It is so hard to decide what books should go on your reading list. With thousands of books spanning hundreds of genres, it can truly feel like there are so many books and so little time to read them all. As you begin (or continue) to earn your English degree, you may be searching for an eclectic list of books that span over a variety of topics.

Here is a list of books you should consider (at least in part) reading After all, these books can only help you as you continue to earn your English degree!

The Picture of Dorian Gray

"The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame."

If you are looking for a feel-good novel or to read something humorous from the biting wit of Oscar Wilde, this is not the book for you. When Oscar Wilde first published The Picture of Dorian Gray, it was met with considerable controversy. There is little 'good' in the novel and the movie Dorian Gray captures the disgusting qualities of its namesake main character.

Dorian Gray begins the book as an extremely good-looking, good-natured young man whose narcissistic and hedonistic qualities are fully unleashed when his friend Basil Hallward paints a portrait of the man. When he sees the portrait, Dorian expresses the desire to sell his soul to ensure that the picture, rather than him, will age and fade. The wish is granted, and Dorian proceeds to indulge in every pleasure and virtu ally every 'sin', to study their effect upon his portrait.

The gothic novel has an almost Faustian quality to it. While much of the novel comprises of shock value incidents, it also ponders deeper questions of morality and its effect on a person. It also makes a preliminary glimpse into narcissism and its consequences if unbridled.

The book is also significant since it includes one of the first homosexual characters in literature. Basil Hallward, one of the few redeemable characters of the book, confesses to Dorian that he never loved another woman and loves Dorian. Although these passages did not make it past censors in early editions of the novel, they were ultimately replaced in subsequent publications.

To Kill a Mockingbird

"You never really underst and a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it."

According to historian Joseph Crespino, "In the twentieth century, To Kill a Mockingbird is probably the most widely read book dealing with race in America, and its main character, Atticus Finch, the most enduring fictional image of racial heroism."

The plot and characters are loosely based on Lee's observations during her childhood in the south. Although the novel deals with heavy topics of rape, racial injustice, and violence, the book is told from the perspective of six-year-old Scout Finch. Harper Lee adopts an innocent tone for Scout throughout the book. In some ways, it is a coming-of-age story about a young girl, but the story's main theme is racial inequality and justice.

Despite being hailed as such a pillar of modern literature, there is surprisingly little research on the book. The overwhelming themes of race, gender, class, the law and lawyers, and the loss of innocence seem to speak for themselves which is all the more reason to add this book to your must-read list.

Kindred

"I said. 'Now I see why.' 'What?' 'The ease. Us, the children ... I never realized how easily people could be trained to accept slavery."

The first science fiction written by a black woman, Kindred has become a cornerstone of black American literature. The book's main protagonist is Dana, an African-American woman living in 1976 California. She is suddenly wrenched through time into antebell um Maryland. During numerous time-defying episodes in which she is transported back to the present in the nick of time, she realizes what a challenging task she has been given.

This is also a painful book to read because of its graphic depiction of slavery. Kindred was written to explore how a modern black woman would experience a slavery society, where most black people were considered property. Octavia Butler describes the slave life from the perspective of a time-traveling modern woman and to illustrate to contemporary readers the horrors of slavery she makes the transitions from the present to the early 1800s all the more stark and evil in contrast.

Scholars of Kindred consider the novel an accurate, fictional account of slave experiences, concluding that "there probably is no more vivid depiction of life on an Eastern Shore plantation than that found in Kindred."

Readers of this novel will be amazed by Octavia Butler's literary prowess in this science fiction novel, but undoubtedly wish that more of the horrific slave narrative was fictional.

The Bell Jar

"I felt very still and empty, the way the eye of a tornado must feel, moving dully along in the middle of the surrounding hullabaloo."

The Bell Jar is the only novel written by the American writer and poet Sylvia Plath. Originally published under the pseudonym "Victoria Lucas" in 1963, the book is semi-autobiographical and explores the complexity of depression and mental illness.

