The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A classic novel about power, wealth, moral corruption, and not getting what you want (or think you want).
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
A sad and sentimental story about a murdered young girl and how her family and friends try to carry on as Susie watches over them from her version of heaven. Seeing Susie's life cut short actually makes you wistful for the awkwardness of junior high/high school...no matter how wonderful or terrible, they are life experiences. How strongly can a life want to be lived? Also, the father character is incredible.
Lolita by Vladimir Nabakovou
I had always assumed Lolita was a story about a perverted middle-aged man, but once I gave it a chance, I found a beautiful story about a man who knows he's a monster and is powerless to change what he knows will be his miserable fate. This is a difficult read topic-wise, but the writing is absolutely perfect.
The Giver by Lois Lowry
I can't believe I didn't read this book until my mid-twenties; I wonder what I would've thought of it in my younger years. "Dystopic" doesn't even begin to describe the world of The Giver. There is too much to even explain or summarize, but just read it. Those couple hours will change you.
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
This book hovers between fiction and nonfiction while addressing the question: what is true, and what is real? The stories overlap and intertwine, and in this way the reader feels the horror and chaos of the Vietnam War.
Other authors/books I love:
Jhumpa Lahiri: Interpreter of Maladies and The Namesake
Michael Pollen: The Omnivore's Dilemma
Stieg Larsson: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
Cormac McCarthy: No Country for Old Men, The Road
David Sedaris: Me Talk Pretty One Day
Ian McEwan: Atonement
Alan Moore: Watchmen (graphic novel)
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