Required Reading in High School (813 books)

A list of books that you were required to read in high school.

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1	To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 4.26 avg rating — 6,827,320 ratings score: 47,885, and 487 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare 3.74 avg rating — 2,807,893 ratings score: 37,088, and 382 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 3.93 avg rating — 5,862,755 ratings score: 31,148, and 322 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Lord of the Flies by William Golding 3.70 avg rating — 3,177,519 ratings score: 25,642, and 266 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Animal Farm by George Orwell 4.02 avg rating — 4,499,107 ratings score: 24,349, and 255 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Macbeth by William Shakespeare 3.89 avg rating — 1,013,474 ratings score: 22,196, and 234 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck 3.90 avg rating — 2,812,237 ratings score: 20,949, and 222 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Hamlet by William Shakespeare 4.03 avg rating — 1,043,251 ratings score: 20,529, and 217 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger 3.80 avg rating — 3,868,790 ratings score: 19,634, and 205 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne 3.44 avg rating — 914,861 ratings score: 19,142, and 204 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	1984 by George Orwell 4.20 avg rating — 5,399,978 ratings score: 18,662, and 199 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Adventures of Tom and Huck, #2) by Mark Twain 3.83 avg rating — 1,333,909 ratings score: 17,225, and 187 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank 4.20 avg rating — 4,158,569 ratings score: 16,958, and 182 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	The Odyssey by Homer 3.83 avg rating — 1,183,075 ratings score: 15,126, and 162 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 4.29 avg rating — 4,757,518 ratings score: 14,401, and 156 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 3.97 avg rating — 2,805,724 ratings score: 13,603, and 148 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	The Giver (The Giver, #1) by Lois Lowry (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 2,787,098 ratings score: 12,839, and 137 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 4.16 avg rating — 2,307,186 ratings score: 12,648, and 138 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	The Crucible by Arthur Miller 3.61 avg rating — 461,745 ratings score: 12,341, and 137 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Night by Elie Wiesel 4.38 avg rating — 1,355,192 ratings score: 11,646, and 125 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (Goodreads Author) 4.14 avg rating — 1,584,447 ratings score: 11,584, and 127 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 3.99 avg rating — 2,062,335 ratings score: 11,197, and 122 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	Frankenstein: The 1818 Text by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley 3.90 avg rating — 1,861,914 ratings score: 10,929, and 121 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare 3.71 avg rating — 218,506 ratings score: 10,548, and 116 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Great Expectations by Charles Dickens 3.80 avg rating — 869,899 ratings score: 10,365, and 115 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 4.03 avg rating — 989,001 ratings score: 9,593, and 107 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare 3.94 avg rating — 576,290 ratings score: 9,579, and 108 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	The Hobbit, or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.30 avg rating — 4,427,915 ratings score: 9,330, and 103 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë 3.90 avg rating — 2,023,483 ratings score: 8,862, and 99 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	Beowulf by Unknown 3.50 avg rating — 344,724 ratings score: 8,839, and 99 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens 3.88 avg rating — 1,008,599 ratings score: 8,305, and 94 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry 4.33 avg rating — 2,449,104 ratings score: 7,455, and 84 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Othello by William Shakespeare 3.89 avg rating — 434,851 ratings score: 7,443, and 84 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes 4.24 avg rating — 787,436 ratings score: 7,401, and 83 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway 3.81 avg rating — 1,301,311 ratings score: 7,364, and 84 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer 3.53 avg rating — 237,231 ratings score: 7,188, and 83 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller 3.59 avg rating — 257,781 ratings score: 6,317, and 73 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	A Separate Peace by John Knowles 3.60 avg rating — 231,678 ratings score: 5,830, and 65 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky 4.29 avg rating — 1,067,424 ratings score: 5,777, and 65 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain 3.92 avg rating — 1,013,275 ratings score: 5,504, and 66 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane 3.30 avg rating — 109,811 ratings score: 4,928, and 57 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde 4.17 avg rating — 404,000 ratings score: 4,920, and 58 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	The Pearl by John Steinbeck 3.56 avg rating — 269,387 ratings score: 4,874, and 56 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. 