“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.”
The sequel to Henry IV, Part 2, this play centers on Prince Hal’s (now King Henry V) rule over England and the war with France—specifically the Battle of Agincourt.
Everyone talks about Romeo and Juliet, but can we take a second to appreciate Shakespeare’s histories? Henry V is by far my favorite Shakespeare play, and I am constantly coming back to its dynamic characters and laugh-out-loud moments. All I ask is that you read Act 4, Scene 3—the famous Saint Crispin Day speech—out loud when you read it.
I know Shakespeare is not for everyone, so I recommend this resource to read along with the play to get the fullness out of Henry and his band of brothers. I also recommend getting a version that has annotations (scene summaries and translations) alongside the original text. The one linked above is a great copy!
Content Warning: Violence
“The candle stub had long since burned down in the twisted candleholder, dimly illuminating in this impoverished room the murderer and the prostitute, strangely united for the reading of the eternal book.”
Raskolnikov, a student in Petersburg, is overcome by guilt after he kills an old pawnbroker and her sister. After he meets Sonya, a poor prostitute with a pure heart, he begins his journey of redemption and salvation.
I know what you are thinking, “Hayley, there is no way you are recommending Russian literature to us right now.” But hear me out. This book is by far one of my all-time favorites because of its interesting perspective (a murderer) and its poignant romance. It’s truly a story about loneliness and how you can’t fight your demons alone. It’s dark, it’s funny, and I promise, if you read it, you will cry, laugh, and remember it forever.
Once again, this book is translated. I linked Constance Garnett’s translation, but I also think you’d do just as well with Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky’s translation. And it wouldn’t be Russian Lit without confusing names, so here is a character list to help as you read!
“My life is a perfect graveyard of buried hopes.”
Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert are determined to adopt a little boy to help them around the farm. But fate intervenes, and they end up with Anne—a hot-headed, adventurous, and imaginative little girl.
My picture on the Pines Reads Review website is black and white, but trust me, I’m a redhead. And therefore, I love Anne. (It’s kind of a requirement.) You’ll laugh, cry, and feel like you’ve grown up with Anne by the end of the book. This is my favorite coming-of-age story because it does such a good job showing Anne at her worst and at her best. She is the girl I want to be, the girl I want to be friends with, and the daughter I want to have. (Also, Gilbert Blythe is pretty great, too.)
Because Anne of Green Gables is pretty straightforward, I recommend this study guide if you want to dive deeper into its themes!
Content Warning: Rape, racial violence
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”
In 1930s Alabama, Scout Finch’s father is defending a Black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. The story unfolds through young Scout’s eyes as she must reconcile prejudice, empathy, and evil.
You’ve probably read this one already. But in our current social climate, where we are quick to assume things, I think it’s worth a revisit. Maybe we need to climb back inside these characters’ skin and walk around in Maycomb, Alabama, once again. Maybe we need to adopt a childlike perspective on innocence and guilt, justice and mercy, empathy and anger.
This video is a great companion summary! It picks up all the little parts of the story that make it so wonderful.
“Half of this story is true and the other half might very well have happened.”
Professor William Waterman Sherman is a retired teacher who relays his story about his balloon journey across the world, the people he meets, and his unforgettable adventure.
To this day, I can still imagine the inside of William Sherman’s magical balloon—and I read this book so long ago. This book is tons of fun. It’s imaginative, beautiful, and will leave you breathless in the clouds.
I could go on and on about classics and why you should revisit them this year, but I hope through this blog your to-be-read list has grown and your goals have widened. Happy reading!
Hayley Bigelow, Pine Reads Review Writer