This week is all about that dreaded required reading for school, and with classes starting soon, this is a very fitting topic. As a kid I loved to read, and as you can tell, not much as changed. But reading for my classes always seemed to be the worst thing I could have imagined. Of course I had some pretty bad experiences with required reading (ahem, “Romeo and Juliet” —it’s not a love story people!), but I also discovered amazing stories I never would have otherwise read. So here we go…

1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I read this freshman year of high school, and it was the first book I actually liked reading that I was told to read. I have a pretty strong sense of resistance when I’m told to do something (meaning that if I’m told to read something, I will, but I probably won’t like it). But I fell in love with Scout’s life and the story surrounding her. I actually can’t wait to read this book again.

2. Life of Pi by Yan Martel

I talked about this a couple weeks ago, so I won’t say much here. I just want to say that this is a book everyone should read. I had to read this before freshman year of high school for my AP class. It was fantastic, amazing, and probably better than the movie. So read it.

3. Beloved byToni Morrison

I also talked about this in my Top Ten Tuesday about diversity. I read this senior year of high school, and it was the perfect mix of creepy and entertaining.

4. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

This is actually a short story I read junior year of high school. It’s a creepy tale of a woman suffering from depression. I’ve read it a couple times since then, and I like it even more after each read.

5. Animal Farm by George Orwell

I actually wasn’t required to read this in high school, but I know a lot  of people who were. I read this recently, over Christmas break last year, and I fell in love with Orwell’s writing. It’s an easy read packed with huge meaning.

Do you have any required reading that you haven’t hated? Leave a comment below!

Happy reading,
Kimberly