My English teacher will be assigning an individual novel study project soon. He gave us a list of books we may choose from and I am unfamiliar with all of these titles and authors. Have y’all read any of these books and could you possibly give me a recommendation? (I am not picky about any genres so recommend anything you like!)
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian – Sherman Alexie
Speak – Laurie Halse Anderson
Anger is a Gift – Mark Oshiro
Monday’s Not Coming – Tiffany Jackson
Fat Chance Charlie Vega – Crystal Maldonadp
How it Went Down – Kekla Magoon
Grown – Tiffany Jackson
Beloved – Toni Morrison
The Bluest Eye – Toni Morrison
Sunrise Over Fallujah – Walter Dean Myers
Monster – Walter Dean Myers
Harlem Blues – Walter Dean Myers
When I was the Greatest – Walter Dean Myers
Patina – Jason Reynolds
Frankly In Love – David Yoon
The Sun Is also a Star – Nicola Yoon
All American Boys – Jason Reynolds
Boy 21 – Matthew Quick
The Help – Kathryn Stockett
The Good Braider – Terry Farish
The Ash Garden – Dennis Brock
Salt to the Sea – Ruta Sepetys
Born a Crime – Trevor Noah
We Are Not Free – Traci Chee
Walking in Two Worlds – Wab Kinew
Me: Moth – Amber Mcbride
Son of A Trickster – Eden Robinson
I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter – Erika Sanchez
This Place is Still Beautiful – XIXI Tian
Not So Pure and Simple – Lamar Giles
Mexican Whiteboy – Matt de la Pena
Diamond Park – Phillippe Diederich
Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim – Patricia Park
Buried Beneath the Boabob Tree – Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani
Butterfly – Mosque G. Willow Wilson
The Book Thief – Markus Zusak
Dear Martin – Nic Stone
Concrete Rose – Angie Thomas
How Dare the Sun Rise – Sandra Uwiringiyimana
A long Walk to Water – Linda Sue Park
Just Mercy – Bryan Stevenson
I am Malala – Malala Yousafzai
Stamped – Jason Reynolds
Gabi, A Girl In Pieces – Isabel Quintero
The Color Purple – Alice Walker
Punching the Air – Ibi Zoboi
Tokyo Ever After – Emiko Jean
Moxie – Jennifer Mathieu
Such a Fun Age – Kiley Reid
On the Come-Up – Angie Thomas
If I Ever Get Out of Here – Eric Gansworth
The 57 Bus – Dashka Slayer
American Dirt – Jeanine Cummins
Everything I never Told You – Celeste Ng
Sold – Patricia McCormick
Ashes – Laurie Halse Anderson
Forged By Fire – Sharon Draper
Copper Sun – Sharon Draper
Purple Hibiscus – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
by NovaRazar239
5 Comments
I love Speak AND Part-Time Indian. Both are funny and sad and really well-written. Either is an excellent choice
There are lots of other good choices on this list also, of course. It depends what you’re looking for also.
I loved Beloved by Toni Morrison. It’s technically a ghost story so it has a tinge of horror, though the most haunting parts of the novel are based in reality.
Such A Fun Age is a great read, wonderful first novel with a lot of contemporary relevance, and really makes you think a lot about the perspectives of events from the minds of different characters. It would also have a lot of great fodder for analysis and discussion for a independent book project
I would read either of the books by Toni Morrison, but would prioritize Beloved. She is one of the greatest American novelists, up there with Fitzgerald, James Baldwin, W.E.B. Du Bois and the like, and her prose is so beautiful it almost hurts. There’s also great symbolism in her books and much to explore with how it relates to the African-American literature canon and the history of Blackness within America. Everyone should read Toni Morrison at some point in their lives so maybe now is the right time for you :’)
That said, her books are quite difficult because they deal with really tough topics and in some ways are meant for late teens/adults. The two other books on this list I have read and enjoyed are The Book Thief and Everything I Never Told You, but I would say those are more appropriate for like 11-13 year olds; Morrison is ageless and timeless, so depends on what you’re looking for!
I read Born a Crime in high school or early college and LOVED it! Had me laughing but also deeply moved. That would be my #1 recommendation. I have recently read purple hibiscus and it was good too.