I’m an English Student; Here’s Five Books I think Everybody Should Read

I find it very funny how books shape everybody’s lives so differently. For some people, they were a chore that they had to read for homework or because their parents made them. For others they are a staple in their life and mean so much to them. Then there’s me, the psycho that enjoyed them so much she decided to do a whole undergraduate degree in book reviews.

It’s actually really funny, I was forced to read as a child. Every summer I had to read a chapter of my book every day, and I weirdly enjoyed it (ironically when I told my mother I wanted to study English Literature at university she didn’t know what job I could get out of that as if she isn’t the reason I was gaslit into enjoying novels). It was a staple in my house. We all had to do it. I wholeheartedly believe everybody should implement reading into their children’s lives, because the amount of children that can’t read is honestly concerning. It kinda links back to my last post, that the reason people don’t have media literacy skills is because they don’t read books. Now of course I cannot sit here and dictate that people must read and have media literacy skills without of course, giving recommendations of my own. So, here are five books that I recommend to everybody. There’s a mixed variety, some I just love, some changed my life, some I read on my own accord, some because of school. Feel free to take my recommendations, or don’t, I do not particularly care. (All overviews come from wikipedia so that I did not have angry readers coming to me because I badly explained any of these books)

First off we have The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. If you liked The Shawshank Redemption, then you will love The Nickel Boys. The narrative alternates between the 2010s and the 1960s. In the present, Elwood Curtis is an African-American business owner in New York City. As an investigation into the defunct Nickel Academy begins to expose the school's hidden history of atrocities, including many secretly buried bodies on the premises, many men who were incarcerated at Nickel Academy as boys are coming forward to share their experiences of abuse. Curtis is forced to confront the lasting effects of his experiences there. I first read this in my first year of university, and I was stunned. I won’t lie to you all, there are very few books that I have read because of university that I was left so in awe of what I had read. It sparks conversations about race, gender norms and even subtle hints of sexuality. It has something for everyone. Now, it is a tough read. Not in language, but because it can get quite intense. But you will not regret it (unless you do then please feel free to start me about it). This eye opening, heart shattering, emotional rollercoaster will have you fall in and out of love with characters, laugh and cry in all one.

Next up I bring to the table A Little Life by Hanya Yanigahara. Now, if you were on BookTok between 2023 and 2024 you will have heard A LOT about this book. Mixed reviews at that (how you could hate this book I have no idea) but I definitely fell into the loving category. A Little Life follows a chronological narrative with flashbacks frequently interspersed throughout. The novel's narrative perspectives shift throughout the story's progression. During the beginning of the novel, a third-person omniscient perspective privileging the thoughts of Jude, Willem, JB and Malcolm is employed. As the story gradually shifts its focus towards Jude, its perspective progressively molds entirely around each character's interactions with Jude and the experiences of Jude himself. This literary perspective is punctuated by first-person narratives told by an older Harold, nine years in the future. This. Book. Oh my god where do I even start. You’ll find a common theme with all these books I have chosen, they all helped me put my own life into perspective. That to me is what makes reading so special. When you follow the lives of the four friends, it becomes transparent that one has a worse life than the rest. Jude’s battles with internalised homophobia, depression and physical health issues makes you see that sometimes people just have it simply worse than others. This book truthfully took me a while to get through. The 832 paged book will have you thinking about you own life, own friends and own family. The idea that your career is not your entire life, that you have to accept yourself for all your good and flaws. This book had me staring at my bedroom wall for at least an hour. Please read it, the length is off putting but you will be sorry you didn’t read it sooner.

Thirdly, I bring an old classic, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. This book if I am being honest, made me realise I wanted to study English at university. Most of you probably studied this at GCSE and those I spoke to that studied it have agreed that it is a beautifully written piece of literature. Now of course, Atticus is the original DILF, but the book is so much more than that. The story, told by Jean Louise "Scout" Finch, takes place during three years (1933–1935) of the Great Depression in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, the seat of Maycomb County. Scout, who is six years old at the beginning of the book, lives with her older brother Jeremy, nicknamed Jem, and their widowed father Atticus, a middle-aged lawyer. They also have a black cook, Calpurnia, who has been with the family for many years and helps Atticus raise the two children. The story opens up conversations about systemic racism but also gender. Scout’s tom boy appearance is not accepted by her aunt Alexandra which for the 1930s would be seemingly acceptable. Reading it with the gift of hindsight Scout would have LOVED jorts trending right now. The book has a feel good, wholesome narrative while tackling some of the most difficult conversations, such as rape and false allegations. Just remember “shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit them, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (didn’t think I’d pull out quotes did you?!). This book will change your life, that is as simple as I will put it.

Next up we have a collection (ooo, it just got interesting). The Complete Stories of Flannery O’Connor. I will admit, pre-2026 I had no clue who Flannery O’Connor was. I have been so sorry since I read this that I did not know who she was. (yes she is a woman I was just as shocked as you. The Complete Stories is a collection of short stories by Flannery O'Connor. It was published in 1971 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. It comprises all the stories in A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Everything That Rises Must Converge plus several previously unavailable stories. I initially read this for my Bible and Modern Literature class at university, however I took away far more than just biblical symbolism. Of course, you can read A Good Man is Hard to find and look at the religious literature used within it, however I saw something so much deeper than this. The first short story I read that made me go “why didn’t I read this sooner?” was The Barber. The Barber opened up political discourse within the collection. Set in the 1950s The Barber made me realise through O’Connor’s use of grotesque imagery and gothic fiction, that American politics actually hasn’t changed. The American people’s lives are constantly at risk dependent on where they are in the country and who they are voting for. This in turn inspired my English Literature Dissertation to look at why American democracy has become so incredibly fragile. There are topics of race, gender and politics woven throughout these ten incredible short stories. Short stories are a great read if you don’t have a lot patience and want to get to the end quickly. Each story opens a new perspective on American politics.

My final recommendation of the day (although I have at least 10 more recommendations to give) goes to MY favourite book of all time. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. If you have come within a twelve mile radius of me you will have heard me bang on about this book so many times. In 1953, Esther Greenwood, a 19-year-old undergraduate student from the suburbs of Boston, is awarded a summer internship at the fictional Ladies' Day magazine in New York City. During the internship, Esther feels neither stimulated nor excited by the work, fashion, and big-city lifestyle that her peers in the program seem to adore. She finds herself struggling to feel anything at all aside from anxiety and disorientation. This book is semi-autobiographical based on Plath’s own life. An important factor to consider when reading this book is that Sylvia Plath committed suicide one month after the UK’s publication. This is one of the very few book I genuinely think the context is SO important when reading. I know I said these are books I believe everybody should read, but The Bell Jar, I think every WOMAN should read. Arguments with Esther in the book about how she doesn’t want to have children, and her questioning of women’s role in society, generates this appreciation for the life Western women are now able to have. (notice how I specify Western women). This novel will make you realise how far we’ve come as a society for women, and how much of a long way we have to go until we are fully equal to men. If there is any book on this list you consider reading, please make this one. This book changed my life.

I have so many other books I could recommend, and would love to recommend if people want. What I want people to take away from this blog post today is that there is a book for everyone. I personally don’t love fantasy fiction so there’s loads of those books I haven’t read. The reason I point that out is because although I have read a lot of books in my time, does not mean there’s no gap in my knowledge, because there certainly is. I want people to start reading more, and I do believe there is an appetite for it.

Let me know what you think, and I’ll see you in the next one.

Eva :)