On the last day the public libraries were open here in Burnaby, we went over to the McGill branch and stocked up. Spring Break was just starting and it was looking like I was going to have even more reading time than usual. Well it’s 5 weeks on and I have done lots of reading and my stash has diminished – I’ve just started on the last one.
So what is a librarian (or any reader) to do without a library to browse through? Title suggestions, anyone? I’ve just spent some time looking through loads of “books everyone should read before…” and while there is lots of variety, some titles come up over and over. So let’s look at some that you should actually be able to get your hands on, even in the middle of self-isolation.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – I’ve already talked about this one. J.K. Rowling and publishers have made this one available to as many as want to read it – download it as an eBook or audiobook, English or French.
Pride and Prejudice (or any of Austen’s) – Some people turn their noses up at Jane Austen, but with her books more popular than ever 200 years on, I think there’s an argument to at least give her a try. And no, they aren’t ‘girl’ books.
Lord of the Rings – Read the trilogy or start with The Hobbit. J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth adventures are epic. Available to borrow as audiobooks from the Internet Archive’s Open Library (you just need to create an account).
Little Women – Louisa May Alcott’s story of 4 sisters living through a difficult time (sound familiar?).
Fahrenheit 451 – Dystopia before it was a thing. Ray Bradbury paints a picture of a world where the written word is a crime. Also available from the Open Library.
Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights – The Bronte sisters (there were actually 3 of them writing) wrote some really atmospheric novels. These are not ‘happy’ stories, but well worth the read.
Charlotte’s Web – You should all be familiar with this one by E.B. White. Maybe it’s time to share it with a younger sibling.
Brave New World – When I was in grade 12, we read 1984 (George Orwell) and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. What I remember is that they are the same story, written in opposite directions. 1984 is grey and Brave New World is full of colour. Both are scary visions of the future. You can listen to Brave New World for free from Audible, which has made a bunch of books freely available for students.
There are so many more that turn up on multiple ‘must-read’ lists. You should be able to access all of these. Looking at my list, they also have something else in common – all of them have had movies made from them. Most are in our library. So read now and check out the movies when we get back to school.