Searching for the perfect read? Allow our editorial board to suggest some books from a variety of genres that we’ve found fascinating, moving, and well-written.
Bryan recommends:
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Extremely well written, with a compelling story, fascinating characters and motivations, A deeply challenging novel and a philosophic epic.
Going Postal by Terry Pratchett
A story that manages to be coherent, interesting, and thrilling, while also being seriously funny. Easy to read, hard not to get into, and fun.
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
A children’s novel that examines power struggles, philosophy, genocide, and more, while remaining appropriate for all ages. If you’re interested in reading about strategy, leadership, and manipulation, and won’t be put off by the small vessels that carry the story, a definite must-read.
Flatland by Edwin A. Abbot
Just great for putting things into perspective, literally. Whimsically written, it almost makes you forget that it’s technically entirely about geometry. Characters and conflicts are believable and interesting.
Emma recommends:
At the Bottom of the River by Jamaica Kincaid
Kincaid’s lyric stories evoke life in a small Antiguan village. While her unusual and rhythmic language often verges on prose poetry, her narratives provide an unflinching look at the social complexities of her community.
Natasha and other Stories by David Bezmozgis
Bezmozgis’ largely autobiographical first collection of stories revolves around the lives of a Russian family newly arrived to Toronto. Poignant, disturbing, and often profoundly funny.
Billy recommends:
Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges
A collection of short works by a pioneer of magical realism and surrealist fiction. I have thought about many of these 10-page stories more than I do about entire novels – Borges is a master of leaving the mind in a beautifully satisfying twisted mess.
Dinosaur Comics by Ryan North
A tremendously funny and thoughtful webcomic (qwantz.com) now released as an anthology in print, Dinosaur Comics will have you laughing, crying, and high-fiving all around.
Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges
Turing’s work is astounding (theorizing a computer capable of any possible computation, cracking the “invincible” German WWII cipher machine), and his life infuriating (after being convicted of homosexuality, a year of forced estrogen injections drove him to suicide). This is the only biography I have read which comes close to conveying the brilliance of his mind.
Ye Sun recommends:
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
Funny and heartbreaking, the novel revolves around 11-year-old Oskar as he copes with the death of his father. I was attached to the novel until the end, and fell in love with its poignant visuals and unconventional writing.
Lamb by Christopher Moore
Lamb is the hilarious (and fictional) account of Jesus Christ’s childhood, as told by his best friend, Biff. Its adventurous plot drew me in, with plays on historical facts and biblical stories that made me laugh to no end.
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
An autobiography about the adventures of Gerald Durrell during his childhood at the island of Corfu, My Family and Other Animals is the most entertaining combination of humour natural sciences that I have read. Each of Durrell’s descriptions – of his family, of his mini-journeys, and of his findings – induced a spectrum of emotions that often resulted in insuppressible giggles.
Jocelyn recommends:
The Kitchen God’s Wife by Amy Tan
In this moving tale of the relationship between a Chinese-American mother and her daughter, Amy Tan captures our attention with vivid descriptions and realistic, undeniably human characters. The Kitchen God’s Wife explores the culture and history of China during WWII as the tenacious protagonist recounts her strife-ridden past. The intermingling of action, drama, a strong heroine, and cultural elements, make for an interesting read.
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Set in Medieval England, an era stricken by poverty, crime, and deception, the exciting plot of this novel focuses on the construction of a church. The tale is seen from the eyes of several different narrators, each with his own struggles and hardships, ambitions, and unique personality. The Pillars of the Earth is an absorbing read, filled with action and brought to life by masterful narration and characterization.
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Ten murderers meet on an uninhabited island and are murdered in turn, one by one, in eerie synchronization with a nursery rhyme. Laden with suspense and tension, And Then There Were None is a thriller that subtly explores themes of guilt as each soon-to-be victim fights to survive. Like many Agatha Christie mysteries, this novel proves to be quite the reader-deceiver, keeping one guessing until the end.
Taylor recommends:
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
I read this for my English class and it is one of the most beautifully written books that I have ever read. Drawing me into the characters’ lives, this book stuck with me for days after I finished reading it.
Porey reccomends:
A Short History of Progress by Ronald Wright
This book will be, if it is not already, the touchstone of the environmental movement. Short but apt, intellectual but simple.
Generation X by Douglas Coupland
The book that personified a generation; the stories are some of the most creative that you will ever read.
The Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss
I am not kidding; perhaps one of the most serious children books out there, but also one of the best.
