HOLYPORT COLLEGE GCSE READING LIST
GCSE TEXTS AT HOLYPORT COLLEGE 2015-17
The following texts will be studied by all pupils taking GCSE English
Literature. All texts will be assessed in a written exam at the end of Year 11.
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Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
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The Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson or
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
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An Inspector Calls by JB Priestley or
The History Boys by Alan Bennett
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Never Let me Go by Kazuo Ishiguo or
Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman
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AQA Poetry Anthology (texts to be confirmed)
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Unseen Poetry
All pupils will study these texts in class as part of the curriculum. Pupils will need to have a
full understanding of the narrative, characters and themes of all texts listed above.
Therefore, they should aim to read each at least twice. Study guides are extremely useful
and can be bought cheaply. However, reading study guides alone will not give pupils the
detailed understanding that is needed for success at GCSE. They should be wisely to
complement a secure knowledge of the texts.
Whilst it is important to have a full understanding of assessed texts,
pupils must not lose sight of the importance of reading for pleasure.
Reading a wide variety of novels and genres will help with pupils’
all-round development. Ultimately, reading is most beneficial when
it is fun and challenging.
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HOLYPORT COLLEGE GCSE READING LIST
OTHER TEXTS ON AQA ENGLISH LITERATURE GCSE
19th Century Novels
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Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Modern Drama
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Blood Brothers by Willy Russell
DNA by Dennis Kelly
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (play) by Simon Stephens
20th Century Novels
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Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Anita and Me by Meera Syal
Short Stories (sample examples at September 2015)
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Chemistry by Graham Swift
Odour of Chrysanthemums by DH Lawrence
My Polish Teacher’s Tie by Helen Dunmore
Korea by John McGahern
A Family Supper by Kazuo Ishiguro
Invisible Mass of the Back Row by Laudette Williams
The Darkness Out There by Penelope Lively
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HOLYPORT COLLEGE GCSE READING LIST
READING FOR PLEASURE: SOME GREAT STARTERS
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The Beach by Alex Garland
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High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
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The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
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Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susannah Clarke
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Junk by Melvin Burgess
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Life of Pi by Yann Martel
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Refugee Boy by Benjamin Zephaniah
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The Secret History by Donna Tartt
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The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
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The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
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The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
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Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
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Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
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Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephan Chbosky
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The Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner by Alan Sillitoe
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The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
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The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad
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Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby
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HOLYPORT COLLEGE GCSE READING LIST
OLD FAVOURITE: JOHN STEINBECK
Of Mice and Men
The classic tale of George and Lennie epitomises the struggle of ranch life for the migrant
workers in 1930s California. It depicts the brutality and fragility of the American Dream in
one of the most moving and evocative works of 20th Century fiction. Essential reading for all
GCSE students.
The Grapes of Wrath
Like Of Mice and Men, this is a tale of false hopes and broken dreams. The Joad Family are
like thousands of other ‘Oakies’ who are forced to travel west in search of the promised land.
Cannery Row
One of my favourites: Cannery Row follows the adventures of Mack and the Boys, a group of
unemployed yet resourceful men. The plot follows their elaborate plans to throw Doc a
party, but their plans go awry and the party soon turns to chaos. An entertaining tale of the
eclectic mix of inhabitants of Cannery Row, California.
Sweet Thursday
According to Steinbeck, ‘Sweet Thursday’ is wedged between ‘Lousy Wednesday’ and
‘Waiting Friday’. Written in 1954, this novel is the sequel to Cannery Row and returns to the
lives of Mack and the Boys, Doc and Lee Chong.
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HOLYPORT COLLEGE GCSE READING LIST
AND SOME CLASSICS:
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Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
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The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger
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Dracula by Bram Stoker
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1984 by George Orwell
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Brighton Rock by Graham Greene
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To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee
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The War of the Worlds by HG Wells
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The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
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The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
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Selected Tales by Edgar Allan Poe
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The Colour Purple by Alice Walker
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A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
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Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh
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Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
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Enduring Love by Ian McEwan
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Albert Camus by The Stranger
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Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
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Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
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Dubliners by James Joyce
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Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
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Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
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Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
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HOLYPORT COLLEGE GCSE READING LIST
A NEW FAVOURITE: KHALED HOSSEINI
The Kite Runner
Not for the fainthearted, this is a gripping and emotional story of two young boys living in
Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. Hassan and Amir are desperate to win the local kitefighting tournament—a popular Afghan pastime, and this is Amir's one hope of winning his
father's love. But just like the kites battling in the sky, war comes to Afghanistan, and the
country becomes an extremely dangerous place.
