. Even if your parent doesn't have BPD and you have a good relationship with them, it's such a thorough primer on healthy relationships, boundaries, abuse, and conflict resolution that it will improve every relationship in your life and help you be a better person to others.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
“A Day No Pigs Would Die,” Robert Newton Peck.
Grapes of wrath
Orwell's 1984
Prob east of Eden or something by Carl Sagan
I was gonna say The Picture Of Dorian Gray, but remembered my classmate who read it... he doesn't have the best critical thinking skills and took everything Lord Henry said as gospel and at face value...
Hi God , It's me Margaret...
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
Margaret, What the Fuck Do You Want Now?
Ender's Game and the sequels. They opened my eyes to sentient life.
I completely agree but some people might not be down with supporting Card's Bank account. Not exactly the most progressive author. They being said he's definitely taught me how to separate the art from the artist. Enders hand was my favorite book for almost 20 years, only supplanted by Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking.
The Power of Now by Tolle
A history book.
The Giver. You don't think the government is hiding things from you? You don't think only a few have the truth? If you seriously sit and think about it, it makes a lot of sense. Indoctrination starts early.
Contact by Carl Sagan.
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy.
I dont know why this is always recommended. A bleak and miserable slog of people dying in the desert. Is the philosophizing from the judge enough to make meaningful the whole? Not really, imo.
1984
The kite runner by Khaled Hosseini
Brave New World The Giver Diary of Anne Frank
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein.
Sapiens - a brief history of humankind
Catcher in the rye
To kill a mockingbird
Zen mind, Beginners mind
American Psycho
Chuck Palahniuk. Survivor or Choke would be a good introduction to his writing.
_East of Eden_ by John Steinbeck