INDEPENDENT READING OPTIONS: FIRST SEMESTER

1984 (GEORGE ORWELL)  British dystopian novel  328 pages  Published in 1949  Focuses on a man’s struggle with his controlling government, where an organization called Big Brother watches everyone’s actions and punishes those who do not conform; was futuristic at time of writing

ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN (MARK TWAIN)  American historical satirical novel  224 pages  Published in 1884  Focuses on a boy’s journey to adulthood as he runs away from abuse, questions the morality of slavery, and learns to judge people by their actions; was written after Civil War, to expose continuing racial prejudice in Americans

THE AWAKENING (KATE CHOPIN)  American coming-of-age morality novel  128 pages  Published in 1899  Focuses on a woman’s journey through early marriage and how to find her independence in a time period when women were dependent on husbands; considered ground-breaking feminism at time of writing

BELOVED (TONI MORRISON)  American historical novel with supernatural elements (ghosts)  321 pages  Published in 1987  Focuses on a woman’s struggles to shield her family from slavery, using a ghost as a plot device and symbol for guilt, rage, and fear of being powerless

COLD MOUNTAIN (CHARLES FRAZIER)  American episodic (journey) romance novel  449 pages  Published in 1997  Focuses on a man and woman living apart because of war, and his journey across the mountains to return to her; both characters question their commitment to each other and learn to define love

FAULT IN OUR STARS (JOHN GREEN)  American Young Adult contemporary novel  337 pages  Published in 2012  Focuses on two teens living with cancer and how to live a full life knowing it will be much shorter than a normal life; deals with death and depression in an often-humorous way

JUSTICE BURIED (HILARY THOMPSON)  American Young Adult dystopian novel  243 pages  Published in 2014  Focuses on a girl prophesied to save her city, and how this destiny erases her personal independence; first of a series that examines free will and social responsibility in a fantasy- based society

LIGHT IN AUGUST (WILLIAM FAULKNER)  American Southern morality novel  512 pages  Published in 1932  Focuses on a mixed-race man’s search for personal identity when he has no family or community ties; multiple characters are used to explore the idea of identity and the different ways we struggle with our pasts

RED BADGE OF COURAGE (STEPHEN CRANE)  American historical realistic war novel  126 pages  Published in 1895  Focuses on a young man’s experience in the Civil War, and how he learns to be a man in a time of hardship; notable because it was one of the first books to tell war realistically, rather than romantically

SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE (KURT VONNEGUT)  American satirical anti-war novel with science-fiction elements (aliens)  215 pages  Published in 1969  Focuses on a man’s experiences during WWII, and as a POW, as well as the fantastical journeys he has when abducted by aliens; satires war as destructive and idiotic

WE WERE THE MULVANEYS (JOYCE CAROL OATES)  American realistic morality novel  454 pages  Published in 2001  Focuses on the downfall of a “perfect” family after the daughter experiences a sexual assault; told by the youngest son as he struggles to bring his large family together again and searches for forgiveness