As a seventeen year old, what book should I read?

[scottman]

Something that broadens my perspective and shit.

[ddrmario123]

You should try reading The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye, and Lord of the Flies. Those were books I read right around your age and I'd say they all give you an introduction to the adult world  . Don't want to spoil the books, but do try to find the theme and message those three books try to convey. I'm sure it'll expand your perspective.  :grin:

[LauraM]

I think it's important to read some of the classics that are often referenced in life and culture to have a firm foundation.  There are many to choose from.  Here are few for starters that would be well worthwhile:

Charles Dickens  - 'Great Expectations,' and 'A Tale of Two Cities.' 

Jane Austen  - 'Pride and Prejudice'

Herman Melville -  'Moby Dick'

Mark Twain -  'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,' and 'Adventures of Tom Sawyer'

[Kotro]

I second the suggestion of Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, it's one of those books that the younger you read it, the better!

I wouldn't advise you to jump into the classics just yet, most of them require some patience and can be better appreciated once you have a more solid literary background.

Two other books which I find you might enjoy are Jonathan Coe's The Rotter's Club and Hugo Claus' The Sorrow Of Belgium, two masterpieces about growing up.

[woot223]

The people above me are right, you should definitely read The Catcher in the Rye, it's a must for everyone, although there are plenty of people who didn't like the book or just didn't understand why it's so good, it's still worth the read.

Another one is Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury, it's more of a book for teenagers but I'm sure that even a seventeen year old will benefit from it.

[rodserd]

Hey look , its a list of all the books English teachers force you to read and you hate because of it.

Before recommending a bunch of books, what are your interests?  Seventeen year olds come in a wide variety.

[Bloomsie]

Just like rodserd mentioned, it is important to know what your interests are before suggesting books. The books that have been recommended are great, but if they aren't your style, then it's waste of time. And considering that you're seventeen years old, you may have already read them through school by your English teachers as standard.

Here are some genres with some suggested books to see if you're interested in that.

Historical Fiction

The Constant Princess - Phillipa Gregory

The Great and Terrible Beauty - Libba Bray

YA Fantasy

Harry Potter Series - JK Rowling

Any books written by Holly Black

The Host - Stephanie Meyers

Any books written by Melissa Marr

Mystery

Any books written by Agatha Christie

Most of the above I have read. If you have any questions about what it's about, let me know and I can inform you without spoilers. Though do let us know what your interests are to make our recommendations swifter and reliable for you!

[rodserd]

Add Gunpowerd Empire by Harry Turtledove to the alternative history list.  I think that is AH "lite" enough for a younger person to appreciate....

jeez, now I sound old.

[pandandesign]

It depends on what genre of the book do you like to read. There are a lot of genres such as Contemporary, Science Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Historical, Dystopian, and more. I like reading Contemporary because most of the books relate to real life stories, which I enjoy reading them. Some of my favorite books are "Lock and Key" by Sarah Dessen, "Someone Like You" by Sarah Dessen, "Bloom" By Elizabeth SCott, "Between Here and Forever" By Elizabeth Scott. It really depends on your personal preference. Fairy-tale books are very good too if you are into fairy-tales.

[amandak]

I'm going to go against the grain and instead of recommending classics, recommend The Perks of Being a Wallflower. That book taught me so much about growing up, relationships, and it gave me an overall new outlook on life. I think it's a great book to read in your teenage years.

[Dlp92]

I'm going to go against the grain and instead of recommending classics, recommend The Perks of Being a Wallflower. That book taught me so much about growing up, relationships, and it gave me an overall new outlook on life. I think it's a great book to read in your teenage years.

I've seen Perks of Being a Wallflower referred to as a modern Catcher in the Rye. I agree, perhaps star with 'Perks' and if you find you enjoy it, move on to Catcher. I really enjoyed both, personally.

[Andrei Punte]

I think it depends a lot on your personality. You should try reading something that's related to your interests in life. I could never finish Dostoevsky but I like reading Nietzsche. That doesn't mean I don't consider Dostoevsky a great writer, he-s just not for me. Anyway, my point is that you should try looking for books that really interest you, that you can actually read out of passion, not just because people tell you that those books are great or something like that.

[Rosa]

The books I would encouage you to read are books that I have read when I was much younger. They do give an example of the world we live in.They are To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, A House for Mr. Biswas by V. S. Naipaul and George Eliot's Silas Marner. Hope you will enjoy them as much as I did.

[mikka254]

At seventeen, your brain is basically a sponge. Encourage yourself to read books with substance and limit the romance and the sci-fi. You have already developed your imagination and creative side, now is the time to add culture to your thoughts.

[broknkyboard]

At seventeen, your brain is basically a sponge. Encourage yourself to read books with substance and limit the romance and the sci-fi. You have already developed your imagination and creative side, now is the time to add culture to your thoughts.

I have to disagree about the limiting sci-fi thing. A lot of science fiction books contain deeper messages and complex analogies.

[Denis Hard]

You wouldn't guess to what extent literature can influence us in. . .well. . .many aspects of our lives but most importantly, relationships [not necessarily erotic relationships]. My recommendations therefore would be books that would help you look at the world from a different perspective. Though these books may not be classified as literature, they're pretty good:

1. The Road - Ian McCormack.

2. Where The Red Fern Grows (can't remember the author's name).

3. Punish The Sinner - John Saul.

4. The Far Country - a cute love story.

5. A Widow's Story.

[jfab]

I say stay away from Twilight that's for sure. LOL But if you seek wisdom and depth in life, I say go for CS Lewis. All his books are gold.

[angelicagapit]

Try reading on some creative and, at the same time, inspirational books. A great book I definitely suggest is Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger.

It may sound familiar, due to the fact that students are often required to read it in their literature classes, but it's not like homework at all. It's very relatable for teens and it gives them a whole new experience in terms of reading.

Have fun reading! You won't regret trying that book out.

[Cookiesandcream]

I would recommend reading: The Giver, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Of Mice and Men, Lord of the Flies, Divergent Trilogy, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, The Fault in Our Stars, Memoirs of a Geisha and The Time Traveller's Wife. I enjoyed all these books.

[basmae]

You could read some of the old classics, or go for books that have been translated.  For example " The house of the spirit" is a great books. 

[Sandman]

A good paperback for someone your age is a book titled 'Man Skills' I read it at about that age, it teaches a hundred things that a man should know! As for entertainment, try something that most people is familiar with and read the Lord of The Rings trilogy, I have a 3 book set that shares titles with the movies that was made, it quite a good read plus you get to read about all the stuff they left out of the movies.

[Emmanuel]

I started developing an interest in Kurt Vonnegut around your age. Cat's Cradle and Slaughterhouse Five are two of my all-time favourites. I also really enjoyed 100 Years of Solitude as a teenager. You can't go wrong with a classic like 1984, either.

[fredkawig]

You should try reading the Bible there are a lot of concepts, true life lessons and teachings that are very relevant in today's society.

[kate23]

I'm only slightly older than you and I really love Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Percy Jackson, A Song of Ice and Fire, The Chronicles of Narnia, Animal Farm, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Giver, Life of Pi and Battle Royale. It's a good mix of YA, fantasy and classics.

[Kandikkal]

As you are a teenager, I recommend reading books of authors like Stephen King and Dean Koontz. I am currently reading 'The Stand' by King and it is by far the most interesting book I have read of Stephen King. It is very lengthy but it is quite interesting.