Books Read So Far in AP Lit this Year by Sophie Kuipers
This year in AP Literature and Composition, Ms. Lewis’s class has been reading non-stop since the beginning of the school year. From plays such as “Oedipus Rex,” to classics like Pride and Prejudice, the list is vast and full of great reads!
To start off the class, the AP Lit students read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, a devastating novel about friendship, betrayal, guilt, and ultimately, redemption. The novel follows the story of Amir, a boy from Kabul, Afghanistan, and events that will impact the rest of his life.
After The Kite Runner, the class read Homegoing, a historical fiction beginning at the start of the Slave Trade in Ghana all the way to the current day. Written by Yaa Gyasi, the novel explores serious and important themes, such as racism, lost heritage, and what home really means, to name a few.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was another book read in class, a well-known classic with many film adaptations. The class dove into some of the deeper meanings behind the book, such as exploring different philosophical ideas seen in the story and contemplating a creator’s responsibility to the creation (among many other ideas). The class even held a mock court case after reading the book, with both Dr. Frankenstein and his creation on trial!
Before Thanksgiving break, the class read “Oedipus Rex,” a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles that went into fate and free will.
After completing their work on “Oedipus Rex,” the class began a poetry unit where students analyzed poems and presented them to the class.
The most recent book read as a class is another classic, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. In her famous novel, Austen uses satire to point out what she finds wrong about society, highlighting problems with marriage and the roles women were given at this time. In addition to using humor and irony, Austen also creates foils to underscore different traits in her characters.
Currently, all of the students in AP Lit have chosen a Contemporary novel to read and later share with each other during class.
All in all, Ms. Lewis’s AP Lit Class has read many books/works so far this year, all with complex ideas and themes, in addition to great literary merit. Through all of these works, the class has continued to learn more about literary devices and elements and has also been able to grow their skills in literature.
To start off the class, the AP Lit students read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, a devastating novel about friendship, betrayal, guilt, and ultimately, redemption. The novel follows the story of Amir, a boy from Kabul, Afghanistan, and events that will impact the rest of his life.
After The Kite Runner, the class read Homegoing, a historical fiction beginning at the start of the Slave Trade in Ghana all the way to the current day. Written by Yaa Gyasi, the novel explores serious and important themes, such as racism, lost heritage, and what home really means, to name a few.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was another book read in class, a well-known classic with many film adaptations. The class dove into some of the deeper meanings behind the book, such as exploring different philosophical ideas seen in the story and contemplating a creator’s responsibility to the creation (among many other ideas). The class even held a mock court case after reading the book, with both Dr. Frankenstein and his creation on trial!
Before Thanksgiving break, the class read “Oedipus Rex,” a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles that went into fate and free will.
After completing their work on “Oedipus Rex,” the class began a poetry unit where students analyzed poems and presented them to the class.
The most recent book read as a class is another classic, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. In her famous novel, Austen uses satire to point out what she finds wrong about society, highlighting problems with marriage and the roles women were given at this time. In addition to using humor and irony, Austen also creates foils to underscore different traits in her characters.
Currently, all of the students in AP Lit have chosen a Contemporary novel to read and later share with each other during class.
All in all, Ms. Lewis’s AP Lit Class has read many books/works so far this year, all with complex ideas and themes, in addition to great literary merit. Through all of these works, the class has continued to learn more about literary devices and elements and has also been able to grow their skills in literature.