Books to read before you're 16 (3 Viewers)

[billygannon]

If your girlfriend suggests the His Dark Materials trilogy over Harry Potter she'll get major kudos, it'd be my main suggestion also. Trust me I'm a teacher (in England and all).

Excelsior!

Thanks for all the suggestions. They're very much appreciated.

Other suggestions that have arisen include East of Eden, The Curious Incident..., Monica Ali's Brick Lane and Matthew Kneale's English Passengers.

Surprised no-one mentioned Peig yet.
Or Anne and Barry.

 

[krystal]

ah english passengers made me snort and whinny with the laughter. a GR8 buke.

Excelsior!

Thanks for all the suggestions. They're very much appreciated.

Other suggestions that have arisen include East of Eden, The Curious Incident..., Monica Ali's Brick Lane and Matthew Kneale's English Passengers.

Surprised no-one mentioned Peig yet.
Or Anne and Barry.

 

[snakybus]

Pinballs by Betsy Bryars

this one really stuck with me as a kid

also Danny, The Champion of the World, by Roald Dahl

More for younger kids though

 

[snakybus]

I think I read every Just William book, and every Jeeves and Wooster book. All great.

I read 1984 on recommendation from my Dad when I was about 13 and was bemused by the sexy bits (and kind of weirded out that my Dad knew I was reading it)

 

[krystal]

I was obsessed with all Judith Krantz books (I think I'll Take Manhattan was her personal pinnacle of excellent) and the Thorn Birds when I was about 13. I actually can't believe my mother did allow me to read them bukes, saucy and all as they are. Sex, shopping, sheep and priests.

 

[snakybus]

actually, there's nothing like a good ol' Jackie Collins book when you're a 14 year old kid

or some german porn

 

[Lord Damian]

siddahartha.

simply, yes.

 

[Rachel666]

If you're fifteenish:
The Virgin Suicides.by jeffery eugenides. I didn't like it the first time I read but it really grew on me.
Apt Pupil.by stephen king
The Colour Purple. by alice walker
and yes!
the Trainspotting book is definetly much better than the film. 2 excellent stories were left out.

my little sis likes jacqueline wilson books but I think they're all badly written and predictable. Books to defo stir clear of are bastarding Claire Hennessy books.

 

[Rachel666]

Oh and Princess Diaries are a very good read and Sleater-kinney get mentioned!

 

[spiritualtramp]

I think I read every Just William book, and every Jeeves and Wooster book. All great.

Which is the best Jeeves and Wooster, do you think? I'm going to start reading them.

 

[spiritualtramp]

Hey Ms. B have you read the more recent Adrian Mole, when he's like 24/25 or some-it, I heard there was a more recent book floating around?

Full list of Adrian Mole books here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Mole

 

[Unicron]

To Kill A Mockingbird.

 

[chutneyfarmer]

 

[ms.b.haven]

nice one! you little star

Full list of Adrian Mole books here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Mole

 

[snakybus]

Which is the best Jeeves and Wooster, do you think? I'm going to start reading them.

Honestly, I can't remember. I just had the anthology and I read the whole thing from start to finish.

 

[tripoli]

Full list of Adrian Mole books here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Mole

Deadly, fair play

 

[coast to coast]

east of eden's a great book. to kill a mockingbird similarly great suggestion.
also - ian mcdonald's revolution in the head. everyone, even youngsters should know about the beatles in detail.

 

[Audiodelic]

Other suggestions that have arisen include East of Eden, The Curious Incident..., Monica Ali's Brick Lane and Matthew Kneale's English Passengers.

Billy, English Passengers is a superb book, it's one of those ones I've bought for loads of people who have different tastes in books and it universally gets props.
Curious Incident is always a good one, my younger bro who doesn't read much, read it in two days.
Would second The Outsiders also.
Steinbeck's been mentioned; they're all good but for that age group, I'd go for Mice and Men or The Red Pony.
Bonjour Tristesse by Francois Sagan about a 16 year old girl's summer in France
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fizgerald
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (very short and super spooky)

What about some of those short novels they used to make us read in school. Can't remember all of them, but I remember read Paddy Kavanagh's Tarry Flynn, Shadows on our Skin by Jennifer Johnson (if you want to pick Irish authors), Steinbeck's The Pearl, Animal Farm, etc.

One book I picked for our bookclub that's on the Leaving Cert syllabus is Chinua Achebe's 'Things Fall Apart' about the downfall of an African tribesman. It's amazing, full of culture, colour and superstition. I think Pat Barker's Regeneration (about the meeting of poets Winifred Owen and Siegried Sassoon at a hospital during the First World War) is also on the LC syllabus. Another great book, and the first in a trilogy.

Oh, and one last recommendation - one of my favourite novels of all time by a woman who mainly writes Short Stories. Who Will Run The Frog Hospital by Lorrie Moore, about the friendship between two idealistic teenage girls. A wonderful, wonderful book.

Hope this helps Billy!

 

[egg_]

I didn't like any of the Jeeves and Wooster stuff I've read, thought they were kinda smug
Wouldn't particularly recommend East of Eden either, I think it's the weakest Steinbeck I've read ... oh and anyone who thinks His Dark Materials is better than Harry Potter has a poor grasp of reality

Oh sorry, I'm moaning. I can't really remember too well what I liked at 15, I loved Cannery Row and Illusions and To Kill a Mockingbird, liked Blackcock's Feather which was on the Inter Cert course, apart from that my memory's a little hazy

 

[eucrid eucrow]

oh and anyone who thinks His Dark Materials is better than Harry Potter has a poor grasp of reality

Would you mind elaborating on why you think that is? I'm honestly interested because you're the first person I've 'met' who has read both and prefers Harry Potter.