Favorite Reads of 4-Year Seniors! Class of 2009! Woo-hoo!

Andre

One of my favorite books is A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway. I really enjoyed the book because there was a riveting plot line, and the development of the main characters is superb. I also enjoyed some of the intentional ambiguity by the author, because that kept me continuously interested as to what was going to happen next.

Cam

Snow by Orhan Pamuk. I read this book before traveling to Turkey earlier this year and was taken by the story.  It is the story of a writer who returns to Kars and finds inspiration, romance and political unrest. Snow shows readers what it is truly like to live in the Turkish “deep state”.

Eshalla

The first book that jumps to mind is one that I read this past summer called Tamar: A Novel of Espionage, Passion, and Betrayal by Mal Peet.  It is a war novel about a spy’s granddaughter uncovering their family’s historyafter his unexpected suicide.  I was drawn to this book first of all because the cover was shiny and literally caught my eye.  And just as it is indicated, this is a book about espionage, passion, and betrayal which was very intriguing.  I recommend it to anyone who is interested in this time period or anyone who is looking for a good read.

Omoefe

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I love this book because it tells the story of two rival groups the Greasers and the Socs, and how their worlds collide. The main character, Ponyboy, meets a girl who is part of the Socs, and finds he has more in common with her than he could imagine. As the story unfolds it’s interesting to see how both individuals potentially learn from one another. This book is full of, passion and vivid description. It should be on everyone’s reading list.

Ruth

I recommend The Book of Everything by Guus Kuijer. I read it sophomore year, and loved how quirky and imaginative it is!

Tessa

My favorite book right now is A Heartbreaking Work  of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. I read it my creative non-fiction class. I liked it because it was a great read, that staggered in both heartbreaking and genius moments!

Grant Gonzalez

Featuring the FIVE FAVORITE READS of
NMH History teacher,

Grant Gonzalez

T.R.: The Last Romantic, by H.W. Brands

Mr. Gonzalez:  “In this mammoth biography, Brands adeptly relates T.R.’s ’strenuous life,’ beginning with Roosevelt’s inauspicious sickly childhood and throughout his unceasing exploits and adventures. Although Brands’s book has not been the most acclaimed study of T.R., I personally found it more engaging and insightful than Edmund Morris’s treatment of our 26th President. ”

The Book of Job

Mr. Gonzalez:  “The Book of Job deals with those big nagging philosophical questions of why evil persists in our world, and the purpose of suffering. A beautiful book, it reminds me to keep questioning my own beliefs and traditions while knowing that I will never reach any final stage of omniscience (and that’s all right!). ”

Children of Gebelawi, by Naguib Mahfouz

Mr. Gonzalez:  “Mahfouz is the Arab author most well known globally, and deservedly so. Children of Gebelawi (or alternatively titled as Children of the Alley), allegorizes on the three ‘religions of the book’ – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and their three respective prophets. ”

The Idiot, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Mr. Gonzalez:  “I just borrowed Dostoyevsky’s great masterpiece from the library and it quickly vaulted to my top favorite books! The central character is the author’s attempt to create a naturally and completely “good” man. His interactions with 19th century Russian society provide an excellent reflection on social values for humanity as a whole.”

The Butter Battle Book, by Dr. Seuss

Mr. Gonzalez:  ” Certainly no other book on international relations theory is as entertaining as Dr. Seuss’s treatment of the Cold War arms race. “

Roman Holiday “There is something about this movie I find truly comforting.  I think every girl deserves a Roman
Holiday.”

School Ties “I like it because the movie parallels my life in a
boarding school, but mainly because it is a great film”

Farewell My Concubine “This is soo much history and culture in this movie.  The story goes deep into your heart.  Not everyone can understand it if you don’t know China well.  It’s a three hour-long movie, but I wish it could be longer.  I have seen more than 1,000 movies and I’ve become very picky.  This is the only movie I LOVE all the time, and couldn’t find anything imperfect about it.”

Wall-E

“The movie has one of the best storylines I have ever seen for an animated film.  The animation is stunning and the attention to graphics and detail is also amazing.”

The Godfather I & II “These two almost flawless films have
perfectly blended the theme of family loyalty and world of
crime.  With 9 combined Oscars, and the only film awarded
2 Oscars for the same character played by different people,
Coppola made easily two of the greatest films of all time.”

Featuring, Tom Pratt, Director of Athletics at NMH

Undaunted courage : Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the opening of the American West – Stephen Ambrose
Mr. Pratt:  I loved the adventure and drama of the expedition, but also learned a lot about the political atmosphere of the time and Jefferson's interest and hopes for the American West.

Endurance; Shackleton's incredible voyage – Alfred Lansing
Mr. Pratt:  I love historical adventures and this one may be one of the greatest examples of leadership and man vs. nature and impossible odds.

The Game – Ken Dryden
Mr. Pratt:  Ken Dryden, Hall of Fame NHL goalie writes about the greatest game on earth. It was written in 1983 and I read it every couple of years.

Ghost Soldiers: The Forgotten Epic Story of World War II's Most Dramatic Mission – Hampton Sides
Mr. Pratt:  Hampton Sides writes about the rescue of POWs who survived the Bataan Death March. Again, historical adventure. Amazing story.

Opus: 25 Years of His Sunday Best – Berkeley Breathed
Mr. Pratt:  Bloom County was my favorite Sunday comic and it ended. Then Berkley Breathed brought back OPUS and some of the characters from Bloom County and now its over, too.  These strips always made me giggle and I liked the collection books, too..

featuring  Director, Transition-Year Program; PG Academic Dean, English teacher

  Pam Shoemaker

Pam writes:  I have many favorites including Wind in the Willows and The House of Seven Gables, but I have chosen these five titles because they have recently engaged me.

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

Falling Angels by Tracy  Chevalier

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

Featuring CUM LAUDE students!

Brodrick

My favorite book would have to be A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin.  It's the first book in an elaborate fantasy series in which the author tells the story from multiple points of view.  This aspect of the book is intriguing because it blurs the conventional view of who is the protagonist and who is the antagonist, since, for each character, these roles change.  Another reason this is my favorite series is because the author is unafraid to kill off main characters, allowing for unconventional twists in the plot.

Jason

One of my favorite book is The Color Purple by Alice Walker for two main reasons. I particularly liked how persistent the author was with her use of graphical language and informal English in her writing which made it very easy to understand all aspects of the story. I also admired how she used these two techniques to effectively demonstrate the themes of transformation and perseverance in the book which I also found to be very inspiring.

Pascale

The Power of One and its sequel Tandia by Bryce Courtenay. This classic novel about South Africa before and during the apartheid is uplifting; the spirit of independence and change that lives in PK, the young, white English boxer and in the ambitious Tandia, makes us believe that 'the power of one' can overcome hatred and injustice. I loved the captivating denouement of the main character's life from a rejected five year old in boarding school to an internationally recognized boxer, to an advocate of justice for the black community under control of the Afrikaner regime that ends in a dramatic but beautiful finale. PK and Tandia become heroes we get attached too. Courtenay write with wit and humor, and brings the troubles South Africa went through to life, making us wish we could go back in time and change the course of history.

Lysander

Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer.
This book is by turns hilarious, heartbreaking, surreal, frustrating,
and ultimately moving. Foer's story is about the Holocaust, but also
about more general themes such as history, family, community, and
religion, and he tells it from several voices, times, and places.
Still, it's remarkably cohesive, and endlessly compelling.

Ji

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is about love that extends beyond generations. It's about revenge. If you like any of the Bronte Sisters books, you will like this one, too. It's not like any other classical romance books you have read and will ever read. Bronte brings the characters to life with strong details. The plot is intense; there is always something happening in the book. You won't get bored reading it, you will love it too.

