I can’t believe that A Century of Books: 1990-1999 is the ending to this series.
I hope you all have been able to learn about books that are considered classics but are maybe new to you.
Don’t forget to check out the beginning of the series below!
- A Century of Books: 1900-1919
- A Century of Books: 1920-1929
- A Century of Books: 1930-1939
- A Century of Books: 1940-1949
- A Century of Books: 1950-1959
- A Century of Books: 1960-1969
- A Century of Books: 1970-1979
- A Century of Books: 1980-1989
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990-1999
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (1997)
This story is the beginning of the beloved Harry Potter series. It is here where we meet young Harry Potter who has been living under the stairs in his uncle’s home.
It isn’t until he gets a letter from a school called Hogwarts that his life takes a sharp turn.
At this school he must live up to his deceased parent’s legacy. He befriends a redhead named Ron and a stubborn girl named Hermione.
Harry learns magic, gets into trouble and solves a mystery. But he doesn’t realize that getting the sorcerer’s stone was just the beginning of his adventures.
Why is it important?
Harry Potter was and is a huge deal in the literary world. The way that it took over society was incredible because the characters are so relatable and fun.
This series brought many kids to love reading and have inspired many fantasy writers.
A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (1996)
In the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are forming behind the kingdom’s Wall. Winter is going to be upon them soon.
This is a story of fighting, magic and distrust.
Game of Thrones offers a sense of adventure and dangers as we follow John Snow to the Wall. He deals with the news of his father’s assisination and truth about the seven kingdoms.
Why is it important?
Just like with Harry Potter, Game of Thrones grew in popularity faster than expected. These are large books yet people can’t get enough of them.
These books get to transport readers to far away kingdoms that they can’t imagine.
The Giver by Lois Lowry (1993)
The Giver is a dystopian novel where we follow a 12 year old boy named Jonas.
He lives in a Community where as infants everyone is assigned a role. And at the age of 12 there is a ceremony to reveal that role.
Jonas is nervous and excited for the ceremony and finds comfort in his father. But he is in dismay when he is passed over at the ceremony.
Instead of a normal role, Jonas is destined to be the next Receiver. He studies with the Giver and because of this he drifts away from his friends.
Jonas is able to lie and do other things that would normally be prohibited in the Community.
At first Jonas receives good memories of boat rides and snow. But then he receives harsher memories that cause him pain physically and emotionally.
In the Community, when people become elderly they are released. Jonas always thought this meant they went to a different place than the nursing home.
Yet he learns that being released means killed, they also do this with unwanted newborns.
After learning this information, he and the giver decide the Community needs to remember these bad memories that have been withheld from them for years.
Why is it important?
The Giver shows the importance of struggle, as odd as that seems. Jonas doesn’t truly live until he receives memories. And he wants people to understand struggling so they can enjoy the pleasures of live to their fullest extent.
This book is a great way to show children why bad things happen and the positives that can come from it.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky (1999)
This novel is written in letter form by Charlie. He basically documents his first year of high school. He writes about his English teacher who, when realizes his love of reading and writing, helps assign him more books to read.
He also befriends two seniors. Sam and Patrick are step-siblings and take Charlie under their wing. Patrick is in a secret relationship with a football player but Charlie falls in love with Sam.
Sam kisses Charlie so she can ensure his first kiss is one of kindness and by someone who truly loves him. This insinuates that her background involves sexual abuse.
Sam, Patrick and Charlie go through many adventures that help and hinder Charlie’s life. From trying LSD to being Rocky in a Rocky Horror Picture Show performance.
One nagging event that haunts Charlie is the death of his Aunt Helen. She died in a car accident while going to get Charlie a birthday present.
We learn about Charlie’s dark past which haunts him and he ends up in a mental hospital. Sam and Patrick come back from college to visit him after he is released and they drive through a tunnel.
This makes Charlie decide that he is going to live his life instead of recording it.
Why is it important?
