The semester in books (when you’re an English major)

Hello there! I hope January is progressing well for you. Today I am going to be sharing all the books I read this past semester as an English major in her junior year of college. By far, this was my favorite semester– and not even because it was finally back in person! I throughly enjoyed the reading list for my literature class, and I was able to accomplish my reading goals despite being a full-time student. (I read 31 books in the year of 2021, let’s go!)

For school…

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice is one of my all-time favorite stories. I read the novel twice in 2021 alone, and I’ve watched the movie probably four or five times. Getting to read it in class was such a cool experience because I got to learn things about the novel I’d never thought of on my own. Plus I got to write a super cool analysis about the relationship between Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth, and how that relationship shaped her attitude towards marriage.

Benito Cereno by Herman Melville

It was a little unfair having to read Benito Cereno after Pride and Prejudice. This novel was the only one I didn’t finish this semester. (Although I got pretty close.) I’ve read Melville’s magnum opus, Moby Dick, and actually really enjoyed it, so my hopes were up high for Benito Cereno. Unfortunately, the story just didn’t agree with me.

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Great Expectations is the definition of true neutral. It’s not good, it’s not bad. The story isn’t anything revolutionary– it’s not going to stick with me for the rest of my life– and I’m certainly not going to feel compelled to re-read it, but I can’t really say anything bad about it, either. True neutral.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

I hated Treasure Island when I had to read it in, like, fifth grade. So I was nervous about reading his famous novella. However, I actually thought it was a fun read. It was the book we worked on at the end of October, so it really complemented the spooky vibes of Halloween well.

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

I absolutely adored this novel! I wrote what might be my best literary analysis of all time on this book, and so the story shall forever live in my heart. I’m a huge fan of Virginia Woolf, but I’d never read To the Lighthouse before this year. I’m really glad I finally got a change to read it, and it got 5 stars from me.

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

This one was weird! I had no idea what to expect from it because I honestly knew nothing about it going in, but I had a good time reading it. It’s very modernist, so it was helpful getting to sit through a few lectures on it because I was able to derive a lot more sub-textual information from the story. I highly recommend this one, though, to anyone who wants a strange but intriguing read.

Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid

It’s a very classic take on coming-of-age. The novel follows the main character, Annie, through the woes of her childhood and into her early adulthood. I found the novel interesting because of how real Annie’s character feels. She’s as unlikable as she is likable, because her narrative bears all to the reader. It’s raw, and I liked that.

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

My final paper of the semester was a cross comparison between The Sense of an Ending and Annie John. My argument was that The Sense of an Ending is about the ongoing, repetitive nature of adult coming-of-age, that we continue to experience periods of growth and change within our identities. I drew comparisons between the two novels to prove this, and I really was proud of it. The Sense of an Ending reminded me of Donna Tartt’s A Secret History in some of its tone and atmosphere. It has a very edgy, dark feel to it.

On audio…

How to be a Badass by Jen Sincero

I finally caved and got an audible subscription after school started. It’s about a 20-25 minute walk for me to get from my apartment to campus, so I have lots of time to listen to audiobooks on the daily. I like getting my dose of self-help from podcasts and audiobooks, so I downloaded Jen Sincero’s best-seller. As someone in a humanistic degree, I really needed to listen to this book. It really helps calm your fears about the future, money, and success. She has a practical and realistic approach to achieving goals, and I appreciated it.

For fun…

Again, but Better by Christine Riccio

This was the fluffy read I picked up to balance out the density of my reading for school. I didn’t start reading it until the end of the semester, but it was definitely a good break from all the scholarly papers I was reading on early-Christian Rome (love, love, love minoring in Classics!). I had somewhat high expectations for this book, being how much I enjoyed Christine’s videos when I was younger. Sadly, I didn’t love the book. There were a lot of structural issues I had with it, and I honestly found the narrative voice to be very difficult to root for. (I had trouble believing her given how… strange she was.) But it’s definitely cool to see Christine’s love for reading turn into a career as an author. And it was a fun book.

And that was my semester in books! I’m done with my survey of literature classes for my degree, so I think I’ll be getting more time to read for pleasure this semester (or at least I hope so!). If you’ve read any of these (especially the classics) let me know your thoughts!