Not Your Average Assigned Reading: 3 Awesome Books from Your School Days

There is nothing like compulsory reading to instantly put you off any form of literature. Something about the fact that you're forced to do it, makes even interesting, easy or engaging books seem to drag on forever. However, there are some books out there on student reading lists that defy even the great pressure of required reading – those books that you remember long into adulthood as that one novel you actually enjoyed in high school.

Whether you've read these in your school days or have yet to tick it off your list of must-read classics, these three required reads are worth a second look.

1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Sweet and short with a moral message to boot. Having read this as an adult rather than a pre-teen like most people, I can assure everyone that it is worth the read no matter your age. It may be written from the perspective of the young girl Scout, but the themes it deals with, such as individuality and community, race, family and ethics are very much engaging for adults as well. With the beautiful new 50th Anniversary Edition out, and the newly discovered Harper Lee novel Go Set a Watchmen (which is somewhat of a sequel to Mockingbird) coming out in the summer, there is no better time than now to rediscover this classic.

You can purchase the book here.

Take a look at the GoodReads reviews here.

2. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Despite its title, many student do not have 'great expectations' when it comes to this classic Dickens novel. Dickens gets a bad rap for being a bit to sickly-sweet in his rags-to-riches stories of orphans and cast-aways, yet this novel is distinctly different. Aside from the seemingly compulsory Dickensian poor-boy main character, there are some truly great (and truly creepy) supporting characters. Miss Havisham for example, is one of those characters that will forever be etched in your mind once you read the evocative description of this spiteful old lady – no wonder someone decided to write a whole novel about her back-story!

You can purchase the book here.

Take a look at the GoodReads reviews here.

3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

This book hardly needs introduction, as the new Baz Luhrman movie and the plethora of 20's/Gatsby-themed parties that followed provided quite the promotion for this classic American novel. But despite it's somewhat clichéd status, there is real depth in this book. The florid prose style of F. Scott Fitzgerald will surely motivate even the most un-literary to undertake some kind of creative writing endeavor, while the decadence of the era (though presented in a negative light) will provide for some light-hearted indulgence.

You can purchase the book here.

Take a look at the GoodReads reviews here.