Contemporary Literature Book List
Paper Town by John Green(2008)Due: January 28th
Mystery; coming of age; romance
Class Novel
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Steven Chbosky (1999)Due February 11th
Coming of Age, Epistolary
The story is narrated by a teenager who goes by the alias of "Charlie"; he describes various scenes in his life by writing a series of letters to an anonymous person, whom he does not know personally.[2] The book was made into a film in 2012, starring Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller and Emma Watson, directed by the author.
The Maze Runner by James Dashner (2009) (The Kill Order- sequel 2012)Due March 18th
Dystopian, Science Fiction
Thomas, the main character in The Maze Runner wakes up in a metal box in the year 2024 with the memory of his past life wiped.
The Fault in our Stars by John GreenDue April 1st
Tragic realism; comedy; romance
The story is narrated by a sixteen-year-old cancer patient named Hazel, who is forced by her parents to attend a support group, where she subsequently meets and falls in love with the seventeen-year-old Augustus Waters, an ex-basketball player and amputee.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (2011)Due April 22nd
Coming of age; father-son relationships; fantasy; science-fiction; history
The book tells the tale of a boy who follows clues that take him to an abandoned orphanage on a Welsh island.
Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion (2010)Due May 13th
Zombie romance; comedy
This has never happened before. It breaks the rules and defies logic, but R is no longer content with life in the grave. He wants to breathe again, he wants to live, and Julie wants to help him. But their grim, rotting world won't be changed without a fight...
or
That was then, This is now by S.E. Hinton (1971)
Coming of Age; speculative fiction; realistic fiction
About the relationship between two brothers, Mark and Bryon, who find their relationship rapidly changing. It was later made into a film starring Emilio Estevez.
Perks of being awallflower
Charlie's lists
[edit]Literature
In the novel, Charlie's teacher, Bill, assigns him various books to read. Charlie describes them all as his favorites.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
The Stranger by Albert Camus
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
The book also references a book of poems by E. E. Cummings, The Mayor of Castro Street by Randy Shilts, a book by Anne Rice, and an autobiography of a woman who was a character in Reds, most likely Emma Goldman. The poem "A Person/A Paper/A Promise" by Dr. Earl Reum is also mentioned.
[edit]Film
The novel references these films:
Rocky Horror Picture Show
It's a Wonderful Life
The Producers
Reds
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Graduate
Harold and Maude
My Life as a Dog
Dead Poets Society
The Unbelievable Truth
Night of the Living Dead
Hannah and Her Sisters
[edit]Television
The novel references these television shows:
Saturday Night Live
Love Boat
Fantasy Island
M*A*S*H
Gomer Pyle
Television star Mary Tyler Moore is also mentioned without mentioning any of her specific TV shows.
[edit]Music
The novel references these songs:
"Where Eagles Dare" by The Misfits
"Asleep" by The Smiths
"Vapour Trail" by Ride
"Scarborough Fair" by Simon and Garfunkel
"A Whiter Shade of Pale" by ProcolHarum
"Time of No Reply" by Nick Drake
"Dear Prudence" by The Beatles
"Gypsy" by Suzanne Vega
"Nights in White Satin" by The Moody Blues
"Daydream" by The Smashing Pumpkins
"Dusk" by Genesis
"MLK" by U2
"Blackbird" by The Beatles
"Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana
"Another Brick in the Wall, Part II" by Pink Floyd
"Something" by The Beatles
"School's Out" by Alice Cooper
"Autumn Leaves" by Nat King Cole
"Broken Wings" by Mr. Mister
"I'm Going Home" sung by Tim Curry as Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Other music groups and artists are also mentioned without reference to a specific song, including Village People, Blondie, Jim Morrison, John Lennon, The Slits, and Billie Holiday.