Must-Read Books by Brandi

Top Ten Books Everyone Should Read Before High School - So You Can Talk About It

One of the amazing truths about reading: it has the power to spark discussion. When you read a book, one that is often critically acclaimed or scholarly analyzed, you're opening yourself up to a world of discussions. These are discussions you can have in high school, college, at that dinner party, and for the rest of your life. You can read books like the ones on this list, and be able to formulate thoughts that you can express and share to the world for the rest of your life. I have taken the top ten books I am able to have discussions about and put them into this list. Included underneath the book and author is a description of the book, why it is so well discussed, and whether it is a book that is critically acclaimed.  Finally, I would like to note that these books, despite all the provoking intense discussions, are ranked from weakest in discussion material (10) to highest in discussion material (1).

10. Don't Sweat the Small Stuff - Richard Carlson (1999)

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff is a nonfiction self help book about how to stop being stressed and worried about things that, in the long term, don't matter; aka ¨small stuff¨ This book is neither highly critically acclaimed nor scholarly analyzed, but is something that provides insight and after reading you will find thought provoking enough to discuss the philosophies that this book presents on how to live a better life.

9. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins (2008)

The Hunger Games features a society where 12 factions are forced to have one boy and one girl selected to compete in a televised event, run by the capital, where they all fight to the death and crown one victor. This book is popular, and definitely critically acclaimed as one of the best dystopian thrillers in today´s modern culture.

8. Matilda - Roald Dahl (1988)

Matilda is about an extremely smart young girl, who grows up with neglectful, selfish parents who pay no attention to her. When she finally goes to school, her amazing mind is realized by her teacher Miss Honey. This book falls somewhere between the two categories as it is popular and written for children, yet deals with concepts such as extreme intelligence and abuse. It does so brilliantly through, addressing these tough concepts in a way that is easy for a lot of children to grasp. One can easily understand this book, but still have insightful discussions about the effect of extreme intelligence on children and how abuse can affect children.

7. Harry Potter Series - J.K. Rowling (1997 - 2007)  

Please note: I am not including the Cursed Child book in the publication dates or review, as I do not consider this part of the Harry Potter series, nor do many online sources as it was not part of the original publications attributed to the Harry Potter Series.

The Harry Potter Series is one of the most widely read series in today’s current culture. You can have tons of discussions about it, but only if you read it first.

6. The Fault In Our Stars - John Green (2012)

The Fault in Our Stars is a teen romance novel, but not the kind with a typical ending. It is about two teenagers who have their own personal battles with cancer and how they fall madly in love. It is definitely a critically acclaimed book, one that deals with subjects such as life, death, infinity, and the power of love.

5. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck (1937)

Of Mice and Men is scholarly analyzed classic. This book builds as you read, can sometimes be a little boring as the characters have to be developed for the ending to be so impactful on the reader. This book is one of the classics, that once you reach the end will have you sitting on the edge of seat contemplating the book’s ending and the meaning behind it.

4.   Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury (1953)

Fahrenheit 451 is a book about the importance of books. It shows how people would rather die for the freedom that reading exposes us to then be subjected to a life in this captivity. It also does this in an interesting way, with a good plot and thriving symbolism. This book is well analyzed and is an amazing topic for discussion.

3.  Frankenstein - Mary Shelley (1818)

Frankenstein is a novel written in the 19th century about the effects being different has on society. We all know about the story of Frankenstein, but actually sitting down and discussing this book, which has fascinating themes and symbolism, gives a whole new twist on the Halloween costume.

2. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley (1932)

Brave New World is a book about an interesting controlled dystopian society. It is well read in high school and is a higher level read, but contains numerous points that show the theme of how technology can negatively control modern society with an all powerful state. There is more than plenty to discuss about this scary insight into the fears of our future.

1. 1984 - George Orwell (1949)

The dystopian novel 1984 features a chilling prophecy written in 1949 of the world in 1984. This book contains the horrors of a totalitarianism society and the quest of the main character, Winston, to find love, freedom of thought, and express true human nature. By far, this novel is an amazing topic of discussion if you want to discuss philosophical concepts such as the freedom of thinking, the oppression of knowledge in an attempt to control, and psychological manipulation.