A Legit Reading List

Whether it’s 1,000 books to read before you die, the 18 best books of 2018, the 10 best beach reads, or Americans’ 100 favorite books, it’s clear that readers love lists…and debating those lists! That’s why I was surprised to come across a list that I (almost) completely agree with!

20 Books All Students Should Read Before They Turn 18

By Lindsey Murray for Good Housekeeping.com Posted Aug 20, 2018

1. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
2. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
4. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
7. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
8. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
9. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
10. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
11. Looking for Alaska by John Green
12. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
13. Night by Elie Wiesel
14. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger  
15. The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor
16. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
17. 1984 by George Orwell
18. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
19. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison  
20. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle  

This is a pretty well-rounded list. There’s a good mix of classics and contemporary novels. There are challenging, intellectual reads, as well as binge-worthy, fun reads. There is some diversity. There is historical fiction, science fiction, speculative fiction, and fantasy. And there is a mix of male and female writers.

If I could tweak the list, I would make just a few changes. There are six books on the list, which I’ve marked with the asterisk (*) below, that I haven’t read. I can’t vouch for them – though most of them I’ve heard about. The bold titles are the ones I would remove from the list and replace with a different title. Some of these are books that I didn’t particularly enjoy, and some are tough reads that would be best enjoyed by older young adults, or by teens only if they were reading them along with a teacher who could help explain the book/symbolism/significance.   

1. 1. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
   2. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
   3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
   4. *Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
   5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
   6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky → replace
   7. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
   8. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
   9. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
   10. Lord of the Flies by William Golding → replace
   11. *Looking for Alaska by John Green  → replace
   12. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
   13. Night by Elie Wiesel
   14. *The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger  → replace
   15. *The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor
   16. *The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath → replace
   17. 1984 by George Orwell
   18. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
   19. *Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison  → replace
   20. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle  

What would I replace the six bold titles with? Hmm…probably the same books that I keep recommending over and over and over again!

1. Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston
2. March by John Lewis
3. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
4. Every Day by David Levithan
5. The Giver by Lowis Lowry
6. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
7. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

What did you think of the “20 Books All Students Should Read Before They Turn 18” list? Would you make any changes?