As an avid reader, I hold much appreciation for the St. Pius X English Department and the unforgettable novels it has put in front of me. So as my time here comes to an end, I’ve decided to reflect on the books I’ve read over the past four years. Here’s my definitive ranking of the English class books I’ve read in high school:
Peak Tier
All Quiet on the Western Front
A raw, emotional look at the horrors of World War I, this one was a deep, yet much-needed read. It opened my eyes to what my great-grandfathers experienced and made history personal in a way no textbook ever could.
In Cold Blood
I’m not going to lie, summer reading was not my favorite, even as someone who loved to read. Maybe it was that I’m a true crime nerd, but this was probably the best book of all summer required reading. It was written extremely well, and any book that can keep me engaged for half a day deserves its place on the peak tier.
The Great Gatsby
Between this being a book almost every high schooler in America reads and the little background I knew about it, I wasn’t expecting to love this novel as much as I did. It’s one of those rare books where the more you think about it, the better it gets.
The Poisonwood Bible
I have never read a book written the way Barbara Kingsolver tells the story of the Price family, and I’m quite in love with it. The different perspectives of the daughters made it a fascinating read. Yes, this was a long read with over 500 pages, but in my opinion, it was worth it.
Good Tier
Romeo and Juliet
Even though reading Shakespeare as a freshman was tough, it taught me a lot. Was it the most fun to read? No. But it deserves this ranking because it taught me how to read and annotate plays I read in the next three years.
Macbeth and Cyrano de Bergerac
Honestly, I have a hard time remembering exactly what happened in which book because we read them close together, but I remember that I enjoyed both of them. Macbeth‘s bloody ambition and Cyrano‘s poetic, unrequited love made both plays enjoyable in different ways. Plus, getting the opportunity to act them out in class made these classics more engaging.
Mid Tier
Animal Farm
I get the message of this book, but if I’m being honest, I had a hard time getting into it. The story felt a little slow, and after a while, it was just tough to stay interested. This very well could be because it was my first read of high school, and I didn’t know how to dive deep into literature.
Lord of the Flies
I knew from the first page this was going to be a tough read. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that a group of teenage boys stranded on an island would end poorly. I appreciated the symbolism, but getting through the book sometimes felt slow and repetitive.
Bad Tier
Fahrenheit 451
This book is a blur in my mind. I’m not one for dystopian novels and I didn’t find it easy to stay engaged while reading this book. Once again, I get the importance of the message, but I struggled to enjoy the plot.
The Crucible
While the themes to this novel are important and it is a good book for AP Lang, the plot felt repetitive, and I could not keep track of the characters despite keeping a list. The constant cycle of accusations and confessions grew tiresome, and the moral shifts in John Proctor’s character felt forced.
How to Read Literature Like a Professor and Elements of Style
I just had to include these ones for fun. I’m sorry, Ms. Spear, but these were just painful to read. The amount of looks I was getting at the airport while reading Elements of Style says enough on its own. Don’t get me wrong, there were some helpful tips here and there, but besides comma rule number 17, I didn’t get much out of these books.
Looking back, even the books I didn’t enjoy taught me something. All of these novels gave me insight into the world around me and challenged my critical thinking skills. Even if I didn’t enjoy every page, I’m grateful for every book.
