Robots and Empire

Isaac Asimov

After being defeated by a now-deceased human from Earth named Elijah Baley, robot Keldon Amadiro sets his sights on revenge by attempting to destroy the Earth.  But, Baley has left a sense of humanity in some of the robots on Earth, and they will do their best to stop Amadiro.

The Hound of the  Baskervilles    Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Like a good mystery? Then this Sherlock Holmes novel is not to be missed!  Delve into the world of the quintessential detectives Holmes and Watson as they attempt to solve the mystery behind the hound of the Baskervilles.
 

On the Road   Jack Kerouac

Partially based on Kerouac’s own life, this story tells the tale of Sal Paradise, a young writer suddenly inspired to travel and see America.  Readers will see the dangers as well as the fascinating adventures that come with making such an impulsive decision.

Crime and Punishment

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

The terms crime and punishment take on a new and interesting meaning in this tale of a man who gets away with murder and then grows more paranoid as time passes, eventually confessing.  His redemption comes in the form of a young, wounded woman he allows himself to fall in love with.

The Sicilian   Mario Puzo

From the acclaimed writer of The Godfather comes this fascinating tale of a young outlaw who works his way to the top of the Sicilian criminal ladder.  The reader gets a great, realistic feel for Sicilian culture. 

Lonesome Dove    Larry McMurty

This 1986 Pulitzer Prize winner tells the intertwining stories of several ex-Texas Rangers, a couple who are now horse rustlers and many of whom are connected to one another in some way or another.  The end result is a great cowboy western, but also an intelligent literary work telling the tale of the legendary wild west.

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man   James Joyce

James Joyce somewhat uses his own life as inspiration for this novel of Stephen Dedalus, a young artist defying his Irish and Catholic upbringing, and finally moving to Paris to fulfill his dreams of being an artist.

Complete Stories & Poems Edgar Allen Poe

Poe’s ghostly and mysterious works and his complex characters have attracted readers for years.  With works that range in subject (from one man’s grief over a lost love to another’s angst and guilt at covering a crime) readers are sure not to be disappointed. 

Look Homeward, Angel  
Thomas Wolfe

Set in North Carolina, this is the tale of a young man who desperately longs to escape his small, yet chaotic life with his family for a larger, more fulfilling one.  The novel is largely based on Wolfe’s own life.

For Whom the Bell Tolls Ernest Hemingway

Hemingway has been called a “man’s writer” many times and this novel of a young man fighting in the Spanish Civil War and struggling to hold onto his honor is no exception to that classification.  The novel is a fine example of Hemingway’s usual simplistic, straightforward style of writing.

The Things They Carried

 Tim O’Brien

Anyone who enjoys a good war story should check out this true account of O’Brien’s time as a soldier in the Vietnam War.  The title refers to the emotional baggage one carries with him/her as a soldier in the midst of war, baggage from the past and the present.
 

The Call of the Wild, White Fang, and Other Stories   Jack London

A dog or wolf’s survival is oftentimes the theme of London’s works.  In this collection, London makes each animal a true and sympathetic character.  This compilation also includes the stories "Batard," "Moon-Face," "Brown Wolf," and "To Build a Fire."

Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea

Jules Verne

Jules Verne takes readers on an adventure at sea in this exciting tale of an expedition to find and destroy a giant, mystifying sea monster who ends up very nearly
obliterating everyone aboard the journey, leaving them to be taken prisoner by the mysterious Captain Nemo

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Last update 03/15/2010