Winter reading ideas

Looking for classic or popular reading material for the winter months in the southern hemisphere? Below is a list of five great reads:

1. Possession: by A.S. Byatt

The 1990 Man Booker winner weaves a compelling story of two Victorian poets and two scholars of Victorian poetry as their lives and loves slowly parallel.

2. Nectar in a Sieve: by Kamala Markandaya

Twelve-year-old Rukmani and her new husband Nathan struggle with raising a family as India turns from its more pastoral and agricultural roots into something more industrial. Rukmani and her loved ones contend with poverty, disease, and death, but the heroine’s journey reflects literature’s most enduring tales of interpersonal strengths.

3. The House on Mango Street: by Sandra Cisneros

Sandra Cisneros’ novella follows a Chicana girl who dreams of leaving the Chicago slums and forging a life for herself before coming back to rescue her family. Esperanza Cordero’s monologues reflect the triumphant and tragic elements of her environment, and how life builds character.

4. After Dark: by Haruki Murakami

Set in Tokyo, everything revolves around a pair of sisters, one at home in a drug-induced coma, the other swept up in unwanted urban adventures. They must learn to connect with one another despite the distance.

5. The Joy Luck Club: by Amy Tan

Two generations of Chinese-American women narrate their stories of both nations and the struggles involved with coming to terms with new cultural mores and, in some cases, biracial backgrounds. They are stories of mothers, daughters, and family bonds.

Want more reading ideas? See 21 classics that make for great beach reads by Accredited Online Colleges: http://www.accreditedonlinecolleges.com/blog/2012/21-classics-that-make-for-great-beach-reads/

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