Push your teen beyond required reading with young adult books that stand the test of time
From New York to Tokyo.
An exclusive list of book recommendations from TV host, author, and chef Anthony Bourdain
From the infamous to the best-sellers, these are the most famous books of all time for MANY different reasons. Did yours make the cut?
These fourteen novels, ranging from classic American literature to contemporary New York Times bestsellers, are ideal for book clubs to read and discuss.
Deciding what books to read on your own versus with your book club can often come down to what’s popular, whose turn it is to choose, or how hard it would be to finish the book on your own. Book clubs can often look a lot more like a support group…
Reading classic lit doesn’t have to feel like homework — here are 10 lighthearted classics that may even become your comfort reads.
The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction is awarded "for distinguished fiction published in book form during the year by an American author, preferably dealing with American life". Here are eighteen great Pulitzer Prize-winning books from the past 100 years...
These 10 titles, including fiction and nonfiction, are used in classrooms today to provide historical context to the events of the 1940s.
The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction is awarded "for distinguished fiction published in book form during the year by an American author, preferably dealing with American life". Here are eighteen great Pulitzer Prize-winning books from the past 100 years...
See old favorites in a new light, or discover new-to-you stories via a visual medium with these stunning novels that were adapted into comics.
From classics to modern marvels to young adult adventures, here are the bestselling science fiction books of all time.
If you're in the market for a good read, look no further than the most popular book the year you were born,
Forget lengthy lists of 100 classic novels you must read—these five novels are the ones you should put on your short list of must-reads.
Finished October 27 Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien This is a classic Vietnam war novel, winning the National Book Award for Fiction in 1979. I've had it on my shelf for quite a while and finally determined to read it this year. I'm not usually a big fan of magic realism, but this book really made it work for me. The narrator here is Paul Berlin, a young man in good physical condition and with little life experience, like many of the young men that fought in this war. Cacciato always seemed a little removed from the others, almost a kid, but placid, not a whiner. As the book begins, he has walked away from his unit heading west, saying that he'd had enough of the war and he was walking to Paris. The idea is outlandish, and yet somehow appealing. It is eight thousand and six hundred miles. The guy in charge, Lieutenant Corson determines that a group of men closest to Cacciato will follow and bring him back, including the Lieutenant himself. But he's not really the leader here. The personalities of the men come alive: Doc Peret, the medic for the unit and the leader for much of time; Stink Harris, the giggler who goes off with all guns blazing; Eddie Lazzutti, an indistinct figure; Oscar Johnson the black man who claims to be from Detroit, but seems like he is from Maine; the Lieutenant, who often seems lose, unsure, and unwell; and Harold Murphy, the voice of reason. We also see the men that have already either died or been injured and sent back either home or to mend for a while. Guys like Billy Boy Watkins who died of fright his first day in battle, Frenchie Tucker who was shot; Bernie Lynn and Lieutenant Sidney Martin who died in tunnels; all of which we are told on the first page, although we learn more of their stories as the book unfolds. And others whose stories get told later: Ready Mix, Rudy Chassler, Pederson, Vaught, Ben Nystrom, and Buff. There is also a young Vietnamese girl Sarkin Aung Wan, who was traveling away from Saigon with her elderly aunts, hoping to escape the war. She has knowledge and skills that help them, and she too wants to go to Paris, but not for Cacciato, for herself. She wants to make a new home. Interspersed with the tale of the chase are Paul's reminiscences of his early days in the war, of the men who are no longer with them, of his vigil overnight in a watchtower near the ocean. What is real and what isn't? Where are these men? What do they see? What is their purpose? An utterly fascinating tale.
These titles on our list of the top seven best psychology books mirror ourselves and the complexities of the human experience.
