1. The Diving Bell and
the Butterfly
 |
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
~ Jean Dominique |
This heartbreaking memoir, written by Jean-Dominique Bauby, follows the
life of a narcissistic editor turned ward of the hospital after a sudden stroke
leaves him paralyzed and unable to communicate. It’ll make you realize how
important the people in your life are, and how precious every moment really is.
Did I mention you might weep through the whole thing?
2. Zen and the Art of
Motorcycle Maintenance
 |
zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance
~ Robert Pirsig |
Need a little more impetus in your life?
Read this philosophical novel, and Robert Pirsig will help you realize
how important it is to actually care about what you’re doing. In other words, if you’re fixing a motorcycle,
then really fix it. Don’t listen to music, or do something else simultaneously.
Do what you need to do, and take pride in it.
3. Cat’s Cradle
 |
Cat’s Cradle
~ Kurt Vonnegut |
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.
4. The Curious
Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
 |
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
~ Mark Haddon |
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.
5. One Hundred Years
of Solitude
 |
One Hundred Years of Solitude
~ Gabriel Garcia Marquez |
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.
6. Invisible Monsters
 |
Invisible Monsters
~ chuck Palahniuk |
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.
7. White Oleander
 |
White Oleander
~ Janet Fitch |
Life will make or break you, and when Astrid’s mother is sent to prison
for murdering a former lover, Astrid is put into foster care in Los Angeles.
That’s enough to break anyone, but what we see is that she manages to survive,
and relies on her inner strength to do that. (Inspirational much?!)
8. In Cold Blood
 |
In Cold Blood
~ Truman Capote |
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.
9. Middlesex
 |
Middlesex
~ Jeffrey Eugenides |
This stunning novel revolves around Calliope Stephanides (or Cal), and
it’s a great read for anyone interested in gender and taking a closer look at
how family and biology shape your identity.
10. Play It As It Lays
 |
Play it as it Lays
~ Joan Didion |
Play
It As It Lays is a story about Maria Wyeth, a
Hollywood actress who has lost control of her life and identity. It’s a tragic
read that will force you into deep self-reflection, as it exposes the fact that
we live in a culture where nothing is quite good enough.
11. Ada, or Ardor
 |
Ada or Ardor
~Vladimir Nabokov |
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.
12. Beloved
 |
Beloved
~ Toni Morrison |
This suspenseful novel follows Sethe, who was freed from slavery but
never really escapes her memories. It’s an unflinching look into the horrors of
slavery, but even more than that, it will fill you with hope.
13. The Absolutely True
Diary of a Part-Time Indian
 |
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
~ Sherman Alexie |
Junior grew up on a Spokane Indian Reservation, but he’s also a budding
cartoonist who dreams of getting off the rez. This book is funny, smart, and
heartbreaking, but because of all that, it will make you question the idea of
destiny.
14. Push
 |
Push
~ Sapphire |
You don’t know a thing about the power of redemption until you meet
Precious Jones. This book is gut-wrenching and horrifying, but it will
ultimately inspire anyone to feel like they can overcome the odds.
15. It
 |
It
~ Stephen King |
Granted, this is Stephen King, so it’s going to be a scary read. That
being said, this story about a group of children being terrorized by some
anonymous entity goes beyond surface-level horror. It opens up a dialogue about
childhood trauma and the power of memory, as well as the unspoken ugliness that
hides in small-town values.
16. Under the Banner of
Heaven
 |
Under The Banner of Heaven
~ Jon Krakauer |
The amazing part of Krakauer’s nonfiction novel is that while it’s
incredibly comprehensive — encompassing the early foundation of the Mormon
church to the present-day scandals — it’s also a complete page-turner. This
book will make you question your own faith as it examines the faith of a
relatively new religion.
17. Me Talk Pretty One
Day
 |
Me Talk Pretty One Day
~ David Sedaris |
David Sedaris is hilarious, period. But in Me Talk Pretty One
Day he manages to weave all of his funny
and true stories with the idea that humans have a problem with communication.