4.10 avg rating — 1,475,691 ratings score: 4,840, and 56 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare 3.74 avg rating — 180,095 ratings score: 4,832, and 56 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	Oedipus Rex (The Theban Plays, #1) by Sophocles 3.73 avg rating — 236,331 ratings score: 4,713, and 57 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	Moby-Dick or, The Whale by Herman Melville 3.56 avg rating — 613,155 ratings score: 4,451, and 52 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou's Autobiography, #1) by Maya Angelou 4.30 avg rating — 578,306 ratings score: 4,427, and 50 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry 3.85 avg rating — 109,982 ratings score: 4,259, and 49 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston 3.99 avg rating — 384,608 ratings score: 4,242, and 48 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad 3.43 avg rating — 555,806 ratings score: 4,219, and 51 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	Mythology by Edith Hamilton 4.03 avg rating — 59,758 ratings score: 4,123, and 47 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque 4.11 avg rating — 517,035 ratings score: 4,027, and 47 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros 3.68 avg rating — 231,490 ratings score: 3,924, and 44 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Goodreads Author) 4.39 avg rating — 2,857,422 ratings score: 3,915, and 45 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie 4.27 avg rating — 1,597,201 ratings score: 3,802, and 44 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	The Handmaid’s Tale (The Handmaid's Tale, #1) by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 4.15 avg rating — 2,397,021 ratings score: 3,707, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	The Good Earth (House of Earth, #1) by Pearl S. Buck 4.01 avg rating — 260,078 ratings score: 3,689, and 44 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare 4.06 avg rating — 257,769 ratings score: 3,674, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	Beloved (Beloved Trilogy, #1) by Toni Morrison 3.98 avg rating — 487,685 ratings score: 3,642, and 42 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien 4.14 avg rating — 343,293 ratings score: 3,641, and 42 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	The Awakening by Kate Chopin 3.69 avg rating — 226,401 ratings score: 3,531, and 41 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey 4.20 avg rating — 777,444 ratings score: 3,500, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka 3.90 avg rating — 1,404,907 ratings score: 3,464, and 41 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	King Lear by William Shakespeare 3.91 avg rating — 236,530 ratings score: 3,436, and 40 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1) by J.K. Rowling 4.47 avg rating — 11,313,486 ratings score: 3,407, and 40 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	Ender’s Game (Ender's Saga, #1) by Orson Scott Card 4.31 avg rating — 1,468,406 ratings score: 3,389, and 39 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	Inferno by Dante Alighieri 4.03 avg rating — 205,005 ratings score: 3,335, and 39 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	The Hound of the Baskervilles (Sherlock Holmes, #5) by Arthur Conan Doyle 4.13 avg rating — 385,657 ratings score: 3,280, and 39 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson by Mitch Albom (Goodreads Author) 4.20 avg rating — 1,188,532 ratings score: 3,269, and 37 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens 3.88 avg rating — 425,967 ratings score: 3,196, and 39 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	The Stranger by Albert Camus 4.03 avg rating — 1,380,408 ratings score: 3,158, and 38 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen 3.77 avg rating — 163,099 ratings score: 3,122, and 37 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe 4.29 avg rating — 169,004 ratings score: 3,081, and 37 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift 3.59 avg rating — 297,837 ratings score: 2,974, and 38 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.54 avg rating — 727,544 ratings score: 2,934, and 35 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift 4.02 avg rating — 49,084 ratings score: 2,918, and 35 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	The Jungle by Upton Sinclair 3.78 avg rating — 154,155 ratings score: 2,915, and 36 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	Little Women (Little Women, #1) by Louisa May Alcott 4.17 avg rating — 2,440,930 ratings score: 2,910, and 37 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	The Tempest by William Shakespeare 3.78 avg rating — 226,368 ratings score: 2,897, and 35 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson 4.02 avg rating — 84,271 ratings score: 2,840, and 34 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	Les Misérables by Victor Hugo 4.21 avg rating — 840,281 ratings score: 2,800, and 34 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	Catch-22 by Joseph Heller 3.99 avg rating — 883,827 ratings score: 2,733, and 34 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version by Anonymous 4.47 avg rating — 2,041 ratings score: 2,648, and 31 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	The Chosen (Reuven Malter, #1) by Chaim Potok 4.07 avg rating — 97,054 ratings score: 2,629, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (Goodreads Author) 3.97 avg rating — 708,288 ratings score: 2,620, and 31 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	Our Town by Thornton Wilder 3.74 avg rating — 58,915 ratings score: 2,607, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell 3.88 avg rating — 348,991 ratings score: 2,602, and 31 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe 4.06 avg rating — 47,135 ratings score: 2,594, and 31 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams 3.74 avg rating — 142,830 ratings score: 2,592, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Goodreads Author) 4.36 avg rating — 3,468,633 ratings score: 2,526, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier 4.25 avg rating — 714,355 ratings score: 2,472, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse 4.08 avg rating — 870,262 ratings score: 2,465, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1) by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.41 avg rating — 3,124,765 ratings score: 2,424, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith 4.30 avg rating — 509,659 ratings score: 2,412, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell 4.31 avg rating — 1,253,916 ratings score: 2,322, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	The Oedipus Cycle: Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone by Sophocles really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 70,598 ratings score: 2,222, and 26 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold 3.86 avg rating — 2,456,271 ratings score: 2,217, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	Grendel by John Gardner 3.69 avg rating — 42,351 ratings score: 2,202, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton 3.46 avg rating — 137,218 ratings score: 2,165, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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813 books · 1,288 voters · list created July 30th, 2008 by Jade (votes) .

