The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

The Metamorphosis is about Samsa, a traveling salesman, who wakes up one morning to find out that he is now an insect. He and his family become alienated from each other because of his new form.

This is one of my required summer reading books for AP English. I thought that it was very interesting and humorous at times. I like to believe that he really wasn't a bug, but instead very sick and unable to communicate with his family. This is such a short read, it was only 74 pages. I suggest if you have a spare moment to read it. I also look forward to discussing it in class. 4 out of 5 stars.

The Stranger by Albert Camus

This book was recommended to me by my father. It is about a guy who is living his life as an outsider. He is not unhappy about this, he just lacks emotional connections to life. He is an observer of things and gets caught up in an unfortunate series of events. That's all I'm going to tell you because I don't want to give it away.

This reminded me a bit of The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway in its simplistic writing and how the characters are just going along with what life gives them. The Stranger was originally written in French (just so you know). I personally liked this story and would consider reading it again in the future.

It's not necessarily exciting or plot driven, but I like the simpleness of it and the messages. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

This novel takes place in a southern Georgia town after World War I. Four characters feel like there is more to life and are just looking to find it. They feel isolated and misunderstood. These misfits find solace in John Singer, a deaf-mute. Carson McCullers then takes us through the lives and thoughts of these 5 people and what it means to be lonely.

This is the novel that I chose to read for my English Honors novel project, and it was pretty good. It was a little slow at times, but it’s a kind of heavy read. I liked how I was able to relate to a lot of things, even though this book was written 70 years ago.

It was a really thought provoking story and has some deep meanings. I also had to research the author, and everything I learned was really interesting. I really enjoyed this story an would recommend it to someone if they had to do a novel project like I did. 4 out of 5 stars.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

In a satirical novel of Communist Russia, Orwell tells a story about how Manor Farm's animals are treated cruelly and decide to revolt against Farmer Jones. They establish a new way of running the farm based on the idea that all animals are created equal. However as time passes, it seems to be that that is no longer the case.

This is my second time reading Animal Farm. The first time I read this, which was last year, we had not learned about the Russian Revolution in school. Now a year later we learned about the Russian Rev, so I decided to re-read the book. Why would a school make kids read Animal Farm before their sophomore year, which is where you learn what it was based on? That's just... strange.

This is a really cool story in the way that it satires Stalin and Lenin, etc. Now that I actually know the stuff, I liked seeing how it all played out with animals. This is probably my favorite book I've had to read in high school because it's so simple, yet not. It wasn't boring at all and was easy to follow. I think Orwell did a perfect job of getting his point across and explaining human nature. I recommend that you read this one at some point or another. 4 out of 5 stars.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Lockwood travels to Wuthering Heights in hope that he can heal from his broken heart. He finds the people living there fascinating, and his servant tells him the dramatic history of Heathcliff, the Lintons, and the Earnshaws. Heathcliff and Catherine fell in love at a young age, but misfortune forced them apart. Years later, Heatcliff returns to find his Catherine married to someone else. He becomes obsessed with getting revenge with every one who he blames for his loss.

I had to read this book for Honors English and if it hadn't been required reading, I probably would have liked it a lot more. As one of my guy friends pointed out, it's basically a literary soap opera.

I love how thought-provoking it is. Is Heathcliff insane and obsessed? Or is he really just THAT in love with Catherine? There is so much going on and so many questions that arise from it. And then there is like incest. Which is... interesting.There are so many complications and things that the author doesn't tell you. Like is Nelly Dean really telling the truth? Or is she making up parts? And it can even be argued that she loves Heathcliff herself.

The only thing that I didn't like about Wuthering Heights was how confusing it was. It's a "frame story" meaning that there are narrators telling of other narrators. Even though Nelly Dean is telling the majority of the story, it is really Lockwood who is writing all of this down in his diary. So it can be a little confusing to keep track of who is talking. Especially with all the weird punctuation. And the character names. It gets to be quite complicated! There is Catherine Earnshaw, the one who loves Heathcliff, and Catherine Linton, her daughter. And then there is Edgar, who is sometimes referred to as "Linton" and then another character named "Linton". I had to keep a family tree near me when I read so I wouldn't get confused.

Though slightly confusing and as required reading, Wuthering Heights wasn't all that bad. It's a timeless story that can still be loved today. 4 out of 5 stars.

Julius Caesar (Oxford School Shakespeare) by William Shakespeare

Julius Caesar is a play written by Shakespeare that tells of his murder and the events that follow. Contrary to what the title suggests, this play is not actually Julius Caesar. Instead, it is a story of revenge and human character.

Julius Caesar was required reading over the winter break. I thought it was an interesting story that helped me further understand history. At times, I liked the wording and such of Shakespeare, but at other times it was a bit confusing. The version I read from was Oxford School Shakespeare. I found it to be very helpful with many footnotes and pictures on the sides. The book I had also had helpful summaries in the beginning, so if I was unclear about the whole scene, I could read the summary. It also had a synopsis for each scene, so that also helped me as a reader understand more than I would have originally. I liked now the characters are really deep and you can't decide who you like better, Cassius or Brutus. The only other Shakespeare play I've read is Romeo and Juliet, and I have to say I prefer Romeo and Juliet. Not bad for required reading, but a bit confusing at times. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe



Things Fall Apart was required reading for my English class, therefore it was not a book that I chose to read of my free will. As required reading, I found it to be enjoyable and easy to follow. The writing was easy to interpret and I was able to relate to the characters. Reading this book on my own, I probably would have written it off as a pointless book. But after doing like a million “Guided Reading Questions” and participating in class discussions, as well as studying the Scramble to Africa in my World History class, I enjoyed it and appreciated the way that Achebe wrote so that I, as a Western reader, could get a more African point of view about this historical time, rather than the shallow “white man” view that we are often taught in school. This book literally opened my eyes and helped me destroy the stereotypes I had in my head, helped me become more culturally aware, and influenced me to think about different points of views when it comes to history lessons like this. Things Fall Apart probably isn’t a book I would recommend for pleasure reading, but as for classroom reading, it’s not all that bad. 3.5 of of 5 stars.

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

The Joy Luck Club starts off telling about how four women meet together to play mah jong in San Francisco. One of the women has died, and her daughter is supposed to take her place at the table. Four stories are told, from 4 mothers and their 4 daughters in alternating perspectives. The stories intertwine as we learn about the mother's lives in China, and their daughter's lives in America.

I found out I had to read this book over the summer as part of summer reading. :P I'm taking the honors English class this year as opposed to last year, when I took the regular class. And no one gave me the memo about the summer books we had to read! Lol. But luckily, I had already read 2 of the 3, and this was the third I had to read.

I found it to be a little bit confusing as I tried to keep track of all the characters and their mothers. Their stories all have similarities so it can be a bit tricky at times. I couldn't relate to a whole lot of it, but I liked the messages it portrayed. This isn't a book I would have chosen for myself to read, I prefer the mindless, girly ones lol. But as required reading, it wasn't that bad, and captivating at points.

I'm going to give it 3 out of 5 stars , because I know it's a classic. I wasn't blown away by it or anything. :P If it sounds like something that interests you, I would recommend it, but if it doesn't, it's probably not something I would rave over.

This was a quick review, as I have to get back to my homework. Yes, homework on the first weekend. I have to catch up on all the stuff I was supposed to do over the summer lol. Until next time! Whenever that time will be :)

Happy reading!