Easy Books To Read for Adults
Sometimes one of the best ways to learn a new language is to spend time reading through fiction books. These stories not only build comprehension and grammar competency but also introduce important idioms and cultural references that may not be taught in a more formal setting. This list of beloved favorites makes for excellent adult literacy books for those who are learning English or learning to read for the first time.
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Add to BookshelfThe Seven Dials Mystery
by Agatha Christie
Gerry Wade is famous for over-sleeping, but when a group of his fellow young guests at a country house weekend decide to play a prank on him by setting eight alarm clocks to go off in his room one morning, they are rewarded with a nasty surprise. This time, poor Gerry is quite literally dead to the world. Led by the bold and clever Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent and her youthful friends, they take investigative matters into their own hands. As more victims turn up dead and clues seem to point to a wider plot, Bundle and her pals risk their lives to find the murderer before he kills again.
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$11.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Pearl
by John Steinbeck
Like his father and grandfather before him, Kino is a poor diver, gathering pearls from the gulf beds that once brought great wealth to the Kings of Spain and now provide Kino, Juana, and their infant son with meager subsistence. Then, on a day like any other, Kino emerges from the sea with a pearl as large as a sea gull’s egg, as “perfect as the moon.” With the pearl comes home, the promise of comfort and of security … The classic novella from Nobel Prize-winner John Steinbeck explores the secrets of man’s nature, the darkest depths of evil, and the luminous possibilities of love.
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$13.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
by Mark Haddon
A modern classic — both poignant and funny — about a boy with autism who sets out to solve the murder of a neighbor’s dog and discovers unexpected truths about himself and the world.
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$16.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Lore Olympus: Volume One
by Rachel Smythe
Scandalous gossip, wild parties, and forbidden love — witness what the gods do after dark in this stylish and contemporary reimagining of one of the best-known stories in Greek mythology, featuring a brand-new, exclusive short story from creator Rachel Smythe.
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$30.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Elephant Vanishes
by Haruki Murakami
In these stories, a man sees his favorite elephant vanish into thin air; a newlywed couple suffers attacks of hunger that drive them to hold up a McDonald’s in the middle of the night; and a young woman discovers that she has become irresistible to a little green monster who burrows up through her backyard. By turns haunting and hilarious, in The Elephant Vanishes Haruki Murakami crosses the border between separate realities — and comes back bearing remarkable treasures.
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$17.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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How to Stop Time
by Matt Haig
How many lifetimes does it take to learn how to live? Tom Hazard has a dangerous secret. He may look like an ordinary 41-year-old history teacher, but he’s been alive for centuries. From Elizabethan England to Jazz-Age Paris, from New York to the South Seas, Tom has seen it all. As long as he keeps changing his identity he can keep one step ahead of his past — and stay alive. The only thing he must not do is fall in love …
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$18.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Complete Persepolis
by Marjane Satrapi
Persepolis is a classroom staple, a feminist manifesto, and one of the most beloved graphic novels of all time. For the first time in hardcover, this stunning edition examines the Iranian political landscape in the context of global politics today. Edgy, searingly observant, and candid, often heartbreaking but threaded throughout with raw humor and hard-earned wisdom, Persepolis is “a dazzling singular achievement” (Salon) from one of the most highly regarded, uniquely talented graphic artists at work today.
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$35.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
A remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German Occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name. Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.
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$20.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Cat’s Cradle
by Kurt Vonnegut
Cat’s Cradle is Kurt Vonnegut’s satirical commentary on modern man and his madness. An apocalyptic tale of this planet’s ultimate fate and a vision of the future that is at once blackly fatalistic and hilariously funny. A book that left an indelible mark on an entire generation of readers, Cat’s Cradle is one of the twentieth century’s most important works — and Vonnegut at his very best.
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$21.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The House on Mango Street
by Sandra Cisneros
The House on Mango Street is one of the most cherished novels of the last fifty years. Readers from all walks of life have fallen for the voice of Esperanza Cordero, growing up in Chicago and inventing for herself who and what she will become. This gorgeous coming-of-age novel is a celebration of the power of telling one’s story and of being proud of where you’re from.
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$26.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Phantom Tollbooth
by Norton Juster
For Milo, everything’s a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because he’s got nothing better to do. But on the other side, things seem different. Milo visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), learns about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and even embarks on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason. Somewhere along the way, Milo realizes something astonishing. Life is far from dull. In fact, it’s exciting beyond his wildest dreams!
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$8.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency
by Alexander McCall Smith
Fans around the world adore the bestselling No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series and its proprietor, Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s premier lady detective. In this charming series, Mma Ramotswe — with help from her loyal associate, Grace Makutsi — navigates her cases and her personal life with wisdom, good humor, and the occasional cup of tea.
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$17.00Buy from Other Retailers:
