I’ve always been a reader, so I actually read the books assigned to me in high school, which is a lot more than I can say for a lot of my fellow classmates. SparkNotes, Skimming the text (try doing that with Macbeth!), and last-minute conversations from people that may have read the book were all common tactics to get up to date without having to read the book. We had the internet back then (okay, now I’m going to date myself) but it was far from telling us a book synopsis like BingAI or ChaptGPT will do now.
Maybe you were one of those people that avoided reading at all costs in high school but have come around to the hobby. Do you ever wish you could go back and read some of the titles from your high school days (without having to do the accompanying tests or essays)? If that’s you, this is a list of some of the most common books assigned to high school english students along with my personal comments.
Please note that these books are not in any specific order.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
This was probably my first literary perspective of racism and classism in the United States. Modern day books that continue the theme that I highly recommend are Caste by Isabel Wilkerson and Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Every good teenager loves anarchy (right? Or was I the only one on the punk music scene?) and this book is the epitome of anarchy…but in a good way. Ray Bradbury was always a favorite of mine after reading this.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Jane Eyre kicked off my love for all things mid-1800’s in England. Think Jane Austen and all of her books. Jane Eyre is a wicked book with a great plot twist and, honestly, it’s like reading a mash-up romance, thriller novel today.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Beautiful and tragic, The Great Gatsby somehow reminds me of the movie Almost Famous. Modern day books with a Gatsby-ish plot of feel include Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Not going to lie…this was not my favorite on the list. With that said, if you’re into horror and shock effect, pick up a copy!
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
I would love to be in a book club now that talked about the Scarlet Letter. When you’re in high school, you’re almost a little too young to understand the full scope of adultery. Now, with several (we’re not going to say how many) years between me and graduating, I have different perspectives on the topic.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
I haven’t read this since high school, but I remember loving it. So many emotions were brought up and then there was social justice! Yay! But then the sequel came out and I read it years after the first book, and it was the perfect bookend that put me in my place. If you haven’t read either, I recommend them both (in order of course). First read To Kill a Mockingbird and then Go Set a Watchman.
1984 by George Orwell
The ultimate big brother book, 1984 is available on Kindle for free. Although it was written in 1949, 1984 stays relevant even today.
Shakespeare’s Macbeth
Guys, I’m not going to lie. I really don’t like Shakespear. There, I said it. Stone me now. Macbeth was one of the ones I hated the least, but I still wasn’t a fan. I do recommend, however, if you choose to read Shakespeare, find a version with a translation that works for you.
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
I saved my favorite for last. East of Eden is not short read. The book is seven hundred something pages, but don’t let that deter you! I went to two different high schools and was assigned this book at both (and yes, I did read it both times). The book is a biblical allegory, but you don’t have to have any biblical knowledge to enjoy the storyline.
These books are ten of the most popular, but there are many more. Every school assigns books differently and I’m sure you read some that weren’t listed above.
Side note: Have you ever wondered what they’re reading nowadays? (But like me, don’t have kids?) I looked up the reading list for the AP English class at the high school I graduated from and this was the list of books: The Catcher in the Rye, The Great Gatsby, The Glass Castle, Stolen Focus, and Outliers. I’m not going to lie, I was thrilled to see some non-fiction on this list! I’m an avid non-fiction reader. Outliers is a favorite and now I’m adding Stolen Focus to my list.
What was your favorite book from high school (even if you didn’t read it until years later)? Let me know in the comments.
xoxo, Lulie
Ps. Did you know that a lot of the classics (like Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Great Expectations by Charles Dickens) are available on Kindle for free? If you don’t have a Kindle, these classics listed above are sure to be in your local library.
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