In 1954 Richard Matheson published a ground-breaking story "I Am Legend". The story is about the last man on Earth, Robert Neville. The year is 1975, a virus starts to spread after the latest war is finally over. The speed of the virus is phenomenal. Science can't find the cure fast enough, as people drop dead … [Read more...] about I Am Legend
Persuasion
"Persuasion", published in 1817, is Jane Austen's last completed novel. It is a love story for older adults. Anne Elliot is twenty-seven years old, which is considered a spinster in this time period. She has only loved once, but that was about eight years ago. She was then persuaded to end the engagement because his … [Read more...] about Persuasion
Ender's Game
"Ender's Game" is a science fiction novel written by Orson Scott Card and published in 1985. The book was originally a short story, published in the August 1977 in an issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact magazine. Critical reception of the book was positive and it won both the Nebula Award (1985) and the Hugo Award … [Read more...] about Ender's Game
The Awakening
"The Awakening" is a novel written by Kate Chopin and published in 1899. The novel has since become a seminal work in feminist literature and is seen as one of the earliest feminist novels in American history. The novel focuses on women's issues with societal standards and the struggle with the idea of being a … [Read more...] about The Awakening
The Pearl
"The Pearl" is a novella written by the famous American author John Steinbeck and published in 1947. The story was originally published in an issue of 'Woman's Home Companion' magazine and is the re-imagining of a Mexican folk tale that Steinbeck heard while traveling in La Paz, Mexico in 1940. The novella is … [Read more...] about The Pearl
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" is a novel published in 1943 by the American author Betty Smith. The book was a reflection of Smith's childhood as the daughter of poor German immigrants growing up in Brooklyn, New York. The book was a huge hit and became an immediate success. A film adaptation was made only two years later … [Read more...] about A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
King Lear
"King Lear" is a tragic play written by William Shakespeare in 1605. It is based off on a mythological story about a pre-Roman Celtic King named Leir of Britain. The play was performed for the first time on St. Stephen's Day in 1606. The ending was changed to be less tragic after the English Restoration of 1660. King … [Read more...] about King Lear
Democracy in America
In the year 1831, while the United States was still fairly young, and thirty years before the start of the American Civil War, two young men arrived on the shores from France. Alexis de Tocqueville and his long time friend, Gustave de Beaumont were sent to study the prison system of America. The two men used this as a … [Read more...] about Democracy in America
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
"A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" is a memoir published in 2007 by former child soldier Ishmael Beah. The memoir is an account of his time in the Sierra Leone Armed Forces during the civil war in the country in the 1990's. The book was applauded by critics for it's accuracy and visceral depiction of the … [Read more...] about A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
Dune
In 1965, Frank Herbert introduced the world of Dune and opened up a whole new style of science fiction writing. This is the kind of book that contributed to Star Wars and other space fantasy books. He developed an entire solar system. Arrakis is a spice world. The spice, known as melange, is highly addictive and … [Read more...] about Dune