His strange experiences with people will make you question how you communicate
on a daily basis. (And he manages to pull it off with the reader barely
noticing. How’s that for improved communication skills?!)
18. World War Z
 |
World War z
~ Max Brooks |
Yes, believe it or not, a book about zombies can change your life. That’s because it’s not just about eating brains, it
looks at cultural divides, politics, war, and conflicts that seem petty once
the fate of the world is at stake. It’s an eye-opener that just happens to also
be filled with awesome zombies.
19. The Giver
 |
The Giver
~ Lois Lowry |
This book takes us into Jonas’ world, where there is no pain and
everything is controlled. Until he turns 12, which is when he learns that there
is pain, and fear, and passion, and emotions that he’s never experienced
before.
Ultimately, this book has the gift of reminding you that life is pain,
but that is what makes life so wonderful. We make choices that may be the wrong
ones, but they give our life purpose.
20. The Fault in Our
Stars
 |
The Fault in Our Stars
~ John Green |
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.
21. A Brief History of
Time
 |
A Brief History of Time
~ Stephen Hawking |
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!).
22. Sophie’s World
 |
Sophie’s World
~ Jostein Gaarder |
“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.
23. Crime and
Punishment
 |
Crime and Punishment
~ Fyodor Dostoevsky |
This is a heavy book, but it’s also an amazingly detailed look at the
inner workings of the human mind and the repercussions of committing a crime.
24. Life of Pi
 |
Life of Pi
~ Yann Martel |
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.
25. Invisible Man
 |
Invisible Man
~ Ralph Ellison |
The great thing about this book is that it seems like it’s about one
unnamed protagonist dealing with race issues. But underneath all that, it’s
about humankind, and how we’re all stumbling along, trying to find ourselves.
This book will teach you that actions really do speak louder than words. And
what’s true for you isn’t true for anyone else.
26. Joy of Cooking
 |
Joy of Cooking
~ Irma Rombauer |
Coming from someone whose finest moments happen in front of a microwave,
I can say that this book is a lot different than most cookbooks. The tone is
conversational, and it’s filled with recipes, tutorials, and short pieces that
actually convince you to try out some new things. Everyone should read this,
because it will actually make cooking fun!
27. Catch-22
 |
Catch-22
~ Joseph Heller |
First of all, Catch-22 is just plain funny, and that makes it wonderful all on its own. But
it’s also a really great read, because it skilfully points out the absurdity of
war.
28. The Train
 |
The Train
~ Georges Simenon |
This novella is brief, but t manages to encompass the terror and horror
of the Nazis invading a bucolic suburb in France. Our unlikely hero is Marcel
Ferón, who has an affair after the invasion leaves him separated from his
pregnant wife. It explores the idea of living in the moment and will make you
question whether or not disassociating from your responsibilities is ever OK.
29. The Artist’s Way
 |
The Artist’s Way
~ Julia Cameron |
The
Artist’s Way is almost more of a course book than
an actual book, but if you need to unlock your creative side, then this will do
exactly that. By following the book, you are choosing to turn on your
creativity.
30. The Beautiful and Damned
 |
The Beautiful and Damned
~ F. Scott Fitzgerald |
More money & more problems or so it goes for the novel’s
protagonist, Anthony Patch, and his wife, Gloria. This book deals with extreme
wealth and the devastating effects alcoholism can have.
31. Prodigal Summer
 |
Prodigal Summer
~ Barbara Kingsolver |
In this book, we meet three different characters whose stories
eventually intertwine. It all takes place in southern Appalachia and deals with
their relationships toward the balance of nature around them. It will make you
question your own relationship with evolution, and put into perspective what a
small part of that we really are. The novel also explores the ideas of life and
death, love, and the importance of the community around you.
32. Never Let Me Go
 |
Never Let Me Go
~ Kazuo Ishiguro |
There’s nothing easy about reading Never Let Me Go, because it has an
honesty that will make you question so many things. Like the social alienation
of specific groups of people, and the painful fact that love can be lost or
missed, all because of timing. It’s beautiful, haunting, and complex. Did I
also mention its science fiction? Yeah, go read this.
