S4-S6RecommendedReading
The"Classic"Classics
Austen,Jane
PrideandPrejudice
Everyproudposhboydeservesaprejudicedgirl.Andastatelypile.ThisisthemotherofallRomantic
Comedies,andtheGreat,Great,GreatGranofBridgetJones'Diary.
Brontë,Charlotte
JaneEyre
Poorandobscureandplainassheis,MrRochesterwantstomarryher.Illegally.(OneofMrsWeir's
TopThreeofAllTime)
Brontë,Emily WutheringHeights
Outonthewinding,windymoorsCathyandHeathcliffbecomeeachother’s“souls”.Thenhestorms
off.
Dickens,Charles
DavidCopperfield
DebtanddeceptioninDickens’ssemi-autobiographicalBildungsromancrammedwithcads,creeps
andcapitalfellows.
Defoe,Daniel RobinsonCrusoe
AslavetraderisshipwreckedbutfindsGod,andanativetoconvert,onadesertisland.
Dumas,Alexandre
TheThreeMusketeers
“Oneforallandallforone”:theeponymousswashbucklersbattlethemysteriousMilady.
Eliot,George Middlemarch
“OneofthefewEnglishnovelswrittenforgrown-uppeople,”saidVirginiaWoolf.(OneofMrsWeir's
TopThree,okay,four)
Forster,EM
APassagetoIndia
AfalseaccusationexposestheracistoppressionofBritishruleinIndia.
ARoomWithaView
AyoungEnglishwomanmakesherfirstvisittoFlorence,Italyintheearly1900's.There,shemeetsa
quietyeteccentricyoungman.
Hardy,Thomas TessoftheD’Urbervilles
Sexualdoublestandardsarehelduptothecold,Wessexlightinthisruraltragedy.
Hawthorne,Nathaniel TheScarletLetter
AnovelsetinthePuritancommunityofBostonintheseventeenthcentury.
Shelley,Mary Frankenstein
Humanendeavours“tomockthestupendousmechanismoftheCreatoroftheworld”havetragic
consequences.
Sterne,Laurence
TristramShandy
ThecriticSamuelJohnsonthoughtSterne’sbawdy,experimentalnovelwastoooddtolast.Pah!
Twain,Mark TheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn
AboyandarunawayslavesetsailontheMississippi,awayfromAntebellum“sivilisation”.
Wilde,Oscar APictureofDorianGrey
DorianGrey’svileanddeceptiveactionsfailtohaveanyconsequenceforhim,butapaintingofhim
showsthatthestainsonhissoulexist.AGothichorrorclassic.
Wharton,Edith
TheHouseofMirth
LilyBartcravesluxurytoomuchtomarryforlove.Scandalandsleepingpillsensue.
Tolstoy,Leo AnnaKarenina
Tolstoy’sdoomedadulteressgrewfromadaydreamof“abareexquisitearistocraticelbow”.
ModernClassics(1900-1970)
Burgess,Anthony
AClockworkOrange
Anightmarevisionofyouthcultureinrevolt.
Achebe,Chinua
ThingsFallApart
ANigerianyamfarmer’slocalleadershipisshakenbyaccidentaldeathandamissionary’sarrival.
Fitzgerald,FScott
TheGreatGatsby
Amysteriousmillionaire’sloveforawomanwith“avoicefullofmoney”getshimintrouble.The
epitomeofroaring20sJazzAgestyle.
Amis,Kingsley LuckyJim
Anuncommittedhistorylecturerclasheswithhispompousboss,getsdrunkandgetsthegirl.
Greene,Graham
BrightonRock
ThestoryofPinkie,aboygangsterandseasidesociopathwhomucksupmurderandmarriageinprewarBritaininGreene’sliteraryPunchandJudyshow.
Ishiguro,Kazuo TheRemainsoftheDay
This1989BookerPrizewinnerattemptstocaptureaperiodinBritishhistoryanddrawaportraitofa
maninoldage.
Joyce,James
Ulysses
ModernistmasterpiecereworkingofHomerwithhumour.Hasoneofthelongest“sentences”in
Englishliterature:4,391words.
Kerouac,Jack OnTheRoad
1950’sundergroundAmerica:‘Thelivingepitomeofbeat’
leCarré,John Tinker,Tailor,Soldier,Spy
NurseryrhymeprovidesthecodenamesforBritishspiessuspectedoftreason.
