Aside from the Hunger Games series, which is a book series I am all for by the way, there are tons of books that should be on your list to read while on the beach (or commuting to an internship or work).
Ever have that social awkwardness where a book in referenced and everyone laughs or adds their opinion and you are just left nodding along? Reading some classics can prevent that. If Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Macbeth are a little too high school for you, Homers The Odyssey may not be the best choice for you. Head to the library or bookstore (yes, some of those still exist) and pick up a few different classics. Look for authors Charlotte Brontë, Mark Twain, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and Ernest Hemingway. See if any of their styles appeal to you. Each of them have multiple books that have become classics, thus if you find an author you like, you can continue reading classics by that author.
If not, check out some of these classics:
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
- 1984 by George Orwell
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding
- Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
- Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
- The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Now when someone says “Big Brother is watching” or “who are you, Holden Caulfield?” you will understand what they are saying. If you’re looking to go for titles that are recently popular, you could go mainstream and keep track of The New York Time’s Best Seller List. Right now, Fifty Shakes of Grey by E. L. James seems to be what everyone is reading.
Just like music, there are classics, mainstream, and your specific taste that may take time to figure out, but when you find an author you like, it is worth it. It is just like music in this sense. You may have to listen to some things you’re not really a fan of, but just like you know within a minute or two of listening to a band, you know if you like them or not. Try to head to an updated library or a bookstore and browse. Ask someone who works there to recommend an author based on an author or two you know you like.
If you have a Nook or other eReader, in most cases, you can read a sample of a book before buying it. You can also browse and check out the books they recommend for you.
Happy reading!
– TravelBug
Worthy of mention on your list is the rising star novel Walking Wakan. – a book like none you’ve ever read before. Interesting characters and unusual setting with a real sense of history.