Recommend Precollege Reading

Please!
Step away from the vampire romance novels.*

For many, reading is a scary experience, or, one that only involves the worlds of wizards or vampires. But Potter-only-lovers beware, muggles aren’t always great reference points in the academic world. Here are some suggested books and authors that will prove invaluable when your professor makes yet another Beat reference.

*Don’t worry, you’ll be able to pick them up again. We just want you to embrace variety.


“Jonathan Livingston Seagull”
A young adult’s “The Little Engine That Could,” Richard Bach’s story of a seagull struggling to find his place in the world parallels any student’s quest to belong.

“Letters to a Young Poet”
Rainer Marie Rilke’s correspondance to an aspiring writer is a quick and easy read, full of advice on finding your passion and cultivating it, as well as other musing on love, life and happiness. It’s pure, beautiful life advice. You can’t go wrong.

“Freakonomics”
Meshing economics and pop culture, economist Steve Levitt and journalist Stephen J. Dubner create the perfect econ textbook translation. Pick it up if an econ class is in your future, or if you’d just like to learn a little bit more.
 
“On The Road”
This work is often described as “the book that defined a generation.” If you’ve never heard of the Beat Generation, Jack Kerouac or his epic road trip, pick up a copy for long car rides. Already read it? Try Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl.”

“A Prayer for Owen Meany”
Author John Irving’s bestseller focuses on the lives of two friends and brings issues of religious faith, spirituality and fate to the foreground. The story is devastatingly beautiful, a must-read for anyone who has ever found themselves searching.

“The Republic”
A familiarity with Plato will assist you almost anywhere during college, but for those of you enrolling in political science or philosophy, you’ve got to know this stuff. English and history students better take note, too. Tip: Pick up a reading guide or pre-annotated copy to help grasp the material.

Raymond Carver
Carver, an American fiction author, was popular in the ’70s and ’80s. He’s often credited for bringing back the short story. His work has been described as essential to a budding literature student. We suggest you check out “Will You Be Quiet, Please?” or “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” first. And when you’ve finished, here’s another short story great: Henry Charles Bukowski.

Hunter S. Thompson
With the film version of “The Rum Diary” being released sometime in 2010, you’ll want to claim that you read the book long before you knew it would be a movie. Thompson’s gritty and bizarre writing style will not only entertain you, it will move you as well. Though “The Rum Diary” is one of Thompson’s great pieces of fiction, make sure you’ve read a few of his non-fiction works such as “Hell’s Angels” or “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.”

James Joyce
Search for lists of the top 100 novels of all time, and nine times out of 10, Joyce will top the list. No matter what you’re studying, familiarity with one of the most respected authors is useful. Joyce’s “Ulysses” is considered his masterpiece, but consider “Finnegan’s Wake,” “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” or his short story collection, “Dubliners.”



A word for the wise
Now, even if poetry’s not your thing, you’ve got to be able to navigate prose. Try to familiarize yourself with at least one great poet. We suggest starting with Alfred Lord Tennyson, Gertrude Stein, John Keats, Emily Dickinson or Walt Whitman. Also, Shakespeare is in most high school curriculums, but hopefully you’ve read one or two plays beyond the usual “Romeo & Juliet,” “A Midsummer’s Night Dream,” “Hamlet” or “Macbeth.” If not, try comedy “Twelfth Night” or tragedy “King Lear.”


Love to read?
There are plenty of places to find whatever your literary appetite craves in Bloomington.

The IU Bookstore
Located in the Indiana Memorial Union, the IU Bookstore sells more than just textbooks. It’s equipped with popular novels, biographies, and yes, they even have Edward Cullen.

Caveat Emptor
Located at 112 N. Walnut St., the Caveat Emptor is a great used book store filled to the brim with low-priced, slightly used books from all genres. It’s a great place to get lost in on a cold afternoon. 

Howard’s Bookstore
Located at 101 W. Kirkwood Ave., Howard’s will be your favorite place if you’re a classic lover. Not only does it have a good selection, but it also stocks Dover Thrift Editions, which sell for only a few dollars a copy. Cat lovers, you’ll be happy too, as the store’s cat roams around freely.

Boxcar Books
Located at 408 E. Sixth St., Boxcar Books is a volunteer-run bookstore which funds The Midwest Pages to Prisoners Project, an organization dedicated to supplying prisoners in the Midwest with books, free of charge.

Book Corner
Located at 100 N. Walnut St., the Book Corner is a quaint store but really stands apart with its great selection of magazines and coloring books. Sound silly? You won’t think so when you’re filling in your favorite movie posters with a crayon.