Disasters and delights: the 5 best and worst required reading books

A graduating bibliophile shares her favorite and least favorite works from four years of English curricula.

“Tortilla Curtain.” “Of Mice and Men.” “Macbeth.” If you recognize any of the titles above, you’ve been fulfilling your English requirements. At West, students will read over 20 novel-length works in order to fulfill their graduation requirements for English. Of course, not all books are created equal; some drive readers to tears of boredom and others to tears of love. Ranging from SparkNotes-only reads to perennial favorites, here are my five best and worst required reading books from four years of West High English.