FeaturingNMH Religious Studies teacher,
VAUGHN ALLEN

Vaughn writes:

These are my 5 favorite books:

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

I like how Dostoevsky examines Raskolnikov's
internal struggle — and that his punishment is more that he knows he has
committed a horrific crime (and how this weighs on his conscience) than his
being sentenced by the law. I believe that there is much to learn from this
example.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

My high school English teacher, Dr.DiGenero,
proclaimed that The Great Gatsby was "the perfect novel" and taught
it to our class with such passion that I couldn't help but enjoy the story and
the rich symbolism contained within. As a result, it has always been a favorite
of mine because it reminds me of this wonderful teacher and his love for
literature.

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger 

How can you not enjoy a brilliantly
written book which discusses sexuality and teenage angst? What I like most
about Holden Caulfield's story is that it is in many ways everyone's story, in
that we all struggle as we grow up. Salinger, I believe, depicts Holden's
journey beautifully.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Golding, I believe, depicts extremely
well in this novel, the "savage" instinct inherent in us all. What I
like so much about this book is the way that the boy's
"transformation" from civilized to savage is depicted so
realistically. I found this to be a horrifying, yet wonderful story.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

I first read
this book in 6th grade and was amazed then, as I am still now, at how Orwell so
brilliantly depicts society, the use and abuse of power, and man's inherently
corrupting nature. There is much to learn from the "animals" in
Orwell's masterful allegory.

Favorite Reads of 4-Year Seniors!

Eliza 
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

I have never been so breathless while reading a book. Woolf swept me up into her words and thoughts and endless sentences, and i kept having these wondrous moments of comprehension and sadness and wit. It is glorious. - Eliza

Jacob
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 

The man is a genius. He can capture the perspective of almost any character with incredible ease. Thum Thur book was right funny, yessir. – Jacob

Sarah
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Picoult takes the idea of school invasions and shootings and captures it perfectly.  The book deals with the social cliques and the parents involved when one teenager shows up to school with a gun.  As the readers, we are led to believe one side of the story and the end throws a quite surprising twist at us.  With witness testimonies and many hours of work under their belts, the families and lawyers work hard to get to the bottom of the case. - Sarah

Spencer
Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Although I don’t not like any Harry Potter book, the second edition is especially enthralling because of the implications that rest in the realms of the Chamber’s existence, the dire consequences that Hogwarts faces in a year riddled with unforeseen triumphs and tragedies, and the turmoil and confusion that Harry, and his underdeveloped adolescent  prefrontal cortex, face. - Spencer

Tanner
Beloved by Toni Morrison

This book has been the most inspiring book that I have ever read. From everything from the point of view of the author to the distinct emotions and personalities of the characters, the book has intrigued me and changed the way that i think about my life. The book dragged me into the plot more than any other novel, and forced me to think of the meaning behind just the words or how the pages were set up in front of me. – Tanner

Featuring Favorite Reads of NMH English teacher

Meg Donnelly

Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster

Ms.Donnelly: I read it when I was thirteen. It was  perfect combination for me- a mysterious benefactor, boarding school life and letter writing, it sparked my continuing love for epistolary novels and now that I think about it,probably my love for my husband, who wooed me by mail.

The Once and Future King by T H White
Ms.Donnelly: On every version of my top 5 reads (and there have been at least 20 versions) this title appears. It is not my favorite novel, but it is one of my favorite reads for all ages.  I can’t wait to read it to my son, Mackinnon!

House of Mirth by Edith Wharton 

Ms.Donnelly: My best friend once compared me to this novel’s protagonist, Lily Bart somewhat disparagingly. I sat down and read the novel to find out what that meant. She is now one of my favorite literary characters and I take it as a compliment to have been compared to her.

Margaret Atwood  (Anything by )

Ms.Donnelly: For me, Atwood gets her characters exactly right. I understand them and how and why they make the mistakes  they do. if I had to pick one maybe Cat’s Eye, no, Alias Grace,  or Wilderness Tips, oh I can’t choose!

The Bone People by Keri Hulme

Ms.Donnelly: This is a New Zealand novel that I loved even before I loved New Zealand. It has three remarkably desperate and resilient characters. Each one I would find hard to understand or appreciate in real life, but I love them deeply on the page.