This novel shows the importance of being yourself and living life. Charlie struggled his whole life and lived vicariously through the characters in books. But that made him depressed and lonely.
It is important to live life because there are so many wonderful things in the world to experience.
The Green Mile by Stephen King (1996)
Paul Edgecombe is writing about his time in 1932 while he was working as the block supervisor of the Cold Mountain Penitentiary death row. Also known as The Green Mile because of the flooring.
John Coffey was convicted of raping two girls. Readers get to know a wide cast of characters who had done horrific deeds to get themselves on death row.
We then learn that John has incredible healing powers which he uses on inmates and their pet mouse.
But when he heals Mel’s wife of a brain tumor, he sends it upon Percy and it makes him go mad.
John is executed and Paul suffers because he knows John was innocent. He didn’t rape the girls but instead was trying to heal them.
Why is it important?
This book shows that things may not always be as it seems. King specifies that John Coffey was a very large black man. But the man who did the real crime was a white man.
It is important to look at all the facts and not to make assumptions.
Bridget Jone’s Diary by Helen Fielding (1996)
Bridget is a woman who is desperate to find love. Not because she wants a fulfilling life, but because she doesn’t want to die alone.
We see her in a toxic relationship with her boss who cheats on her. And her childhood friend which recently came back into her life.
She struggles with her weight and bad habits of smoking and drinking. We learn about her relationships with her friends and how they have become family to her.
Her own family is not horrible but Bridget isn’t uplifted when she is around them.
Why is it important?
At some point, every woman feels like Bridget. No one wants to die alone. But this book shows the importance of finding the right person.
That right person will look past flaws and won’t care about if you weigh 10 pounds more than your friends.
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks (1996)
Noah Calhoun, an elderly man, starts the novel by reading a book to an elderly woman.
It is the story of Noah and Allie. Noah is restoring an old house after returning from the war. Allie pays him a visit after seeing about it in the paper.
This brings back many emotions because it had been 14 years since they had last seen each other. They had a summer romance before Allie left.
Noah admits to writing her many letters but Allie never got them. Her mother took and hid them so she would believe Noah forgot about her.
They reminisce over dinner. She goes back to Noah’s the next day but Allie’s fiance grows worried when he can’t get in contact with Allie.
On a canoe trip, they get caught in the rain and end up spending some quality time together.
Then she must decide if she should stay with Noah or go back to her fiancé. In the end she leaves Noah and is deeply distressed by the decision.
Readers are then clued in that the man reading the story is Noah and is reading to his wife Allie. He changed the names as to not distress her.
Allie sufferer with Alhemizers Disease and doesn’t remember Noah. So he is reading her their love story.
They both become sicker and Noah does all he can to spend time with the love of his life.
Why is it important?
This is a classic love story. And it shows that love isn’t always easy. Noah and Allie struggle before they finally get to be together.
Not everyone is the same and no love story is alike and that’s what makes them so special.
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom (1997)
Albom is reminded of his former sociology professor Morrie Schwartz after seeing him on Nightline.
He contacts Morrie and travels to Massachusetts to visit with him.
After the newspaper that Albom works for goes on strike, he goes to visit Morrie every week. Specifically he visits every Tuesday. For 14 weeks, he sits with Morrie.
The novel is broken up into the lessons he learns each day that he listens to Morrie who is diagnosed with ALS.
Throughout these days, Mitch and Morrie discuss various topics important to life and living and they also remember what Morrie was like when he was Albom’s professor.
Why is it important?
There is so much that is important about this novel! Albom treats Morrie well even though he is struggling. He just sits and listens to his stories.
It is important to care for the sick and elderly because they need love and support as much as anyone. And the life lessons are something that can help in many situations.
In conclusion
I have so loved this series! There are so many great books that have been published in the last 120 years and I hope you learned about some new books.
I am taking a small turn with this blog and will be only posting once a week.
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Thank you all for journeying with me through this century of books!