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The Best Books I Was Assigned to Read in School
19
items I loved books when I was growing up, including assigned school reading! I divided this list into sections, going from elementary school to college. I studied poetry and theater in college, so make sure to check this list out if you like those. I thin...
Sections
4
Elementary School
Middle School
High School
College
Elementary School
Being assigned this book was such a formulative experience for me. We also had to make a video project about it! The concept is that the moon gets knocked closer towards the Earth, and you watch how that impacts people in strange and awful ways. It d...
Life As We Knew It (Life As We Knew It Series #1) | Paperback
This is a beautiful book, but VERY sad. It's based on a true story about a dog who would wait for his owner every day at a train station, but after his owner dies, he's left waiting for years. It left a lasting impression on me, but just know that it...
Hachiko Waits: Based on a True Story | Paperback
This is a great book that I believe also has some great sequels! Ember is a city built entirely underground to save humanity. When the lights in the city finally start going out 200 years later, two kids have to figure out how to save their city and ...
The City of Ember (Books of Ember Series #1) | Paperback
Middle School
I started being assigned Shakespeare in middle school! Macbeth is probably my second favorite Shakespeare play. It's a thrilling story of betrayal and the thin line between good and evil!
Macbeth (Folger Shakespeare Library Series) | Paperback
This is an amazing mystery novel!! Ten people, each hiding different dark secrets, are invited to an island. One by one, they all die. Some things about it are definitely outdated (it was published under a more offensive name in the past and the book...
And Then There Were None | Paperback
High School
Definitely my favorite Shakespeare play. I actually performed in it in college as Guildenstern! I think that the plot is very interesting and I LOOOOVE Resencrantz and Guildenstern as characters (no bias… well, maybe a little). The basic plot is that...
Hamlet (Folger Shakespeare Library Series) | Paperback
Another very interesting Shakespeare play! When we read this aloud, I acted as Iago. The play discusses infidelity and race issues, and can get a little violent!
Othello (Folger Shakespeare Library Series) | Paperback
Another play we read in class! I acted as Abigail in this one. This play is about the Salem Witch Trials, and I LOVED IT!!! Abigail is essentially a petty girl who doesn't care who she hurts as long as she gets what she wants, and the play delves int...
The Crucible | Paperback
A super iconic book for the unreliable narrator troupe. This is a great coming-of-age story about a boy's immaturity and self discovery! My sister really liked this one.
The Catcher in the Rye | Paperback
As a young woman who was just coming into my identity as a lesbian, this book both entranced and traumatized me. I did an extended independant project on it and it really made me reckon with my own identity. It is a very intense read. I know they mad...
The Handmaid's Tale | Paperback
I was such a fan of this book that I literally made drawings of it for fun in my free time. It feels so modern despite how long ago it was written! You also cannot BELIEVE how much happens in this book. Jane Eyre is a very relatable character, and th...
Jane Eyre | Paperback
This book is WILDLY different from how it is portrayed in the movies. Frankenstein's monster is actually incredibly intelligent and literate, and his story is really heartbreaking about how he cannot find human connection and love due to his monstero...
Frankenstein (Signature Classics) | Paperback
Linking this specifically for the second play, The Zoo Story. I had the honor of being able to perform in this for my class! This one act play features just two characters having a very strange encounter at a bench in a park. I loved this play and fo...
At Home at the Zoo | Paperback
College
Okay I have to be honest… I wasn't actually assigned this one. I just was absolutely FASCINATED by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern after playing Guildenstern in Hamlet. I think this play is AMAZING!! It is so unique and really mixes up your perception o...
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead | Paperback
This is a fascinating play about two African-American brothers named Lincoln and Booth. The play covers their difficult relations with each other and with poverty, and has a dark ending. I found this play to be captivating and a very valuable read.
Topdog/Underdog (TCG Edition) | Paperback
I believe this play has also been re-written as a novel! It is a very touching story about a bunch of different situations between two people in the town of Almost, Maine. There is less of a defined narrative in this story, and more of a tale of how ...
Almost, Maine | Hardcover
An absolutely fascinating retelling of the Orpheus myth. The writing is beautiful and the story is really refreshed by being told through Eurydice's eyes. I had the privilege to direct a few scenes from this in class and would love to direct it all o...
Eurydice | Paperback
I took a class just on film noir, and this was one of my favorite books (but least favorite movies o.o)! The characters are so interesting and still feel so modern despite the book's age. It is a truly classic mystery novel and a formulative book for...
The Maltese Falcon | Paperback
This is a genre-breaking mix between memoir and poetry. It details the author's experience with an abusive partner and how it shattered her idea of what it means to be a lesbian. This was another hard read for me but very emotional and valuable!
In the Dream House: A Memoir | Paperback