Tags: assigned-reading, classic, classics, english-class, high-school, literature, required-reading, school

727 likes · Like

Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.

People Who Voted On This List (1288)

Jade 1613 books
33 friends

Minstrelka 2803 books
9 friends

Glenda 217 books
156 friends

Ellie 364 books
11 friends

Heather 466 books
11 friends

Tammy 197 books
1368 friends

Erin 563 books
65 friends

Michele 3881 books
166 friends

More voters…

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Comments Showing 1-50 of 54 (54 new)

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message 1: by VALERIE (new)

Sep 21, 2008 09:23AM

Are we voting on what we had to read, or what we liked out of what we had to read?

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message 2: by Joann (new)

Mar 05, 2009 12:24PM

The Promise by Chaim Potok

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message 3: by Bonita (new)

May 03, 2010 03:57AM

I just skimmed through and all I saw were classics...... you must go to some crappy high school... whoever you are...

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message 4: by Audrey (new)

Jun 01, 2010 06:22PM

wait, if not classics, Bonita, what did you read in High School?

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message 5: by Tory (new)

Nov 29, 2010 02:40PM

I'm only in grade ten, but so far I've had to read

Shattered by Eric Walters
Zack by William Bell
and we just finished reading Romeo and Juliet (just started watching the movie today)

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message 6: by Megan (new)

Feb 22, 2011 09:06AM

Bonita wrote: "I just skimmed through and all I saw were classics...... you must go to some crappy high school... whoever you are..."

Yeah, the list is "Required High School reading" although, I agree with you. This is probably why most kids hate to read. lol

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message 7: by Gabrielle (new)

Nov 16, 2011 04:22PM

I'm a Junior and so far throughout high school, I've read .. parts of The Odyssey, To Kill a Mockingbird, Brave New World, 1984, Night, All Quiet on the Western Front, Lord of the Flies and The Crucible. Not all of the classic books are bad. They are classics for a reason .. Some might be a little slow & boring, but a lot have a good message. I just hate being forced to read at a certain pace.

