Are you an English major or know one well? Want to take a break from Chaucer and Austen?

Here is a list of seven of the best books to break that reading slump. Each book was chosen to

not only entertain at an easy-to-grasp level but also save you some brain power. Many of the

books include themes or characters that you can psychoanalyze on a deeper level—if you wish.

My Dark Vanessa explores the complicated and convoluted relationship between a young

school girl and her English teacher. This novel takes the Lolita trope and shows a new

perspective in the wake of the #MeToo movement.

Inspiring | Emotional | Reflective

In Educated Tara Westover recounts her childhood growing up in a survivalist Morman family

and her journey to education. From her upbringing on a small Idaho farm to earning her Ph.D.,

Westover has documented her journey and the importance of education in her life.

Dark | Emotional | Contemporary

The Virgin Suicides opens up a story that allows the reader to escape into it’s idealistic

suburban lanscape. However, not everything is as it seems. The Lisbon girls’ lives capture the

attention of the neighborhood boys long after adolescence. This novel is a whirlwind of young

love, repression, and death.

Romantic | Witty | Steamy

Two rivaling authors find out that they are a lot closer than they seem. January and Gus both

have taken to a small town near Lake Michigan to write their next novels. They both learn about

each other, themselves, and what it means to truly be a writer.

Romantic | Hopeful | Lighthearted

Macy and Elliot met by bonding over books and sharing secrets. Childhood best friends turned

lovers, turned strangers, try to understand just what went wrong. The novel takes the reader through

the good, the bad, and the ugly—while the main characters try to reconcile their lives.

Emotional | Sad | Dark

Normal People explores the bonds that simultaneously hold Marriane and Connell together

while also breaking them apart. If you like dialogue without quotation marks, heartbreaking

confessions, or books without happy endings, Normal People by Sally Rooney is for you.

Contemporary | Literary | Reflective

In My Year of Rest and Relaxation the unnamed protagonist sets off with a goal to sleep as

much as humanly possible for one entire year. Set in New York City in 2000 and 2001, the

character guides her way through loneliness, trauma, and transformation during her year of rest

and relaxation.

There you have it folks! A list of seven books to read as an English major. If you’re buying a gift

and aren’t sure which one to get, you can never go wrong with a gift card to your favorite local

bookstore! Have fun reading!

7 Books for English Majors to Read