Lee,Harper
ToKillaMockingbird
Achild’s-eyeviewofracialprejudiceandfreakyneighboursinThirtiesAlabama.Thisisnovel
everyoneshouldread.(OneofMrsWeir'sTopThreeofallTime)
Maupin,Amistead
Talesofthecity
LivingandlovinginthecityofSanFranciscointhe1970’s.
Morrison,Toni Beloved
SetinKentuckyinthemid-1800’s,aprizewinning,jazzinflectednovelabouttheabolitionofslavery.
Salinger,JD
TheCatcherintheRye
Expelledfroma“phony”prepschool,adolescentanti-herogoesthroughadifficultphase.
Steinbeck,John
TheGrapesofWrath
“Okies”setoutfromtheDepressiondustbowlseekingdecentwagesanddignity.AnAmerican
Classic.
Tolkein,JRR TheLordoftheRings
WHAudenthoughtthistaleoffantasticcreatureslookingforlostjewellerywasa“masterpiece”.
Walker,Alice TheColorPurple
Thestoryofawomanforcedintoanuglymarriage,withnoonetotalktobutGod,untilshemeetsa
womanwhooffersherloveandsupport.
Waugh,Evelyn Scoop
WaughbasedthehaplessjuniorreporterinthisjournalisticfarceonformerTelegrapheditorBill
Deedes.
ContemporaryLiterature(1970-)
Ali,Monica
BrickLane
ThetaleofNazneenandherjourneyfromherhomeinBangladeshtoLondonwhereshemustbuild
anewlife.
Coetzee,JM
Teacher-studentrelationshipsinSouthAfrica.BookerPrizeforFiction1999
Cleave,Chris
Disgrace
TheOtherHand
Thestoryoftwowomenwhomeet,oneofwhomhastomakeaterriblechoice.Thisisthetaleof
whathappenswhentheymeettwoyearslater.
Coehlo,Paulo TheAlchemist
Thestoryofayoungshepherdboywholearnshowtolivehisdream.
Deighton,Len FuneralinBerlin
Setin1960’sBerlin,thisnoveltellsofthesellingofanimportantRussianscientisttotheWest.But
theherosoondiscoversthat,behindthefaçadeofamockfuneral,liesagameofdeadlymanoeuvres
andruthlesstricks.
DeLillo,Don
Underworld
Frombaseballtonuclearwaste,alllate-20th-centuryAmericanlifeishere.
Faber,Michel SomeRainMustFall
Acollectionofstoriesthatrevealanextraordinaryimagination,adeeploveoflanguageandan
adventurousversatility.
UndertheSkin
Acharacterisobsessedwithpickinguplone,malehitchhikerswhoaremuscularandfit.
Fowles,John
TheCollector
Thetaleofacollectorandhiscaptive.Wewatchasshestrugglestoescapeandfreeherself.
Garland,Alex TheBeach
AyoungtravellerdiscoversparadiseinThailandbut,soon,hisheaventurnsintohell.
Irving,John
APrayerforOwenMeany
ElevenyearoldOwenMeanyhitsafoulballinabaseballgameandkillshisbestfriend’smother.He
doesnotbelievethereissuchathingasaccidentsandbelievehehasbeenGod’sinstrument.
McEwan,Ian
Atonement
Ayounggirlmistakessomethingsheseesandherresultingactionsgoontocausemiseryforothers.
Thisisthebookthatdarestoputthe“c”wordintheclassicEnglishcountryhousenovel.
Némirovsky,Irène
SuiteFrancaise
Published60yearsaftertheirauthorwasgassed,thesetwonovellasportraycityandvillagelifein
Nazi-occupiedFrance.
Tan,Amy
TheJoyLuckClub
AstoryoffourmothersandtheirfirstgenerationChinese-Americandaughters.
Tremain,Rose TheRoadHome
LevtravelstoBritainfromEasternEuropetofindabrighterfinancialfuture.
Warner,Alan TheSopranos
Agirl’schoirheadsofftothebigcityforthenationalfinalsofamajorcompetitionbutthegirlsare
moreinterestedinpub-crawling,shopliftingandbody–piercing.
Crime
Chandler,Raymond TheBigSleep
“Deadmenareheavierthanbrokenhearts”inthishardboiledcrimenoir.