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message 8: by Laura (new)

Apr 02, 2012 12:38PM

I'm home-schooled and I've only had to read a few books, so I like this list. :)

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message 9: by Manca (new)

Oct 11, 2012 08:01AM

You have to read all these books in high school or do teachers choose some of them? It seems quite a lot.
I'm from Slovenia and I want to study drama at a university in London so I think it’s important for me to know a lot of English literature. I would appreciate it if someone answered me if I have to read them all and if not, which are the most important.

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message 10: by Emily (new)

Nov 14, 2012 01:54AM

Well I'm rather startled to find that I've only read one of the books on this list (I'm in the process of reading another and a good portion of them are on my to read list). I must be more behind on a "good education" than I thought.
Then again, there are a few on this list I've never heard of and a number that my brother had to read for high school that are simply not listed here.

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message 11: by Jmarie (new)

Feb 10, 2013 09:23AM

Dear Manca and all,
This is really some comprehensive list! I think the title is fair, though one detail might help: "A List of Books that many American High Schools require - what did you read?"

Considering that there are only 9 months in a school year, and one title might take a month ... you get the idea. In my high school we did read Julius Ceasar, Romeo and Juliet, Inherit the Wind (GREAT book!), Johnny Tremain (I didn't get it), and parts of Walden. We didn't read Our Town but I did, and saw at least three performances of it (great writer! Good play!) In College we read Dubliners, Portrait of the Artist, the Metamorphosis, and others ... I think many, many of the books that High Schools present can't be comprehended by High School youth. Walden should wait until they are out on their own!!!
During High School, some books I read on my own,and recommend: the wonderful All Quiet On the Western Front, Grapes of Wrath and the Pearl by Steinbeck, and all of Mark Twain.
Cheers!

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message 12: by Tommy (new)

Mar 05, 2013 01:00PM

Excellent list! Many (around 80 I think) of these books are available under one collection for Win 8...

http://apps.microsoft.com/windows/en-...

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message 13: by Helena (new)

Mar 19, 2013 05:31PM

Very proud of myself. I'm a fifteen years old Portuguese student and so far I've read twelve of the books. Our literature program does not mention any of those books and I find that sad. Amazing books and writers. Looking forward to read the others on the list. Please forgive me for my spelling and grammar mistakes, English is not my first language.

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message 14: by Hermione (last edited Mar 27, 2013 10:41PM) (new)

Mar 27, 2013 10:39PM

I'm in grade six. I have read a few of these like The Princess Bride and The Giver. My Language Arts teacher is going to read The Outsiders to us at the end of the year. I want to read the Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, 1985 and Brave New World and I'm in the middle of reading To Kill a Mockingbird. A lot of these titles look really good including the Shakespeare titles. I'll probably end up reading most of themwhether my teacher makes me or not.
Oh, and in reply to Megan: Not all kids don't like reading. I personally LOVE reading, just saying.

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message 15: by Victoria (new)

Mar 29, 2013 07:25AM

where is 90th?:c

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message 16: by Jessica (new)

Apr 17, 2013 11:14AM

I've read 31 of these books that I can remember. Some look familiar but I'm not sure if I was given the option to read them and didn't, or just blocked it out because I hated the book. Either way I know there were a ton more we read but I don't see them on this list or remember them off hand (I graduated in 2006). Then again I was in AP classes so I know we did a lot more reading than most others did in my school

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message 17: by Berit (new)

May 30, 2013 04:54PM

Bonita wrote: "I just skimmed through and all I saw were classics...... you must go to some crappy high school... whoever you are..."

Same hahaha xD

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message 18: by Belinda (new)

Jun 27, 2013 10:48AM

Jmarie wrote: "Dear Manca and all,
This is really some comprehensive list! I think the title is fair, though one detail might help: "A List of Books that many American High Schools require - what did you read..."

