Books That Need to be Read

So I was thinking about this dumb blog today and wondering what I wanted to write about. I don't really have anything to say, so I wanted to make a list of ten books I thoroughly enjoy and think other people should read. I'm not saying these are my all-time favourite books, but I do like them. I don't want to do the typical book list where everyone says Shakespeare or Jane Austin, but books many may not be familiar with. So I guess here it goes:
Oh, and these aren't in any particular order, just whatever pops into my head. I also think I'm going to include some poems because I love poetry, so there. The End.

1. Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy - I read this book when I was preparing for my AP English exam because our teacher thought we should read more literature. I absolutely fell in love with the book. I guess I just love tragedies and this book is definitely tragic. I cried, and if I cry, it normally means it's good.

2. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe - Such an interesting look at slavery and how children seem to perfectly understand what adults are so dumb at grasping. Definitely very moving.

3. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - A very intriguing thriller. You just want to know what's happening so bad. A cool psychological outlook.

4. "The River" by Flannery O'Connor - O'Connor was such an interesting woman and she wrote some very moving short stories. This story explores how words can be misinterpreted or how children long for a greater sense of who God is than adults might.

5. "Ode to the West Wind" by Percy Bysshe Shelley - I was so moved when I first read this poem. It really makes you come alive. You have to read it with passion.

6. "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner - I was scarred for life after reading this story. You'd never expect what you find out at the end. It is grotesque, but I think it's worth reading if you're just in that mood.

7. City of Glass by Paul Auster - An interesting look at doubles, literature, and language, all wrapped in what's supposed to be a detective fiction story. Such a cool book, but not what'd you expect at all.

8. A Perfect Gentle Knight by Kit Pearson - Okay so this is a child's novel, but it's still very moving. I burst into tears near the end because it shook me up so much. I always think that if a novel moves you enough to make you cry, it's generally good.

9. As For Me and My House by Sinclair Ross - I recently finished reading this book, and I still don't know how I feel about it. It's very ambivalent, which allows for many interpretations, but it's still interesting. I'm adding it to this list because I think I'm slowly starting to appreciate it more. I felt really bored and yet drawn in at the same time while reading it making me feel too conflicted and weird. I guess that's why I didn't know if I liked it or not. Think about the narrative voice and it becomes quite interesting.

10. "Daddy" by Sylvia Plath - Plath was such a good poet and yet so tragic (maybe that's why she was good?). This poem talks about her relationship with her dad and husband, and it's one of those poems you have to read with a lot of pathos.

There are so many good reads out there, so try to find something that interests you, and become more literate. Words are at our disposal and have such power. Use wisely. Aha.