The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Genre: Science Fiction
Recommended by: a female senior who is involved in track, Robotics, and Animal Rights
Why would you recommend The Hitchhiker?
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is very funny, and satirizes everything from the end of the world to digital watches. It is a science fiction novel, and has a cool spaceship. However, instead of using hyperspace or the speed of light, the Heart of Gold runs on improbability–basically, if you know how improbable an event is, the Heart of Gold can make it happen. Because of this, the plot seems to be completely random. However, that randomness fits together by the end of the book into a good conclusion.
Which character do you like best from the book?
My favorite character is Zaphod Beeblebrox. He is the overconfident, two-headed, selfish President of the Galaxy. He decided to become President without knowing why, only to realize that he actually wanted to steal the Heart of Gold. He is this impulsive throughout the novel, and a lot of the things he says are very funny. Zaphod isn’t someone I’d like to know personally, but he makes a great character.
Give a gist of what the book is about in ONE sentence.
Arthur Dent is saved from the Earth’s destruction by his friend Ford Prefect, an alien from a small planet in the vicinity of Betelgeuse.
What made you pick up this book?
One time in Math Research freshman year, the class got sidetracked and someone mentioned that “the meaning of life is 42!” I had no idea what they meant, but then someone else mentioned that it was from a book called The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I decided that I had to read this book to understand it, and borrowed it from my friend when I got the opportunity.
Who would you recommend this book to?
I recommend this book to anyone who likes science fiction, but isn’t too serious about it. Some of the concepts in the Hitchhiker’s Guide make fun of traditional science fiction concepts. For example, there is a super-intelligent robot that is completely depressed. Such things might get frustrating for anyone who takes the genre too seriously. The Hitchhiker’s Guide is also great for people who don’t necessarily read much sci-fi, since a lot of the book satirizes humanity in general.
All books recommended by high school seniors who choose to remain anonymous.
What book would you recommend?
Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
genre: Fiction
Why would you recommend this book?
Lee, the character in Prep, is easy to relate to, and her problems are similar to the problems of most high school girls.
What type of people would you recommend this book to?
Any teenager, or anyone who has been a teenager, and wants to read about life at a boarding school.
Give a gist of what the book is about in ONE sentence.
Prep is the story of how Lee Fiora, a girl from Indiana, changes over four years at an elite boarding school in Boston.
How has this book influenced you?
Prep made me realize how glad I am that I don’t have to go to a boarding school.
What book would you recommend?
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
genre: Science Fiction
Why would you recommend this book?
It is very funny, and you don’t need to have read much science fiction to understand the humor.
What type of people would you recommend this book to?
Someone who likes science fiction.
Give a gist of what the book is about in ONE sentence.
Arthur Dent is saved from the Earth’s destruction by his friend Ford Prefect, an alien from a small planet in the vicinity of Betelgeuse.
How has this book influenced you?
The humor made me look at the world in a new light.
What book would you recommend?
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
genre: Romance
Why would you recommend this book?
Jane Eyre manages to combine a well-developed plot with meaningful symbols and themes. Even though it was written a long time ago, the writing is readable and sucks the reader into the plot.
What type of people would you recommend this book to?
I recommend it to people who want an insight into the world of 1800s England from a woman’s point of view.
Give a gist of what the book is about in ONE sentence.Jane Eyre follows the life of Jane Eyre herself, from the time she is a young orphan to after she is married, and her attempts to fit into her world.
How has this book influenced you?
Until I read Jane Eyre, I did not know that a romance novel from the 1800s could be so interesting and enlightening at the same time.
What book would you recommend?
Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen
genre: Fiction
Why would you recommend this book?
The way this book is written is so witty and unique that it just pulls the reader in. The characters are very interesting, and even though the whole plot revolves around environmentalism and corruption in Florida politics, Hiaasen manages to put a humorous spin on everything.
What type of people would you recommend this book to?
Anyone who appreciates a good writer and some bizarre comedy should definitely give this novel a try.
Give a gist of what the book is about in ONE sentence.
When Twilly Spree sees Palmer Stoat, a lobbyist in the corrupt state of Florida, throwing trash out of his car window, he steals Stoat’s dog for revenge, only to find that the lobbyist is planning to turn a wild island into a private golf course. Oh and he steals his wife too.
How has this book influenced you?
Sick Puppy was truly so entertaining that it reminded me of how fun reading actually is.
What book would you recommend?
Disgrace, by J. M. Coetzee
genre: Fiction
Why would you recommend this book?
It is very complex and extremely psychologically interesting.
What type of people would you recommend this book to?
Really smart people who aren’t afraid of disturbing scenes.
Give a gist of what the book is about in ONE sentence.
A professor deals with disgrace both after his misguided affair with a student and the racially-charged rape of his daughter.
How has this book influenced you?
It made me think of how a normal person can appear completely crazy in two opposite ways.
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