Actually, back in the dark ages when I was in 6th grade, we were given a reading list by our AP English teacher that had over 800 titles on it arranged into American, British and World literature categories. We were to choose 9 books from the list and read one book a week. I would love to have that list today - I'd love to try to plow my way through it as sort of a "bucket reading list," if you will.

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message 19: by Gina (new)

Feb 15, 2014 02:47AM

This list covers most high school reading lists. However, to respond to the earlier posts, most students are introduced and assigned this literature in middle school. The Pearl, Romeo and Juliet, The Outsiders, The Great Gatsby, Animal Farm, Fahrenheit 451, Night, The Odyssey, The Diary of Anne Frank, Of Mice and Men, The Glass Menagerie were all covered in my junior high reading curriculum.

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message 20: by Alyssa Long (new)

Jun 30, 2014 05:26PM

I agree that most of these are classics (which matches the title of the list), but I'm a teacher interested in knowing some contemporary or more cutting-edge titles that might be recommended to teach in a high school Lit class. Does anyone know of another list that has books that teachers are teaching that are new? Or, does anyone just know some? I'd love as many ideas as possible. And, any that are good AND common core recommended would be cool too (not necessarily better, but good to know in case I need to justify them to the higher powers). Thanks!

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message 21: by Elyce (new)

Jul 23, 2014 02:44PM

I was assigned a fair few of these in high school and read a lot of the others on my own since. In AP English, we also had a list of books to read, one a month, but I no longer have it. Wish I'd kept it.

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message 22: by Andrew (new)

Feb 09, 2015 02:20PM

Can anyone remember a book in high school....Its set in 1800's London. From what I remember kids were worked very hard and had to pick cotton off of carpets before a press would crush them. Its really bugging me that I cant remember the title or author of this book. help

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message 23: by Heather (new)

Feb 20, 2015 06:56AM

We read The Chrysalids in Grade 8, and I was so relieved we got to read an ACTUAL NOVEL, I was so sick of the pap they fed us up to that point, I mean I'd already been reading proper novels for years but in school it was always crap stuff until then. To this day it's one of my favourites.

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message 24: by Daniel (last edited Feb 25, 2015 09:59AM) (new)

Feb 25, 2015 09:59AM

Even though some of these books seem outdated, they are all still important. Millennials will argue otherwise, but archetypes are timeless, and the way these books prepare you for college is unique. With college education so competitive, give yourself an extra leg up by finishing the list!

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message 25: by ramoncia (last edited Mar 15, 2015 05:21PM) (new)

Mar 15, 2015 05:20PM

Megan wrote: "Yeah, the list is "Required High School reading" although, I agree with you. This is probably why most kids hate to read. lol"

Oh please, you should appreciate this list and be glad you didn't have to go through the polish required reading :D.

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message 26: by John (new)

Apr 05, 2015 03:54PM

My high school in Michigan didn't require any books to read in English classes other than our textbooks. I was in the College Prep. group of students.

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message 27: by Jillian (new)

Jul 11, 2015 10:25PM

Some of these seem too young for high school, there was a book my daughter was required to read for 4th grade in the list, and quite a few she was required to ready in 5th and 6th. Others just seem like really strange books to be mandatory reading, like the princess diaries...not a bad book but definitely not a piece of great literature by any means.

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message 28: by Melissa (new)

Sep 22, 2015 06:33PM

Andrew wrote: "Can anyone remember a book in high school....Its set in 1800's London. From what I remember kids were worked very hard and had to pick cotton off of carpets before a press would crush them. Its rea..."

I believe you're thinking of Midnight Is a Place :)

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message 29: by Shay (new)

Sep 29, 2015 11:48AM

An English Teacher of mine recommended Slaughterhouse 5, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and Catch-22. I just COULDN'T get into them. and I tried. 10 years later and they are still boring as hell to me. I'm more about stuff like The Outsiders, The Giver, The Crucible, Macbeth, 1984, Brave New World. All the generics lol.

