Is this a good book list? Trying to please the unpleasable here, so lit. fans, help is appreciated!?

Question

I am in American Literature II, basically anything after 1865. Our big project is a literary anthology, 10 books that are simliar, catagory wise, plot wise, time period, something that connects them. It is pretty much a list of these 10 connected books that we would suggest for people to read. My teacher is horrible, he hasn't read half the books that he has assigned us, and give is very little time to read the books in. We are 7 weeks into class and he has already had us read 6 novels, including The Jungle which I really felt needed more time to appreciate and understand. He has given us very little direction on how to do this assignment, outside of telling us it is half our grade, and says, " well pick literature by american writers after 1865 that you would advice people to read." Then he gets upset and says writers like Stephen King and Stephenie Meyer are not literature. Well, maybe not good literature to him, but the assignment isn't to make him a reading list. At any rate, I have decided to do Family Drama/relationships, etc. My books are:
My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Singing Songs by Meg Tilly
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
The Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards
White Oleander by Janet Fitch
Ellen Foster by Kay Gibbons
Bastard Out Of Carolina by Dorothy Allison
Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult
Flowers In The Attic by V.C. Andrews
The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult.

Does this sound like a good list for the topic I have chosen? Can anyone recommend anything better? How well does this fit the description of the assignment he gave to us?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

It doesn't seem too bad. However, given the project I might caution against using 3 books by the same author. Also from your description I might want to be careful of books like Lovely Bones and Flowers in the Attic. I would be careful of both books given what you have stated about him (some professors have a pretty narrow idea about what is literature and how to interpret literature, both these are slightly
controversial and may not be considered literature by some).

Secret Life of Bees and The Joy Luck might work for more modern books.

However, look a little more into the classics because picky teachers sometimes have a habit of disregarding modern literature. If you can include drama (again depends on the teacher) Raisin in the Sun might be a good one. Cather in the Rye (another contraversial one but at least its a classic), Of Mice and Men, Beloved by Toni Morrison.

Your teacher seems almost as bad as my American lit 1 (everything before 1865) who told me Native American literature wasn't American literature, worshiped Ben Franklin (ugg long story), asked for opinions only to snootily told every single student who spoke in class that they were wrong... I dropped the class.

Sorry I can't be much help. I wish you the best of luck.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Thanks so much for the books! Hopefully something on your list and mine will please to jerk, otherwise I think I may just go to the head of the department lol.

Answer 2

Looks pretty good to me.