Top Ten Tuesday: Classics for Non-Classics Readers

Classics can be intimidating, and I know high school and college required reading ruins classics for a lot of people. I love classics, and I think these classics listed below will appeal to classic lovers and those who avoid classics like the plague equally. The great thing about reading classics on your own is that you don't have to analyze them to death if you don't want to, and there is no teacher or professor to tell you how right or wrong your interpretations are.
Hosted by: The Broke and the Bookish

1. Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck This book is a very short but powerful read. It is one of my favorite books I read in high school, and one of the least complained about books by students that I went to high school with. Lennie is such an unforgettable character, and the way this book portrays the early American dream is great.

2. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald This is another book I first read in high school, and have since reread it at least once a year. In my opinion, this is the American novel. It doesn't read like a stuffy classic and is so thought provoking, plus Fitzgerald's writing and characterization is second to none, and the film adaptations are great.

3. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen Another classic that doesn't read like it was written hundreds of years ago, this book is so funny, witty, and entertaining, and translates to film so well.

4. Lord of the Flies, William Golding This book will appeal to male readers and those who like suspenseful reads. It's about a group of boys that get stranded on an island and must fend for themselves in order to survive.

5. The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton This is a great book for younger readers, but is also enjoyable for any other age groups as well. My sixth grade teacher read it aloud to us and I have loved this book ever since.

6. Edgar Allen Poe short stories Poe writes great horror and suspense stories that don't read like classics. If you like Stephen King or similar authors, give Poe a try. Plus, Poe's life is so interesting to study next to his works.

7. The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne My mom read this in high school and still talks about how much she enjoyed it. This is another shorter classic with beautiful writing.

8. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams This book is so weird, so random, and so funny. This sci-fy classic is timeless and doesn't take itself too seriously.

9. Sherlock Holmes Stories, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle These stories are brilliant. Sherlock and Watson are such great characters with such a great friendship, and the mysteries are just as brilliant as the man who solves them.

10.  Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbitt I read this one when I was in middle school, and remember being so impressed by the ideas that were presented in it. I recently wrote about it in my Children's Lit class and was impressed with it again. This is a short read, but very powerful.