Surprisingly, Magnet’s summer work is not as heavy as it may seem. Most English courses require a handful of books. Because of the English classes I have taken in high school (English 1 H, English 2 H, AP Lang, and I am currently taking AP Lit), I have had to read a total of ten books– nine of them being novels or memoirs and one poetry collection book. I believe a few book choices have changed over the last few years, but these are the ones I read. Some of these may be controversial takes, but I have enjoyed the majority of these books overall. I definitely liked some more than others. Here is my ranking of these books: the ones I enjoyed the least to my favorites!
10) I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou (1969)
What class I read this for: AP Lang
While Maya Angelou is a significant person, I couldn’t find myself engaged in the reading and striving to read more. The story is fundamental and provides perspectives on varying topics, showing more about her life growing up and all her experiences. Still, I found the writing style not to be what I enjoyed reading. I did enjoy, however, Angelou’s connection of the title back to her own life and her obstacles with using her voice throughout her early life and seeing her life progress and her resilience as she grew up.
9) Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (2020)
What class I read this for: AP Lit
In AP English Literature this year, we chose one novel from a list of around five novels to read and analyze and one poetry collection from a different list of around five collections. Mexican Gothic has a fascinating concept; Noemí receives a letter, and her cousin asks for help, but when she visits her, she also experiences the horrors of her cousin’s husband’s mansion. Most people I have asked had very positive thoughts about Mexican Gothic because of its characterization and imagery; however, I found the writing style, once again, not as enjoyable as some others on the list. I also thought that the exposition lacked and did not provide enough information about Noemí, which caused me not to be as engaged as I could have been.
8) Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (1958)
What class I read this for: English 1
Things Fall Apart is a Magnet classic! It was the first Magnet summer reading book that I read. I enjoyed the book overall but realized within the first week or two of school that I had not read and annotated deeply enough to meet the Magnet standard. The story is fascinating, and I often find myself forming connections between this book and others in AMHS English classes. I placed it lower on the list because it was such an adjustment, and I needed to dive deeper into the book over the summer before freshman year. Additionally, I only remember a little of the book since I read it over three years ago!
7) Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut (1969)
What class I read this for: AP Lang
The first time I read this book, I was very confused. Because of its non-linear organization, it can be challenging to decipher which scenes take place when and where if you don’t read deeply enough. This book required my undivided attention, but it was a very entertaining read. There are so many aspects of this book that make it very complex. However, AP Lang required four summer reading books, and the complexities and concepts made this book stand out.
6) The Trouble with Poetry by Billy Collins (2005)
What class I read this for: AP Lit
This is the only poetry collection on this list, and I found it pretty enjoyable to read. The fast-paced nature of this collection was nice because I found myself constantly engaged. There are many connections between the poems, which made it satisfying to read and find little parallels between all of the different poems. My favorite poem out of the collection is “Eastern Standard Time” because I found the concept and execution intriguing.
5) The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (1951)
What class I read this for: AP Lang
This novel follows protagonist Holden Caulfield and his struggles as a teenager after getting expelled from a boarding school. Throughout the novel, Holden has to hide his expulsion from his parents. Out of all of the AP Lang summer reading books, I found this to be the easiest to follow, though it did have some complex components, of course. I also enjoyed reading Holden’s journey because, as a teenager, there are definitely moments that I could relate to.
4) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1932)
What class I read this for: English 2
Brave New World tells the story of the dystopian society World State in the year 2540. This novel is unsettling because of all of the details Huxley provides. For example, Huxley reveals that children are conditioned not to have emotions or individuality, making every person blend together. Everything feels extremely manufactured in this world, but it is exciting and a reasonably entertaining read.
3) Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya (1972)
What class I read this for: English 1
This book follows the main character, Antonio, when he is seven years old. This novel/coming-of-age story is very entertaining and features the healer Ultima and her guardian owl, who accompany Antonio while he matures. The use of magic in this book kept my attention, and it is one of the main reasons why I remember this book and decided to place it in my top three.
2) Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1954)
What class I read this for: English 2
This book is dark; there’s no way around that. It follows a group of boys alone on an island who are forced to survive on their own, but feuds begin to break out, and chaos runs amok on the island. This book is very entertaining to read because so much is happening throughout the book at every moment. The entire concept is so interesting, and the execution is why this book is considered a classic and why it is so commonly read among students in school.
1) The Color of Water by James McBride (1995)
What class I read this for: AP Lang
This choice may be an unpopular opinion, but this book is my favorite book I’ve read for summer reading at Magnet (and my second favorite I’ve read overall, The Great Gatsby is #1). This memoir is one of the best books I’ve read. It follows author James McBride throughout his life while he was growing up. The best part about this book, however, is that it shares James’ experience and follows his mother, Ruth’s, experience growing up. Every chapter alternates between his experience growing up and his mother’s experience. McBride interviewed his mom to learn about her experiences, and the interviews are practically what he added to the book. It was fascinating to find parallels between his life and his mother’s to make connections and see how they overcame obstacles differently. This book kept my attention fully and is a book I often think about, even recently.
That’s a wrap! Of all ten summer reading books, I make connections back to almost all ten in my recent English classes. I have enjoyed all of my English classes at AMHS and look forward to reading more books in AP Lit this year!