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Whilst The Kite Runner was the tale of two Afghan boys, this is the female counterpart
following two women and two Afghan cities. Again, it depicts the characters’ struggle to live
amid the warfare and ethnic rivalries of contemporary Afghanistan.
And the Mountains Echoed
Starting in Afghanistan in 1952, Hosseini’s third novel travels from Kabul to Paris to San
Francisco to Greece in a story that explores the ways in which families nurture, wound,
betray, honor, and sacrifice for one another.
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HOLYPORT COLLEGE GCSE READING LIST
ACROSS THE CURRICULUM
History
• Hiroshima by John Hersey (literary non-fiction)
• Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
• The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
• Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
• The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
• Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracey Chevalier
• All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Geography
• Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson (literary non-fiction)
• A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (literary non-fiction)
• Brazil by John Updike (literary non-fiction)
• A Passage to India by EM Forster
• Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier
• Andorra by Max Frisch (literary non-fiction)
• Poland by James A Michener (literary non-fiction)
Science
• A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
• Collapse by Jared Diamond
• Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku
• Mastermind by Maria Konnikova
• The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D Wattles
• The Science of Interstellar by Kip Thorne
Sport
• Bounce by Matthew Syed
• Last Man Standing by Christy O’Connor
• The Dirtiest Race in History by Richard Moore
• Run, Swim, Throw, Cheat: the Science Behind Drugs in Sport by Chris Cooper
• The Sports GENE: Talent, Practice and the Truth About Success
• Podium: Sporting Champions’ Paths to the Top by Ben Oakley
Maths
• Fermat's Last Theorem by Simon Singh
• How not to be Wrong by Jordan Ellenberg
• Why Do Buses Come in Threes by Rob Eastaway and Jeremy Wyndham
• Flatland by Edwin Abbott
• The Simpsons and their Mathematical Secrets by Simon Singh
Religious Studies
• Religion for Atheists by Alain de Bottom
• The Case for God: What Religion Really Means
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HOLYPORT COLLEGE GCSE READING LIST
OLD FAVOURITE: WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Shakespeare often sends shivers down the spine of teenage students as getting to grips with
the language is often a daunting prospect. Remember that Shakespeare was written to be
performed and the best way to understand Shakespeare is to watch the films and see it live
at the theatre. Don’t feel you have to read them fully – watch the films and read the key
scenes only.
Start with the following – they are the more accessible plays and all have relatively recent
films.
The Merchant of Venice.
Much Ado About Nothing.
As You Like It.
Macbeth.
If you have already seen or studied these plays and want something more challenging, try
his great tragedies: King Lear, Hamlet & Othello.
The Tales of Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb is a fantastic introduction to
the narrative of his plays. This is a great starting point for those people who struggle with
the language. The BBC also made a series of ‘Shakespeare Retold’ films that are modern
adaptations. These are well worth watching.
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HOLYPORT COLLEGE GCSE READING LIST
POETRY FAVOURITE : CAROL ANN DUFFY
The World’s Wife
Duffy re-tells some of history’s most enduring stories as she seeks to present the women
behind the scenes. From Mrs Midas and Queen Herrod to the sisters of Elvis and the Kray
Twins, Duffy gives a glorious and powerful voice to those who have remained voiceless for
centuries. Essential reading for all.
(LITERARY) NON-FICTION
As part of the GCSE English Language, pupils will have to read and answer questions on
non-fiction, which includes ‘literary non-fiction’. To prepare for this, it is best to simply read
a wide variety of non-fiction as part of your language development. Try to include some
literary works as part of this.
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The Cries of London by Joseph Addison.
Death of a Solider by Louisa May Alcott.
Nights in London by Thomas Burke.
The San Francisco Earthquake by Jack London.
I know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou.
Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin.
Notes From a Small Island by Bill Bryson.
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway.
The Big Sea by Langston Hughes.
Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck.
A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
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