And all you have to do is read them!
1. Cat’s Cradle
Of all the Vonnegut you could possibly read, this is the one that will raise the most questions — in a great way. Jonah, our narrator, wants to write a book about the inventor of the atomic bomb, Dr. Frank Hoenikker.
This book will make you question whether or not there should be a limit to the pursuit of knowledge. And it’ll get you to think about the power of weapons, and how even the most competent people can make mistakes with them. Plus, with all of that science comes the exploration of religion, or the futility of it, really.
2. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
This book is special because it gives voice to a type of person that often isn’t written about in fiction. That narrator is a 15-year-old boy named Christopher John Francis Boone, and he’s a brilliant mathematician who also happens to suffer from a behavioral disorder. (Some say Asperger’s, others suggest autism, but author Mark Haddon is adamant that it’s not about any one specific disorder.) Either way, this will help you think about prejudices and preconceived notions.
3. Invisible Monsters
Full disclosure: This book is disturbing. Like, a model gets shot in the face with a rifle and goes on a journey to find out who did it kinda disturbing. That being said, the writing and structure, much like the story, proves that nothing is ever as it seems. And ultimately, this is a lesson and exploration of what it is to really love someone.
4. In Cold Blood
This nonfiction novel revolves around the murder of the Clutter family in 1959, and why the murderers, Perry and Dick, committed their crimes. Author Truman Capote leads us in without judgment, and in doing so lets us come up with our own conclusions about the penal system, justice, and the nature of violent crimes.
5. A Brief History of Time
Being that this is a book by Stephen Hawking, it isn’t the easiest in the world to read. That being said, it’s incredibly smart, and if you can manage to get past the first few chapters, you’ll start to see that the big message here is all about time, and that it has a clear direction. If anything, reading this book will make you feel a little closer to understanding the universe (i.e., it’ll make you smarter!).
6. Sophie’s World
“Who are you?” and “Where does the world come from?” are the two questions that 14-year-old Sophie Amundsen is faced with. So begins this outline of Western philosophy set in a fictional story. It’s an incredibly accessible path to thinking about philosophy, and it sheds light on the importance of certain discoveries and advances in our society.
7. Life of Pi
Much as the book cover suggests, there’s a tiger, and this is the story of a young boy from India who’s stranded at sea in a lifeboat with said tiger. Yikes. Some people might mistakenly think that this is about religion, but what it’s really about is just that you should believe in something — whether that be God, the world, goodness, or yourself. The end message is that life is filled with possibilities, if you let it be.
8. One Hundred Years of Solitude
Because it’s so wonderful to get sucked into the world of Macondo, it’s easy to forget that One Hundred Years of Solitude isn’t just a masterpiece of magical realism. It’s an allegory for colonialism, the human condition, and the political strife in Latin America.
9. Ada, or Ardor
Don’t get me wrong, I love Lolita — it’s an absolutely perfect novel. But Ada, or Ardor is so much more complex. Amidst the romance plot of Van Veen and his cousin Ada is a larger theme on the nature of time — and how it can change everything and nothing.
10. The Fault in Our Stars
Warning: This book will make you weep and weep, until there’s no more weeping left to do and all you’re left with are the characters, story, and beautiful language that will inevitably inspire you to live life and really enjoy every moment.
So... what's your favorite book?