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message 30: by Melenia (new)

Oct 18, 2015 08:30AM

is this all compulsory?
all 450+ books?
please someone tell me i need to know

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message 31: by Shay (last edited Oct 18, 2015 09:54AM) (new)

Oct 18, 2015 09:51AM

@Melenia

Nah, it's just that these are the common ones across schools. We all had to read some of them. The ones I was assigned from this list, in highschool: Romeo and Juliet, The Great Gatsby(didn't read lol), Lord of the Flies, Macbeth, Animal Farm, 1984 and The Crucible.

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message 32: by ~☆~Autumn (last edited Jun 09, 2016 10:41PM) (new)

Jun 09, 2016 10:37PM

Half these books were NOT even around when I was in high school!!
I can't help but feel most of them will be soon forgotten.

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message 33: by Zachariah (new)

Jul 18, 2016 01:19PM

Alyssa Long wrote: "I agree that most of these are classics (which matches the title of the list), but I'm a teacher interested in knowing some contemporary or more cutting-edge titles that might be recommended to tea..."

Old post but I absolutely loved The Things They Carried in high school. I wasn't what you'd call a great student either but this book was life changing for me. Originally published in 1990, I think, which makes it fairly recent. It's gotta be better than having kids slog through Shakespeare.

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message 34: by [deleted user] (new)

Oct 01, 2016 09:46PM

So funny as half these books were NOT even around when I was in high school!

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message 35: by Meghan (new)

Dec 12, 2017 08:22AM

I read many of these in high school, but also in middle school and a few in college. Some of them I didn’t vote for because even though I read them for school, they were on a list to choose from and so not everyone had to read the same one.

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message 36: by Merenwen (new)

May 21, 2018 07:06AM

As interesting as this list is, I'm fairly sure that some of these (especially The Perks of Being a Wallflower, as it handles issues like rape, abortion, and child molestation) were actually banned in a lot of school libraries, so I doubt they'd be on an English syllabus. Also, some of them (like The Fault in Our Stars) would probably be too new, wouldn't they?

Still, I'll probably return to this list for inspiration. I'm thinking of reading more of the classics, so this would be a good start, I reckon. (I was homeschooled, so I didn't have "required reading". Most of Shakespeare I watched, in movies and broadcasts of plays. I also saw a really good documentary about the theory that Shakespeare's plays were really written by Christopher Marlowe, but I can't remember the name of it.)

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message 37: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited May 21, 2018 08:52AM) (new)

May 21, 2018 08:50AM

Merenwen wrote: "Also, some of them (like The Fault in Our Stars) would probably be too new, wouldn't they?..."

I know my niece read The Fault in Our Stars for her English classes a few months ago.

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message 38: by Merenwen (new)

May 22, 2018 08:58AM

Booklovinglady wrote: "Merenwen wrote: "Also, some of them (like The Fault in Our Stars) would probably be too new, wouldn't they?..."

I know my niece read The Fault in Our Stars for her English classes a few months ago."

Oh, cool! I didn't know it was being read in English classes.

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message 39: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited May 22, 2018 10:33AM) (new)

May 22, 2018 10:32AM

Merenwen wrote: "Oh, cool! I didn't know it was being read in English classes...."

I'm Dutch, and so is my niece :-) But the book was part of the school library, which is why she read it.

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message 40: by Chris (new)

Aug 02, 2018 10:21AM

What's with all the Terry Prachett adds?

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message 41: by C (new)

Sep 19, 2018 01:20AM

I just went through the entire list and counted and from middle school through high school (6 years) we were required to read 59 of these books. Split that evenly across 6 years is roughly 10 books a year. Roughly a book a month. Which isn't bad. And you have to also remember that some of these are more like short stories than actual novels. But idk how some of you only read a handful of these books. Because even with the 59 required readings, I still read some of the books on this list just for my own enjoyment.

