Demian By Hermann Hesse is a book filled with solid symbolism and a story that is very hard to follow.  Having had to read this for school brings light to some of the symbolism Hesse crammed into this book, but it was not a very enjoyable experience.  

Oryx and Crake  Written by Margaret Atwood this book’s protagonist, Snowman, is living with unusual and “perfect humans” who are creatures that were created by  a  man who was Snowman’s friend before Snowman was the only human left on Earth.  This is Snowman learning to deal with what he is left with in the world and him recalling the world when it was normal- as we know it today.  This is a good book, but Atwood is not one of my favorite authors and I don’t have a high recommendation.

Down These Mean Streets  By Piri Thomas is a memoir of growing up in Harlem and the troubles he came across for being Puerto Rican.  It is a good book, but it had some scenes that were much to graphic for my taste (which is weird because it was a school book).

The Sunday List of Dreams  By Kris Radish is the story of a mother who finally sets out to do the things on her sunday list of dreams.  She goes and finds the daughter she lost contact with and finds she is the co-owner of a sex toy store.  Their re-getting to know each other sends them on new adventures they hadn’t pictured ever going on.  It is a fine book, but not one of my favorites.

The Chosen Chaim Potok’s novel is about two Jewish boys who become friends, but are brought apart by their fathers who have very conflicting views.  Their relationship has its ups and downs and makes for pretty good reading, but it wouldn’t be high on my list of books to read.

Of Love And Other Demons By Gabriel Garcia Marquez this is the story of a young girl who is thought to be possessed by demons and her struggle to be treated normally.  Not a must read.

The Grapes of Wrath  By John Steinbeck, this dull classic is about a family that travels across the country to California to try to get by.  Forced to read this as a summer book, I cannot see how exactly this book became famous.  Good luck with it if you read it.