 |
Thomas Pynchon, Gravity's Rainbow:
"A postmodern tour de force revolving around V2 rockets that the
Nazis dropped on London in the latter years of WWII. This
encyclopedic novel is by turns profound, wacky, sublime, informative,
nauseating, and hilarious. A masterpiece by an elusive author."
(Recommended by Tim Strzechowski) |
|
|
 |
Gus Lee, China Boy: "A
funny, sensitive, touching story of a young boy who learns to survive in a
rough neighborhood." (Recommended by Joyce Zywica)
|
 |
Tim O'Brian, In the Lake of the Woods:
"The wife of a Viet Nam war veteran disappears."
(Recommended by Joyce Zywica)
|
|
|
 |
Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell To Arms:
"Although Hemingway is not my favorite author, he certainly snagged
me with this beautiful story of love and war." (Recommended by
Joy Schmit)
|
 |
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Frankenstein:
"A fascinating book about the effects of having no positive
relationship with anyone, about being utterly alone and
abandoned." (Recommended by Greg Krikava) |
 |
J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the
Sorcorer's Stone: "I believe that
there is a little of every one of us in Harry -- and if not in him, then
in one of the other characters. I'm on pins & needles waiting
for the rest of the books in the series." (Recommended by
Heather Hickman) |
 |
Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers:
"Dickens's novels are able to amuse and instruct each time they're
read." (recommended by Tim Strzechowski)
Also, check out David Copperfield
and Bleak House
|
|
|
 |
Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales:
"Tales of all types, and characters of all types."
(Recommended by Sharon Cognetti) |
 |
John Milton, Paradise Lost:
"Quite simply, this is the most magnificent piece of
literature written in the English language, made all the more astounding
by the fact that the poet wrote it while completely blind, dictating
passages to his daughters. Milton's character of Satan is deliciously
evil!" (Recommended by Tim Strzechowski) |
 |
Edward Rutherford, London:
"This will explain everything you ever wanted to know about the
history of England (and I do mean everything) in a fictional
context." (Recommended by Joyce Zywica)
|
 |
David Eddings, The Belgariad (series
of 5 books): "I'm a sucker for long
fantasy series. This one is full of fun and good characters.
They've been on my list since high school." (Recommended by
Aimee Farquhar) |
|
|
|
|
 |
Bill Moyers, Genesis:
"Bill Moyers documents his conversations with scholars, doctors, and
artists about this book of the Bible. I gained new ideas and
insights about creation itself, and particularly women in the Bible. A
very stimulating discussion." (Recommended by Joy Schmit) |
 |
Adam Bagdasarian, Forgotten Fire:
"This is a great book to remind us that not everyone can live in
freedom as we do. The protagonist grows up in a world most of us
only glimpse on the news." (Recommended by Heather Hickman) |
 |
Homer, The Odyssey:
"A many-island adventure story with reminders of home and
family." (Recommended by Sharon Cognetti) |
 |
Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter:
"Good, old-fashioned Puritan guilt incubated by adultery!"
(Recommended by Tim Strzechowski)
Also, check out Nathaniel Hawthorne's The
House of the Seven Gables
|