The book gets its unusual title from an assessment made by the main character, Esther Greenwood. Esther has experienced a variety of personal setbacks and trauma that are compounded by her panic attacks and chronic insomnia. Esher describes her life as being suffocated by a bell jar which is a thick glass display container sometimes used to create a vacuum space. Although nothing 'extraordinary' happens in the book, we can slowly see how Esther begins to extinguish her life from within as we slowly watch her mental descent.

While the book sounds depressing, The Bell Jar does have a happy ending. While this novel gives way to feminist discourse and challenges the way of life for women in the 1950s, it also gives a case study of a woman struggling with mental health. For anyone with a mental illness or who wants a better understanding of those suffering from the condition, this book is a sympathetic and accurate view of the inner struggle.

Lolita

"He broke my heart. You merely broke my life."

I'm not going to mince words with this novel; the subject matter of this book can, and probably should, make your skin crawl. Vladimir Nabokov is an incredible writer with an incredible prose style that easily makes him one of the best writers of the last century. You'll be even more jealous of his writing when you learn that English isn't even his first language (the man is that talented).

Although the writing is incredible, the book is less so. The protagonist and unreliable narrator of the novel is a middle-aged literature professor under the pseudonym Humbert Humbert. Humbert is obsessed with a 12-year-old girl, Dolores Haze, whom he kidnaps and sexually abuses after becoming her stepfather. Fortunately, the book does not become too graphic, but the subject matter is not pleasant and can be triggering for some readers. If you are not comfortable, please do not push yourself into reading.

One of the main reasons to read this book is to explore the role of the unreliable narrator. The reader knows that Humbert is a horrible person, but Nabokov plays with your mind so that you follow Humbert's twisted logic even if you don't agree with him. The book is an excellent exercise in dissecting what you read and putting yourself in the mind of the villain. The book opens up so many questions which is what I think all good literature should do.

The House of the Spirits

"Just as when we come into the world, when we die we are afraid of the unknown. But the fear is something from within us that has nothing to do with reality. Dying is like being born: just a change"

If you have never explored the genre of magical realism, you are in for a rare treat! Following in the giant footsteps of Gabriel García Márquez, Allende takes the lead with her own brand of magical realism. A mainstay of magical realism is that characters are expected to be beautifully realized, and Allende doesn't disappoint.

Although the writing is incredible, the book is less so. The protagonist and unreliable narrator of the novel is a middle-aged literature professor under the pseudonym Humbert Humbert. Humbert is obsessed with a 12-year-old girl, Dolores Haze, whom he kidnaps and sexually abuses after becoming her stepfather. Fortunately, the book does not become too graphic, but the subject matter is not pleasant and can be triggering for some readers. If you are not comfortable, please do not push yourself into reading.

The story weaves a luminous tapestry of three generations of the Trueba family, revealing both triumphs and tragedies spanning four generations, and tracing the post-colonial social and political upheavals of Chile. The story is filled with strong women having to survive misogyny and adversity, but Allende has a gift of tempering tragedy with just enough comedy to keep the storyline from being too depressing.

The novel has been taught widely, notably for its use of magical realism, and as a translated Latin American novel. Many Educational organizations such as the International Baccalaureate recognize it as a world literature study book.

Nineteen Eighty-Four

"The best books... are those that tell you what you know already."

Nineteen Eighty-four is a dystopian social science fiction novel and cautionary tale. Although the year 1984 has passed, the story is no less true or foreboding than when it was first published. Thematically, the book centers on the consequences of totalitarianism, mass surveillance, and repressive regimentation of people and behaviors within society.

The protagonist, Winston Smith, is a diligent mid-level worker who secretly hates the totalitarian government known passingly as Big Brother. The government not only surveys all of society, but also controls how people think by altering history, controlling all media, and forbidding independent thought. Winston keeps a forbidden diary and begins a relationship with his colleague Julia, and they learn about a shadowy resistance group called the Brotherhood, but it does not end up being enough.

It is impossible to read the book and not draw parallels to the present time. Whoever controls the present holds the key to the past and the future. Individuality is a prize and something that we should not take for granted. As you read Nineteen Eighty-four, you are grateful that you have the opportunity to make free choices but wonder: will we always be free?