My 10 Year Reading Syllabus

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The following list consists of the things I hope to read in the next ten years or so. Keep in mind that these books are in no particular order and I just listed them as they came to me. Without further ado, here we go.

1. Dune, by Frank Herbert

Ever since the movie came out, this book has been on my to-read list for mainly one reason: I didn't think it was that great of a film. I've also read in a lot of places that the book has amazing world-building, an immersing story, and is pretty much a sci-fi classic. I'm looking forward to diving into the world of Arrakis and seeing how good Dune really is. 

2. Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes

I don't even think I need an explanation for why I picked this novel. This is probably the novel that pops into someone's mind when I say "greatest Spanish novel ever written." We talked about this book a little in my Spanish class, and honestly, the premise seems really intriguing and comical. Plus, there's no way I'm going to pass up reading this book after taking five whole years of Spanish. Who knows, maybe I'll even try to read the original Spanish version (jk I'm not fluent enough to understand 17th-century Español).

3. The Precipice: Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity, by Toby Ord

I stumbled upon this book a couple of weeks ago and it seemed like a really intriguing philosophical read on the state of the world and the future of the world. Especially now, with issues like climate change really bringing into light the effect of humans on the environment. I also liked the reflective and academic writing style of this excerpt. Plus, it will be a nice change of pace from the usual books that I read.

4. Catch-22, by Joseph Heller

This was one of the books I was thinking about reading as a part of my summer reading in high school, but I never got around to it. In fact, this book is so iconic that the phrase "catch-22" is now commonplace. This satirical novel will definitely be a long, tough, yet slightly humorous read, but I think that if I stick to it, it will definitely be worth it.

5. The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath

Many people have read this book and I think that the fact that it was published nearly sixty years ago and still tackled issues like gender roles and mental illnesses is really cool to see. Plus, reading the novel now will sort of give me a glimpse into how the world used to be back then. The reviews seem pretty divided with some people rereading it and others thinking it's overrated, so I'll just have to read this myself and give it a shot.

6. A Wild Sheep Chase, by Haruki Murakami

This novel was originally written in Japanese, and the description, "a postmodern detective novel in which dreams, hallucinations, and a wild imagination are more important than actual clues," makes it seem like a really interesting and fun novel to read.

7. Citizen Illegal, by José Olivarez

This book is actually a series of poems by Olivarez that tackles issues like race, ethnicity, gender, class, and immigration. Not only will this give me insight into the challenges of a Mexican-American immigrant, but it's also poetry. After the poetry unit, I'll be much more equipped to tackle obscure and meaningful poems. (And the cover art is really cool).

8. Odyssey, by Homer

This epic Greek poem seems like an interesting, yet challenging adventure story. I know that I'll have to stop everything five lines to make sense of what I just read, but I think that in the end, I'll have grown so much as a reader!

9. The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet, by John Green

Ever since I watched Crash Course for my history classes, I have always loved John Green. When I found out that he was an author, I was amazed. This nonfiction collection of essays seems like a great read that will reveal John Green's view of the world. I'm also curious as to what topics he discusses in this book. Looking forward to it!

10. A Brief History of Time, by Stephen Hawking

As a science enthusiast, reading this book is a no-brainer. I can't pass up the opportunity to learn from one of the greatest scientists of all time by reading his explanations of complex phenomena using simple words. I'll also learn a lot about various topics like quantum physics and astronomy by reading this.

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