Looking for AP English Book Recommendations

Yo! I'm going to be in AP English next year and I'm trying to get a head start on the reading. If anyone has any book recommendations or any list they could share, that'd be great. Thanks!

Sure thing! Depending on whether you'll be taking AP English Language or AP English Literature, the books may vary since each has a specific focus. AP English Language is more non-fiction pieces and involves analyzing rhetoric of different works. On the other hand, AP English Literature involves analyzing fiction and poetry in depth.

Should you be taking AP English Literature, CollegeBoard provides a list of recommended authors and texts that you might encounter on the AP exam. A few classics often studied in AP Lit are:

1. "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

2. "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

3. "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee

4. "Beloved" by Toni Morrison

5. "1984" by George Orwell

6. "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger

7. "The Scarlet Letter" by Hawthorne

If you're doing AP Language and Composition, you'll be looking at more non-fiction work. Some popular texts for this class include:

1. "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

2. "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

3. "Outliers: The Story of Success" by Malcolm Gladwell

4. "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

5. "Nickel and Dimed" by Barbara Ehrenreich

These lists are by no means exhaustive, and there's a good chance your teacher might assign something completely different. But starting with these could give you a solid base in the type of reading you'll encounter in AP English classes. Hope this helps, and enjoy your reading!