Outside of a Dog, #21

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx.

Back to school often means back to those required reading lists for many students. But you don’t have to stick with one list. The following books offer a wealth of suggestions as well as explanations why the classics are still important.

A Month by Month Guide to the Classics and Crowd Pleasers for You and Your Book Group, Elisabeth Ellington
An entertaining and detailed list of past and present classics to discover.
011.73 E TPL MCL ROG

Required Reading: Why Our American Classics Matter Now, Andrew Delbanco
A somewhat scholarly view as to why reading the classical literature is even more important than ever and what we can learn from them.
810.9 D TPL
810.935 D SCS

Recommended Reading: 500 Classics Reviewed, the editors of Salem Press
A quality and comprehensive listing of a wide range of classic books.
808.8 R TPL

If you're overwhelmed by required reading, listed below are classic novels at or near 200 pages.
*Most of these will be shelved under the author's last name in the fiction section.

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
The Pearl by John Steinbeck
The Red Pony by John Steinbeck
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Call of the Wild by Jack London
Shane by Jack Schaefer
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling