Dear Stuy student,
Welcome! If you would like to post a recommendation, take a look at the instructions and examples of formatting. Otherwise, feel free to browse the shelves and shelves of book recommendations there are for you!
New! All recommended books are now sorted on the bookshelf page!
NH – Sophomore
What is your favorite book?
Holes by Louis Sachar
What was your favorite part of the book?
My favorite part of the book is when Stanley Yelnats leaves camp in order to friend his friend Zero who escaped a few days earlier. This event was the climax of the book.
Who was your favorite character?
Stanley is the character that the story follows; he is the one who tries to solve his issues.
What were the issues in the book?
Stanley was falsely accused of a crime and arrested. He had to choose between jail and Camp Green Lake and choose the latter. There they were forced to dig holes everyday five feet wide and five feet deep.
Is there a sequel to the book and if so what is it about?
The sequel to the book was Small Steps; unlike the first the protagonist is not Stanley but it is Armpit another detainee. This book follows his life after Camp Green Lake.
JL – Sophomore – JV Football
What is your favorite book?
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
What was your favorite part of the book?
My favorite part was when Professor Robert Langdon and Sophie escaped from the bank an armored vehicle.
What made you want to keep on reading?
It was a well-written book as well as being easy to read. The suspense was enough to keep on turning the pages.
What did you get out of the book?
I thought that the questions brought up and answered by the story were believable. I found myself researching to see if any of this was actually true.
Who was your favorite character?
My favorite character was the person who set up the entire scheme to find the holy grail by way of his research, this person is known as the “Teacher” at first and it is revealed that it is Sir Leigh Teabing.
AH – Senior – Stony Brook University
Which book would you say most piqued your interest of the various books you have been assigned to read throughout Stuyvesant?
I found White Oleander by Janet Fitch the most intriguing and easiest to read.
What did you find intriguing about it?
While the story itself had the same Baudelaire trait of one tragic event after another, the book kept from having a melancholy dull tone.
Did you like the main character? What was your favorite trait?
No. I did not like the main character, nor could I relate to her. She was a tramp that lost her virginity to her stepfather who was fifty three years old when she was thirteen years old.
Which characters in the book did you like and why?
I liked the man at the beginning that was killed by the girl’s mother because he cheated on her. At first the girl’s mother laughed at his advances toward her because of his obesity and ugliness but in the end he still got into her pants.
Was there a message that the author was trying to portray in his writing?
The message I got from the book is that no matter how much wrong you have done in life you can still redeem yourself.
AS – Senior – Emory University
What book would you recommend that you have read in Stuyvesant?
Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks
What did you like about the book?
Even though this was an assigned book for Freshman Composition, it was something relative to our time unlike other books we have been assigned. It discussed topics such as sex and drugs.
Who is the main character and what did you like about him or her?
The main character is Chappie later referred to as Bone after his tattoo. I like that he was only fourteen years old and went through so many life changing experiences.
What were the main points that you think the author tried to get across to his readers?
I think the author wanted us to see for our self the process of coming of age from teen to adulthood.
What else would you like to say about the book?
If you ever want to read for recreation if you possibly have any extra time in Stuyvesant I suggest that you read this book.
AS – Senior – CUNY Hunter
What book would you recommend for future Stuyvesant students?
I would highly recommend The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly or for the matter any one of his books.
What is it that leads you to recommend it so highly?
His style of writing in his genre is captivating and addictive. When you pick up one of his books you find it hard to put down.
What is the Brass Verdict about?
It is about a detective, Harry Bosch, and a lawyer, Mickey Haller who find themselves working together to solve one of the biggest cases thrown on them involving a Hollywood lawyer.
Which of the characters do you favor?
This is an obvious answer having read many of Michael Connelly’s books, I have gotten used to the LAPD detective Harry Bosch whose personal motto is everybody counts or nobody counts. This helps to drive him to do whatever it takes to uncover the truth behind all of his cases.
Is there an underlying message although it is aimed at recreational reading?
I think Michael Connelly uses his book as social commentary to say that our justice system is as weak as the people who make it run.
Victor Huang
Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
Tags: Late British Literature, autobiography, DDR, anime, otaku
1) What is the book about?
It’s about the life of an English orphan and how she gets through life.
2) What do you like about this book?
It deals with a lot of dark elements and has a lot of social criticism.
3) What makes this book unique?
It deals with lots of different themes like morality, religion, and social classes.
4) Why did you choose to read this book?
I had to read it for Late British English class.
5) Who would you recommend this book to?
People who are interested in Late British literature and don’t mind autobiographies I guess.
Charles Leung
King Lear – Shakespeare
Tags: Shakespeare, nerd
1) What is the book about?
It’s a Shakespearean tragedy about a king trying to divide his land before he retires.
2) What do you like about this book?
The “plot” is very interesting – everyone tries to kill each other and take power.
3) What makes this better than Shakespeare’s other works?
No reason in particular, I just thought it was very good, especially the ending.
4) Why did you choose to read this book?
I had to read it for Shakespearean Literature class.
5) Who would you recommend this book to?
Anyone can read it – it’s Shakespeare and it’s very interesting.
Victor Eng
Tuesdays with Morrie – Mitch Albom
Tags: true story, life, philosophy, handball, breakdance
1) What is the book about?
It’s about a guy who spends time with his dying professor who teaches him a bunch of life lessons
2) Why do you like about this book?
I found the professor’s philosophy on life very interesting – he covers everything including happiness and love and stuff.
3) Did you learn anything from this book?
Yeah, the life lessons personally made me see life in a different way, which is what makes this book great.
4) Why did you choose to read this book?
My friend recommended it to me – I read it for fun.
5) Who would you recommend this book to?
I don’t know… people who are sort of confused about life?
William Bute
Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger
Tags: survival, teenage rebellion, DDR, anime
1) What is the book about?
It’s about a kid who gets expelled from school then lives in the city.
2) Why do you like about this book?
It’s really awesome and you can relate to the main character.
3)What does the title mean?
The main character wants to be like a savior for children and catch them if they fall off a cliff or something.
4) Why did you choose to read this book?
I had to read this book back in freshman year for English class.
5) Who would you recommend this book to?
It’s a really good book – everyone should read it.
Josef Broder
The Traveller – John Twelve Hawks
Tags: sci-fi, thriller, nerd
1) What’s with the author’s weird name?
It’s part of his style – he’s all secretive and stuff. His name and location are all hidden.
2) What is this book about?
It is about a secret organization trying to control the United States.
3) What do you like about this book?
It has everything – fantasy, magic, violence, stuff like that.
4) Why did you choose to read this book?
It’s part of a really awesome trilogy, which you should read.
5) Who would you recommend this book to?
People who like to read for fun and enjoy suspenseful and action-packed novels.
Kevin Tse – Soccer, Rowing, Girls
K: So, what’s your favorite book?
P: I got the best book ever, it’s Alex Rider by Anthony Horrowitz.
K: What made you read the book?
P: It was a gift given to me when I lived in England.
K: Ah. What’s it about?
P: The books about a teenage spy that works for the MI6 and faces a lot of epic challenges.
K: That’s pretty concise… so… what’s the MI6?
P: That’s the British version of the CIA.
K: Oh, ok. So tell us your favorite “epic challenge.”
P: Alright, so Alex parachutes from a plane hijacked from the enemy, crash-lands through a glass roof into the enemy HQ. He shoots 6 bullets. One into the enemy prime ministers hand to stop him from activating a machine that would kill all the school children in England. Two into the activation button of the machine. Three into the enemy spy that was working with the MI6. The spy is the person who gave the enemy prime minister the SuperComputer AI used to build the machine.
K: Wow… so epic… ok, who would recommend the book to?
P: Anyone who is interested in an extremely epic action book.
K: Hmm, since it’s so epic, how did you feel when you read the book?