I'm a big fan of Mr. Sabatini. I've read Captain Blood several times and rank it as my second favorite book of all time, right after Red Harvest. So I figured Scaramouche, his most famous novel, should be even better. I was wrong. It was a good read, so I'm not complaining, I'm just surprised it was not as entertaining as I expected. One reason is that the hero, whose name is Andre, but who assumes the role of Scaramouche (a "roguish clown" character from Italian comedies of the previous century), muddles through most of the book without clear focus. As the story begins, Andre's close friend--a passionate revolutionary--is murdered by a snooty aristocrat. The killer (and continuing villain of the piece) found the man possessed of a dangerous eloquence, and thus a threat to his way of life. Andre, who disagreed with his pal's politics, swears to take up his cause and spread the eloquence of revolution in his stead. He does that, a little, making two speeches that inflame the populace, then spends the next quarter of the book hiding out with an acting troupe. After another brief encounter with his arch-enemy he happens into a job as a fencing instructor and fools around with that for another quarter of the book. Throughout, he has no clear goal and no real conviction. Finally, with maybe a third of the book remaining, the story kicks into high gear. For several chapters it races right along. Andre seems to know what he wants and how to get it. But his plans are derailed by several seen-them-coming plot twists, and the climax dissolves into creaky melodrama. If Sabatini wasn't such a good storyteller, it would have been pretty painful. The other problem I had with this book wasn't Sabatini's fault at all. It was entirely my own. The whole tale, you see, is set against the backdrop of the French Revolution. Sabatini assumed (rightly, of course) that his readers would have a basic understanding of the events and the various forces in play. So he explained what was happening only in relation to Andre and the other characters involved. Trouble is, I know dang near nothing about the whole hullaballoo, so much of the revolution-related drama went over my head. I'm now seeking to remedy that, with the Oxford History of the French Revolution, but it's too late to rescue my enjoyment of Scaramouche. Maybe by the time I see the movie it will make more sense. More Forgotten Books at pattinase.
Pub. as paperback - 1980- reissued 2008-cover illus.is a detail from 'Illustrations from A House of Pomegranates' by Jessie Marion King
The best historical fiction should be entertaining and insightful, providing a “slice of life” view of an era, event, or individual.
Reading classic lit doesn’t have to feel like homework — here are 10 lighthearted classics that may even become your comfort reads.
These influential memoirs reflect on poverty, mental illness, racism, and more, and they've indelibly changed the culture.
From "Harry Potter" to "13 Reasons Why," you won't believe the reasons these books have been banned.
Get hand-crafted The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store book club questions (+ a printable PDF) to fully discuss James McBride's bestseller.
While there’s nothing inherently wrong with using Goodreads — it’s natural to be curious about non-Amazon alternatives. We’ve put together a comprehensive list of the best book-tracking apps and tools.
From classics to modern marvels to young adult adventures, here are the bestselling science fiction books of all time.
If you find yourself in a book slump then these 17 addictive books will snap you right back out of it. I guarantee that these are all books you can't put down once you get
“What are the best Italian Nonfiction books?” We looked at 295 different titles, aggregating and ranking the entries in an attempt to answer that very question!
Despite the turbulent times in which he lived, the Buddhist priest Kenkō met the world with a measured eye. As Emperor Go-Daigo fended off a challenge from ... | CUP
In the old days, before it seemed that the world was crashing down around us every minute, we used to have arguments on the internet about things like dust jackets. Yes, dust jackets, on which opin…
Loved IT and Stranger Things 2, but now find you're in need of new entertainment? I've got 11 small-town horror novels that will make you think twice about coming home again. These books are scarier than any holiday dinner with your family, so grab…
They broke boundaries and challenged conceptions. We asked you for your must-read classics; from iconic bestsellers to lesser-known gems, these are your essential recommends.
The titles added are “The Hanging on Union Square,” “East Goes West,” “No-No Boy,” and “America is in the Heart.”
From Melville to Didion, these first sentences created lasting and notable impressions.
Although Friends hits Netflix in January 1 in the U.S. and Canada, the wait could not seem longer. Chandler would be as impatient as the rest of us. Since 1994 when it began its 10-year run on the air, the group of six have captured hearts and…
