📖 Book Recommendations (for High-Intermediate and Advanced Learners)
This list is a combination of books that I’ve personally read and enjoyed, recommendations from my family and friends, and many well-known titles that are considered “classics” in the world of literature.
📜 US Historical Fiction / Social Realism
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee → A sister and a brother learn about racism and injustice in their town when their dad helps a black man in court.
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger → A teenager feels lost and confused in the big city, trying to figure out life.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald → A man throws big parties to impress a girl he loves, but he ultimately faces tragedy due to the illusions of “the American Dream.”
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck → a rural family of farmers are forced to leave their land during the Great Depression and migrate to California in search of a better life, facing hardship and prejudice along the way.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker → A poor black girl in the Southern US tries to overcome abuse. She finds strength and independence through the relationships she forms with other women in her life.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck → a story of two brothers who dream of owning their own land but face challenges and tragedies as they try to make their dream a reality during the Great Depression.
👽 Science Fiction / Dystopian Society
1984 by George Orwell → A scary vision of the future. Winston Smith lives in a society where the government controls people's lives every second of the day. This book invented the term “Big Brother.”
The Giver by Lois Lowry → In a “perfect” world with no war, poverty, crime, suffering, etc., a young boy learns about emotions and discovers the importance of choices and feelings.
Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks → This book contains humorous instructions on how to survive a zombie attack in a world overrun by the undead!
🕵️♂️ Detective / Mystery Novels
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie → A famous detective solves a murder mystery on a train, using his sharp mind to uncover the truth among the passengers.
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler → In Los Angeles, a private detective investigates a wealthy family's secrets, uncovering scandals and danger along the way.
🏞️ Adventure Fiction
A Million Shades of Gray by Cynthia Kadohata → A boy and his elephant escape into the jungle when the Viet Cong attack his village immediately after the Vietnam war.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho → A boy embarks on a journey seeking treasure in the Egyptian pyramids after having a recurring dream about it. During his journey, he meets mentors, falls in love, and most importantly, learns the true importance of who he is and how to focus on what really matters in life.
📚 Biographies
Martin Luther King Jr. by David Colbert → This book is about the life of one of the most influential figures in American history. Find out about the challenges he faced and the sacrifices he made on his quest for a more equal and fair society for everyone.
Agatha Christie, Woman of Mystery by Oxford University Press → Agatha Christie was an English crime novelist and short story writer, but what was she like? Was her life quiet and unexciting, or was it full of mystery and adventure like her stories?