P: Amazing. I feel like I can parachute 5 miles straight into a museum with security and reporters, fire bullets into the crowd below me and have no consequences.
K: Thanks… don’t shoot me.
Chris Moll- Dancing, Sleeping, Cats
K: What’s your favorite book?
C: The Girl in Blue by Ann
K: Hm. What’s it about?
C: The book is like Mulan but during the civil war, a girl pretends to be a boy to fight but she gets caught and got sent to a confederate general’s wifes maid.
K: Wait, why would she randomly try to join a war?
C: Her father wanted her to marry an older man but she didn’t so she ran away because wanted to break out of the “16 year old girl” role.
K: Ok, what is your favorite scene?
C: She was working as a spy and an older woman taught her how to do stuff and one day the girl was sick and the older woman brought her over, and the author described how she lived alone and against common perception of a woman because pretty much redefines a common perception of women.
K: Are you a feminist?
C: Kind of…
K: Wow. Alright, what made you read the book?
C: Uhhh… at that time, I read anything like a book whore.
K: Who would you recommend it to?
C: I would recommend it to ppl who liked watching mulan and open minded ppl who are concious of social boundaries.
K: Well put. Thanks so much.
Disi Chen – Handball, Screeching
K: What’s your all time favorite book?
D: Uhhh… um… uhh..
K: Uhh…?
D: Uhhh… Twilight?
K: Seriously?
D: What? I can’t help it! I’m a sucker for damsel in distress and knight in shining armor stuff.
K: Yeah, ok. So, what’s the book about?
D: Who doesn’t know what Twilight is about?
K: Fine, what about the book attracted you?
D: The fairytale aspect of the book, I guess. And I like the attraction between one person who is completely normal and the other who is immortal.
K: What is your favorite scene?
D: The one where Edward sneaks into Belle’s bedroom!
K: That’s creepy… why is it your favorite?
D: Because the scene was incredibly cute and funny and awfully romantic.
K: What’s so romantic about sneaking into someone’s bedroom? Sounds creepy…
D: It just is!
K: Fine, who would you recommend Twilight to?
D: Girls who are suckers for damsels in distress and knights in shining armor.
K: Ok. Thank you for your time!
Dani Chen – Nutella, Hates Anime
K: What’s your favorite book?
D: The Princess Bride by William Goldman.
K: What’s it about?
D: It’s about the love story between Westley and Buttercup.
K: Who are they and what happened?
D: Westley is this man who is madly in love with Buttercup who is this extremely beautiful woman even when she’s covered in dirt and rags. Westley goes off on a journey to try and impress Buttercup but gets captured by a pirate. Buttercup hears of this news and becomes heartbroken. Ever since then, Buttercup became cold and unable to love. Then she married a prince for his money. Isn’t that awesome?
K: Uhh, right…
D: And then Westley returns and tries to get Buttercup back but she became all bitchy. That’s when the story really begins.
K: Wow, Westley and Buttercup seem like interesting characters, can you tell me more about them?
D: Umm… well Buttercup is this really naïve girl who is like the most beautiful girl in the world. She lived on a farm with a servant boy and that boy is Westley. Westley always loved Buttercup but was always too shy to say anything about it. He’d express his love by “throwing all the bullies around” for Buttercup. Buttercup, on the other hand, didn’t even realize he existed until the Queen of the land came by and tried to seduce Westley.
K: Cool. What’s your favorite scene?
D: My favorite scene is when the prince comes to court Buttercup and they have this huge argument where the prince threatens to kill her. Buttercup refuses to marry the prince out of love, but the prince refused to have love in the marriage. Buttercup realized that such terms were fine with her so she went and married him.
K: … What made you read the book?
D: At that time, I went on a book buying spree and Princess Bride just happened to be one of them.
K: What are some things you love about the book?
D: The humor in the book. It’s really funny in a clever way. I love the style it was written in even more. William Goldman makes it seem like he’s retelling a story from his childhood memories by adding really funny comments.
K: Sounds good. Who would you recommend The Princess Bride to?
D: Anyone who is interested in a uniquely written romance novel. It has a bit of action in it too.
K: I think I’ll read it. Thanks for your time.
Jessica Huang – Handball, Showering
K: Hey, what’s your favorite book?
J: Uhhh, I read?
K: Yes, you also have a favorite book.
J: www.facebook.com
K: Haha! Thanks for your time.
Jos Diaz
Ms. Chan
Period 3
Interviews
Rebecca Steinberg; student, musician, redhead
What is your favorite book?
Ham on Rye by Charles Bukowski
How did you come across the book?
I found it in my apartment. I flipped through it and it looked interesting; I found the word “cunt” used repeatedly, and I thought to myself “this is an author I can get along with.”
What about this book makes it your favorite?
It’s really blunt and unapologetic. Even though it’s really kind of gross at parts and very masculine, it really captures awkwardness and discomfort more than other books I’ve read, like “Catcher in The Rye” or “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” It’s a lot harsher than Catcher in The Rye, and darker, but has the same feeling of isolation.
What type of person would enjoy this book?
I think any adolescent or even someone older who likes to read books about people whose lives aren’t perfect.
Helen Chen; student, fashionista, art-lover
What is your favorite book?
The Joy Luck Club
How did you come across the book?
I was walking by Barnes and Noble, and they had a big poster. I’d heard about it, so I went inside and bought a copy. I was in the eighth grade, but the themes have stuck with me for all this time. I guess it’s kind of sad that my favorite book is from the eighth grade, but it’s true.
What about this book makes it your favorite?
I feel like there are so many aspects of it I can relate to. For example, my grandmother is an avid mahjong player, I’ve been raised in a very traditional Chinese family and I have a very close relationship with my mother, and with my grandmother.
What type of person would enjoy this book?
Anybody who wants to read a book about a relationship between a child and a parent, and anybody who comes from a traditional Asian family.
Thomas Ansorge; student, policy wonk, history buff
What is your favorite book?
Imperial Life in the Emerald City by Rajiv Chandresekan
How did you come across the book?
I read a review of this book in the Asia Times, then got it from the New York Public Library by placing it on hold and picking it up from the Morningside Heights branch.
What about this book makes it your favorite?
I love the book because it’s so comprehensive and informative. It effectively illustrates the cultural clashes between an occupying power and an occupied people, the difficulty of nation building, and managementt dilemmas faced by inexperienced and unqualified personnel thrust into an unexpected challenging situation. It also does a great job of informing its readers on domestic political process and relevant current world issues.
What type of person would enjoy this book?
Policy wonks and history buffs.
Mark Surya; student, composer
What is your favorite book?
Ulysses by James Joyce
How did you come across this book?
It’s Ulysses. Eventually anyone who reads anything will find it. I’d also already read Finnegan’s Wake and loved it, so I wanted to read Joyce’s complete works.
Why is it your favorite book?
Its basic philosophy is really similar to mine, and I was really impressed in how it could jacknife from humor to really deep emotion in the same sentence. It was the first book I ever read where the language was just as important as what was going on. A lot of this applies to Finnegan’s Wake as well, but that was just so open and unreadable, that, while I really enjoyed reading it, I can’t really consider it my favorite book as much.
What type of person would enjoy this book?
Pretentious people.
Simon Szybist; student, polack
What is your favorite book?
The Street of Crocodiles by Bruno Schulz
How did you come across the book?
It was recommended to me by a camp counselor who told me that it was one of the most enlightening books he’d ever read, so I traded him for it. I gave him The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson in exchange.
What about this book makes it your favorite?
First and foremost, it’s surrealist. His ability to paint these beautiful, colorful scenes on the paper… the stories never really end in a coherent way, and you’re never really sure what has happened at the end but It still amazes you. It’s a book of short stories. To put it shortly, I’ve never read anything else like it. It just really hit me as something totally original.
What type of person would enjoy this book?
The type of person who would like a Terry Gilliam film would love this book. Or, less referentially, someone who can appreciate absurdity for what it is.
