Chase Vaughn-Ragtime

I chose to read Ragtime because of the story. It seams very interesting seeing people who shaped America come in and out of a type of mash-up story. The book is about a family in New York who experience all of these other characters from other times in America's history after Harry Houdini crashes into a pole outside their house.

Irfan Kovankaya: The Autobiography of Malcolm X

I chose The Autobiography of Malcolm X because he as an individual has always fascinated me especially being a Muslim myself. And although I do not agree with the racist doctrine of his early preaching I definitely respect his impact on America and his refusal to compromise for the well being of his people. The controversy surrounding his life is something that I found intriguing. Him being a figure I've always wanted to learn more about is my main reason for choosing this book.
     This book deals with the life of "The Nation of Islam" speaker and leader Malcolm X who being an African American fought for their rights and freedoms however unlike most African American leaders at the time he proposed segregation rather then integration as he felt that there would never be true equality for African Americans in a "white mans" society so he decided it would be better for them to have their own state. This was an extremely controversial idea at the time and caused many white people to consider him a speaker of evil and hatred. Although his doctrine was harsh and he changed his views later in life he is still respected to this day for his outspoken beliefs and refusal to compromise for his beliefs regardless of some perhaps inappropriate views regarding race. 

(And to clarify the Nation of Islam is a radical Black Muslim group that does not practice the original teachings of Islam and their views should not be mistaken for Islamic viewpoints.) 
   

Claire Wilhelm: Ragtime

I chose to read this book because it was the only one on the list I recognized. I had heard of the musical but had never read the book.
I would recommend Ragtime to anyone looking for a good story. It is a little confusing at first due to the many different perspectives and randomness, but in the end, all of the characters come together and it all makes sense.It also deals with class struggle and discrimination.

The Last of the Mohicans - Catherine Wilhelm

I chose this book because I love the film soundtrack, and it appealed to me more than any of the other books on the list.

This book was a great read, and used many words from the SAT vocab list! It was boring at the start, due to his droning on about the setting, but when it picked up the action, suspense, drama, and thrill was definitely brought out in full. The ending I did find depressing, spoiler alert, but much better than a lot of cheesy endings books have now.