By Josie Barker
In this article I will rate English honors books, starting from the best, and then slowly easing into the downright worst. Unfortunately, I am not including my reviews on any short stories, only the real deal (like The Odyssey)!
Educated – 14/10
Although this isn’t a book you’re required to read in either 9th or 10th grade honors, I chose to read it when we were given the biggest ultimatum in Evans’ class: pick a book to read on our own. Wholeheartedly, I can assure you this is the best book I’ve ever read. I’ve never been prompted to directly research an author until Tara Westover came into my life.
Born a Crime – 10/10
Wow. Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime really is a breath of fresh air. As I’ve concluded, 9th-10th grade English books tend to be…dare I say…repetitive? Anyways, Noah’s autobiography is unique, insightful, and utterly interesting. Sophomore year has been a lot, and I think this is one of the only honors books I’ve read without losing my sanity. Also, the audio book voiced by the man himself, Trevor Noah, is awesome!
The House of Mango Street – 8/10
Sandra Cisneros is a wonderful writer. Cisneros’ book is both relatable and insightful. I’m glad I had the privilege to read a series of vignettes, and I loved that these were the first I read. However, I will say it gets a little repetitive analyzing the same chapter for forty-five minutes in Tighe’s classroom!
Of Mice and Men – 7/10
This book wasn’t anything special to me, but it surely made me cry. SPOILER warning: Lennie’s death made me bawl.
The Miracle Worker – 6/10
This was a fun book to read! Watching parts of the movie was entertaining, and I liked acting out the scenes. However, sometimes it was a little boring.
Things Fall Apart – 6/10
Wow. So much analyzing. No clue the number seven held so much grail in this novel. I liked reading this book, Chinua Achebe, excellent job! But, Jesus, there was so much to unpack, and so so many confusing parts.
To Kill a Mockingbird – 5/10
I feel like this book is what everyone associates English Honors with. “Hey, how was English today?” “Uhh, I don’t know, maybe To Kill a Mockingbird?” Honestly, I hardly remember reading this book, but whenever I want to complain about English, I blame Harper Lee.
The Odyssey – 4/10
Greek mythology is great!…But The Odyssey made me lose my marbles. No offense to all my valuable Greek mythology geeks, but oh my gosh, I have never been so confused when trying to understand text. Imagine how pitiful I felt surrounded by all these mythophiles, I had no context on Persepohnes background, shameful really!
Romeo and Juliet – 2/10
Nope. I didn’t like this book at all, however, even though I wasn’t in love with this tragedy, the group project I created for it was amazing. The test for Romeo and Juliet was HARD, and I wasn’t aware “Chorus” was a character. Reading this book felt like a dull, slow burn.
Side Note: Don’t procrastinate on your reading! I promise studying pays off 🙂
If you need any ideas for upcoming book-based projects, here are some of my old ones!