Child,Lee
GoneTomorrow
DetectiveJackReachernoticesasuspiciouslookingpassengerwhomatchesthespecificationsfora
potentialsuicidebomber.
Collins,Wilkie TheMoonstone
HailedbyTSEliotas“thefirstandthebestofmodernEnglishdetectivenovels”.
Doyle,ArthurConan TheHoundoftheBaskervilles
Adrugaddictchasesaghostlydogacrossthemidnightmoors.
Highsmith,Patricia
TheTalentedMrRipley
TomRipleyisgivenanassignmenttogotoItalytopersuadeasonandheirtoreturnhome.Instead
hemurdershimandcontrivestoinherithisfortune.
Hoeg,Peter
MissSmilia’sFeelingforSnow
AlittleboyfallsoffaroofinCopenhagenandiskilled.Smilla,hisneighbour,suspectsitisnotan
accident.
Rankin,Ian
MortalCauses
ScottishcrimefictionwithDetectiveJohnRebuswithaviolentopeningchaptersetinMaryKing's
CloseinEdinburgh'soldtown.
ScienceFiction
Adams,Douglas
TheHitchhiker’sGuidetotheGalaxy
EarthisdemolishedtomakewayforaHyperspatialExpressRoute.Don’tpanic.Theanswertolife,
theuniverseandeverythingwillberevealed.
Atwood,Margaret
TheHandmaid’sTale
TheRepublicofGileadoffersOffredonlyoneoption;tobreed.Ifshedoesn’tcomplythenshewillbe
hangedatthewallorsentoutsidetodieslowlyofradiationsickness.
Bradbury,Ray Farenheit451
Firstpublishedin1953,avisionofaweirdbutnottoodistantfuturewherescholarsareoutcastsand
booksareburnt.
McCarthy,Cormac
TheRoad
Inapost-apocalypticworld,afatherandsonfightforsurvival,battlingagainstcold,hungerand
gangsofcannibals.
Orwell,George 1984
InwhichBigBrotherisevenmoresinisterthantheTVseriesitinspired.
Wells,H.G.
TheWaroftheWorlds
ClassicSci-FitaleinwhichmartiansdescendontheCotswolds.
TheTimeMachine
TheTimeTravellerrecountshisexperiencesoftimeasafourthdimensiontohisdinnerguests.
War
Ballard,JG
EmpireoftheSun
AyoungboywhogoesfromlivinginawealthyBritishfamilyinShanghai,tobecomingaprisonerof
warinaJapaneseinternmentcamp,duringWorldWarII.Acomingofagesemi-autobiographical
warstory.
DeBernieres,Louis
CaptainCorelli’sMandolin
WhentheAxispowersreachaGreekisland,CaptainCorelliisbilletedonthedoctor’shouseandfalls
inlovewithhisdaughter.
Faulks,Sebastian
Birdsong
Alovestory,setinFrancebeforeandduringtheFirstWorldWar.
Faulks,Sebastian
CharlotteGray
SetinNazi-occupiedFranceattheheightofWorldWarII,CharlotteGraytellsthecompellingstoryof
ayoungScottishwomanworkingwiththeFrenchResistanceinthehopeofrescuingherlover,a
missingRAFpilot.
Keneally,T
Schindler’sArk
ThestoryofaflamboyantGermanindustrialistwhoriskedhislifetoprotectJewsinNazioccupied
Germany.
Schlink,Bernhard
TheReader
TracestherelationshipbetweenaGermanlawyerandanolderwoman,whohediscovershadbeena
guardatAuschwitz.
ScottishLiterature
Banks,Ian
Complicity
Whenseveralprominentpeoplediemysteriously,thepolicebeatapathtothedoorofanEdinburgh
journalistknownforhisaddictiontodrugsandcomputergames.
Brookmyre,ChristopherQuiteUglyOneMorning
AjournalistfindshimselfinvolvedwithanumberofcharactersincludinganinepthitmanfromEssex,
agamblingmedic,nowdead,hisex-wife,andafemaledetectiveconstablewithattitude.
Donovan,Anne
BuddhaDa
AhumoroustaleofhowaGlaswegianmandiscoversBuddhism.
Galloway,Janice
TheTrickisToKeepBreathing
AyoungdramateacherintheWestofScotlandstruggleswithpsychologicalproblems.
