Originally published in 2007, Water for Elephants was recommended to me by numerous people including my mother and Ms. Huff. Both knew my fascination with history and thought I would enjoy the story set in the 1930's. At 350 pages, the book will not be my longest read ever nor will it be difficult as Gruen writes in a modern style.
Life of Pi - Yann Martel
Published in 2003, Martel weaves a story in which Pi Patel finds himself aboard a life boat with among other animals an orangutan, and a tiger. This setup creates, according to my mom, a very thought provoking story as the character must survive months in this situation. According to those who have read the book, the style is easy to read and at 326 pages it is not long winded either.
Ordinary People - Judith Guest
One of the bestsellers of the late 20th century, Guest's novel was referenced in Thomas Foster's How to Read Literature Like a Professor and tweaked my interest. Published in 1976, the book follows the trials of a family after the loss of a son in a boating accident. Ordinary People is 262 pages and should not be a difficult read.
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
I have read this book once before, however I was not ready for the masterpiece as I read it in 2005 (the publication year) and was only 11 years old. At the time I found Zusak's 576 page novel challenging to read. However I do not believe I will have the same troubles reading The Book Thief today as I have developed greatly as a reader.
Going After Cacciato - Tim O'Brien
After reading The Things They Carried, another Tim O'Brien novel about the Vietnam War, I became interested in reading another of O'Brien's works. Going After Cacciato was referenced several times in Foster's analysis of literature and tweaked my interest. Having already read a book by the same author, I know O'Brien's style is fairly easy to read and the 352 pages should keep the novel short-winded.
Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer
This winter I watched Into the Wild, a movie chronicling the life of Christopher McCandless. Recently I learned the story of McCandless was popularized by Krakauer's book. I immediately wanted to read the book. I do not believe the style of the 207 page book will require heavy reading as the sentences seem easy to interpret.
The Killer Angels - Michael Shaara
My love of history as well as my aunt led me to this classic novel of the American Civil War. More specifically centered around the Battle of Gettysburg, The Killer Angels brings classic American figures to life. After reading several sentences, Shaara's writing seems to be descriptive and easy to read and with 355 pages, the novel is average sized.
Letters From The Earth - Mark Twain
Wanting to read a novel by Twain, I found the perfect book in this 317 page collection of stories published posthumously. I have never read anything work of Twain's but after reading a few samples, the style seems easy enough to understand fluently.
The Professor and the Madman - Simon Winchester
Telling the tale of the Oxford English Dictionary, Winchester's novel was recommended to me by my mother and seems to be a extremely interesting answer to the classic childhood question: "Who invented the dictionary?" At 230 pages the story of murder, insanity, and the origin of the OED will be an easy read.
Thunderstruck - Erik Larson
Enthralled by The Devil in the White City, Larson's newest work greatly interests me with its similar style and topic. Larson's style is easy to decipher and the 480 pages should not create an extremely long read.
Going After Cacciato - Tim O'Brien
After reading The Things They Carried, another Tim O'Brien novel about the Vietnam War, I became interested in reading another of O'Brien's works. Going After Cacciato was referenced several times in Foster's analysis of literature and tweaked my interest. Having already read a book by the same author, I know O'Brien's style is fairly easy to read and the 352 pages should keep the novel short-winded.
Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer
This winter I watched Into the Wild, a movie chronicling the life of Christopher McCandless. Recently I learned the story of McCandless was popularized by Krakauer's book. I immediately wanted to read the book. I do not believe the style of the 207 page book will require heavy reading as the sentences seem easy to interpret.
The Killer Angels - Michael Shaara
My love of history as well as my aunt led me to this classic novel of the American Civil War. More specifically centered around the Battle of Gettysburg, The Killer Angels brings classic American figures to life. After reading several sentences, Shaara's writing seems to be descriptive and easy to read and with 355 pages, the novel is average sized.
Letters From The Earth - Mark Twain
Wanting to read a novel by Twain, I found the perfect book in this 317 page collection of stories published posthumously. I have never read anything work of Twain's but after reading a few samples, the style seems easy enough to understand fluently.
The Professor and the Madman - Simon Winchester
Telling the tale of the Oxford English Dictionary, Winchester's novel was recommended to me by my mother and seems to be a extremely interesting answer to the classic childhood question: "Who invented the dictionary?" At 230 pages the story of murder, insanity, and the origin of the OED will be an easy read.
Thunderstruck - Erik Larson
Enthralled by The Devil in the White City, Larson's newest work greatly interests me with its similar style and topic. Larson's style is easy to decipher and the 480 pages should not create an extremely long read.
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