School books
The best assigned school reading from a book nerd
Darcy Mullane '24
Editor-in-chief of Design
Reading is something we do everyday. You're reading this article right now, you might go home and read a textbook, you read the instructions on math homework and most students go home and read books for homework. Opinions on assigned English reading vary, but here are my favorites from each grade.
My favorite book from freshman year is “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson. “Speak” is a moving book that touches on very important topics like mental health, consent and relationships with family. Anderson handles these topics perfectly as she is delicate and does not romanticize the situations.
I think that it is so important for freshmen to learn that they are not alone in whatever they’re going through. As freshmen embark on the new journey of high school at Louisville, they learn about self-worth and the importance of understanding what is and what is not a healthy relationship.
Moving onto Sophomore year, I have to choose “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen. I loved reading it because, even though I dislike enemies to lovers, this story is so romantic and dramatic. I also loved listening to the “Pride and Prejudice” movie soundtrack while reading because it really immersed me in the period piece. Jane Austen books are generally the only classics I enjoy, so I was really excited to read this iconic book. I was also really excited to read a book with my name in it and finally understand the references to the charming Mr. Darcy.
Many student reading books as seen on a picturesque bookshelf.
I’m going to be honest and say that the first semester of books Junior year were not my favorite, but the second semester books were an improvement. My favorite by far was “The Joy Luck Club” by Amy Tan. “The Joy Luck Club” is another beautifully written book that presses on relatable and important topics. The book focuses on a group of Chinese women and their relationships with their mothers and daughters. It was very interesting to learn about another culture and how it is important to acknowledge all aspects of one’s background. In class we learned about Chinese culture by participating in activities like playing MahJong (the board game they play in the book).
I, obviously, have not read all the books for Senior year, but I can say AP Literature has been one of my favorite classes at Louisville so far because the content is so interesting. My unpopular opinion is that poetry is the best to read at school. It is usually short (unless you’re Walt Whitman) and students can close-read and annotate it well.
Overall, my favorite year of books was Freshman year because the books were more accessible, but I do think I may have an easier time enjoying assigned books since I love reading. In my opinion, students dislike assigned reading because it is for school, but I also think there are some really good books assigned that students should open their minds to and get excited about.