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message 42: by Francis (new)

Oct 01, 2018 06:50AM

If you have a hard time reading some of the classics, try out the Manga Classics line. (they are also on netgalley for review!) Those books are faithful adaptations that makes reading those stories much more enjoyable.

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message 43: by Julia (new)

Mar 06, 2019 11:35AM

I was supposed to read Through Black Spruce but I was so disgusted by it that my teacher let me read something else instead!

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message 44: by Christine (new)

May 25, 2019 02:47AM

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message 45: by Chrysa (new)

Jun 06, 2019 04:03AM

Someone should tell the list maker that their experiences are not universal. I only had to read about 4-5 out of the top 100 books during my time in High School. For every "Great Expectations" we had to read, there was a "Bridge to Terabithia" and so on. The title and description make it seem as if EVERYBODY who ever lived HAD to read all these books and if they didn't they wouldn't pass High School or they're a dunce or something. If they really read the Great Gatsby, they would've read something about how everyone isn't given the same opportunities or whatever in like the first page though.

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message 46: by Chrysa (new)

Jun 06, 2019 04:11AM

Manca wrote: "You have to read all these books in high school or do teachers choose some of them? It seems quite a lot.
I'm from Slovenia and I want to study drama at a university in London so I think it’s impor..."

I can't speak for American or British High Schools, but in Australia I know for a fact you don't have to read ALL of that. We didn't even have to read a portion of that list. And there's loads of other things we did read that aren't on this list either. Just find something you're interested in reading and read it through. You're not going to be judged by whether or not you've read all of Edgar Allan Poe's poems. But since you're interested in studying drama, I'd recommend you at least look into some of Shakespeare's more popular stories like Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet. You don't have to memorise them word for word, but you should at least have a look at what they're about, and research the guy himself a little, because I can guarantee he'll be relevant. You can find copies of his works pretty much everywhere, so you wont have trouble tracking them down, but aim for copies that have contemporary translations of his old-timey speech, or you'll be stuck constantly looking up what the text is saying.

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message 47: by Julia (last edited Jun 06, 2019 04:20AM) (new)

Jun 06, 2019 04:19AM

I don't think this list maker really saw it that way... I think they just wanted to let readers compare their high school reading with that of other readers. I put lots of books on the list that have no other votes, as well as many of the top books. (I voted for 17 books total.) I like seeing some of my favourites (that I was never given the opportunity to read for school) listed here. I just like to know that yes, some people got to read Harry Potter for school. Yes, people all over the world have had to read some of the same books that I had to for school. It sort of unites readers. You know what I mean?

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message 48: by Ming (new)

May 16, 2023 10:21PM

Everyone can pick up books in the list. That`s fine

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message 49: by Loretta (new)

Nov 26, 2023 06:32AM

There are many books that I probably should have read in high school that are on this list but sadly I didn’t read some or I just bought the Cliffnotes to help with book reports or tests. That’s one of the reasons why I joined Goodreads. The first group that I joined was a Classic. Definitely got me up to date with many books that I should have read in high school! 😊. So glad that I did. If I didn’t join there would be many a good book that I would have missed!

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message 50: by ~☆~Autumn (last edited May 24, 2024 08:06PM) (new)

May 24, 2024 08:05PM

Belinda wrote: "Jmarie wrote: "Dear Manca and all,
This is really some comprehensive list! I think the title is fair, though one detail might help: "A List of Books that many American High Schools require - what ..."

~~~~~~~~
That is amazing that you had 800 books to chose from. When I was in high school we got a 5 page list of books we could chose from and most of them were classics. Many of the books of today were not there as they had not been written yet like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I am very glad that I read those books and some of them we read in class together which was very helpful. I also so thankful that we mostly read old classics.

The one I hated the most was Heart of Darkness as it was like being tortured.

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