Greig,Andrew ElectricBrae
Love,loyalty,betrayal–andiceclimbing.Prize-winningnovelwiththeOldManofHoyatitscentre.
Jenkins,Robin TheChangeling
ThirteenyearoldTomisonprobationfortheftwhenoneofhisteachersdecidestotakehimon
holidaywithhisfamily.Theeffectofthisdecisionformsthebasisofthestory.
Lindsay,Douglas
TheLongMidnightofBarneyThomson
SetinGlasgow,thistellsthetaleofaserialkillerbarber.Blackhumour.
McIlvanney,William
TheBigMan
ThestoryofDanScoular,alegendofphysicalprowessinadecayingAyrshirecommunity.
McIlvanney,William
Laidlaw
TheunconventionaldetectiveJackLaidlawmakeshisdebut.SetinGlasgow.
Spark,Muriel ThePrimeofMissJeanBrodie
AnEdinburghschoolteacherimposesherbigpersonalityandviewsonthegirlsshedecidesto
transform–withunexpectedresults.
Spence,Alan
WayToGo
ThisNovelliftsthelidontheGlasgowundertakingindustryandcontinuesthethemeofexploring
spiritualityandemotionalsalvation.
Stevenson,R.L. DrJekyllandMrHyde
Thetaleofadoctorwhodiscoverstheultimatedrugandhowitturnshimintosomethingelse.
Humour
Doyle,Roddy PaddyClarke,HaHaHa
Aten-yearoldboyinDublindescribeshisworld.
TheWomanWhoWalkedIntoDoors
Prize-winnerRoddyDoyle’snovelisthestoryofanordinarywomanfromDublinandherstormy
relationshipwithherhusband.
TheCommitments
Thestoryofasoulbandsetupbyagroupofunemployedyoungsters.
Fry,Stephen
MakingHistory
Aplotinvolvingthecreationofanalternativehistoricaltimeline-onewhereAdolfHitlernever
existed.
Nicholls,David StarterforTen
ThemisadventuresofstudentBrianJacksoninhisfirstyearatuniversityandasternwarningagainst
cheatingontelevisedquizshows.
Townsend,Sue NumberTen
Teenageandmid-lifecrisesinthefamilyfromhell.Ableak,perceptiveandwickedlyentertaining
novelaboutadysfunctionalEdinburghfamily.
Biography
Angelou,Maya
IKnowWhytheCagedBirdSings
AchildfromtheAmericanSouthissenttolivewithhergrandmotherafterherparentsdivorce.A
bookasjoyousandpainful,asmysteriousandmemorable,aschildhooditself.
Bauby,Jean-DominigueTheDivingBellandtheButterfly
ThetruestoryofElleeditorJean-DominiqueBaubywhosufferedastrokeandwasparalysed,with
theonlyexceptionofsomemovementinhisheadandeyes.TheentirebookwaswrittenbyBauby
dictatingbyblinkinghislefteyelid,whichtooktenmonths(fourhoursaday).Twodaysafterthe
bookwaspublished,Baubydied.
Bryson,Bill
NotesFromABigCountry
Hilariousobservationalhumourfromfamoustravelwriter;thistimeheentertainsuswithwhatitis
liketoliveintheUSA.
Fry,Stephen
MoabisMyWashpot
StephenFry’sautobiography,coveringthefirst20yearsofhislife.Heiscandidabouthismany
weaknesses,includingstealing,cheatingandlying.
Hind,Laura
BornFree
Heartwarmingtaleofthereal-lifecouplewhoraisedElsatheLioness,anorphanedlioncub,to
adulthood,andreleasedherintothewildernessofKenya.Animalloverswilllovethis.
Thisisjustasmallselectionofbookswhichareofahighqualityandwillstretchyouasreaders.Your
vocabularywilldevelopandyouwillexperienceavarietyoftechniques,structuresandplotswhichmay
helptoinspireyou.Theauthorsmentionedwillusuallyhavemorethanoneworkandthisisreallyjusta
startingpointforyou.
Ifyouarestrugglingtogetintoreadinginthefirstplacethenbelowareanumberofwebsiteswhichwill
giveyousomegoodideasforinterestingreads.
http://www.modernlibrary.com/top-100/100-best-novels/
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/43.Best_Young_Adult_Books
http://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/booklists/
http://www.tvbookclub.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/qs_home_tbp?storeId=351&catalogId=353&lan
gId=100