Title Recommendations based on Harold Chasen
Taking us from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy through the horrific rule of the Taliban, The Kite Runner is the heartbreaking story of the unlikely and inseparable friendship between a wealthy Afghan boy and the son of his father's servant, both of whom are caught in the tragic sweep of history. Published in the aftermath of America's invasion of Afghanistan, Khaled Hosseini's haunting writing brought a part of the world to vivid life that was previously unknown.
Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of all time, Slaughterhouse-Five, an American classic, is one of the world's great antiwar books. Centering on the infamous firebombing of Dresden, Billy Pilgrim's odyssey through time reflects the mythic journey of our own fractured lives as we search for meaning in what we fear most.
Growing up, Quentin Coldwater was obsessed with the children's book series Fillory and Further: a Narnia-like adventure about travel to a magical land. And now Quintin is fulfilling his dream of studying magic as a secret school called Brakebills. Magic is dangerous, though, and there may be bigger things looming in his future than just passing the next exam.
At home and school, she's Miley Stewart, a typical teenager, but when the lights go down and the curtain goes up, she emerges as the glamorous and talented Hannah Montana. Keeping her identity under wraps leads Miley and her friends into some hilarious capers as she tries to balance her normal life with her rock star persona.
A group of male friends become obsessed with five mysterious sisters who are sheltered by their strict, religious parents.
Leaving the safety of their nursery behind, Wendy, Michael and John follow Peter Pan to a magical world where childhood lasts forever. But while in Neverland, the kids must face Captain Hook and foil his attempts to get rid of Peter for good.
Shay is Tally's rebellious best friend who's not afraid to break the rules, no matter the cost. A few months shy of her sixteenth birthday, Shay eagerly awaits her turn to become a Pretty—a rite-of-passage operation called the Surge that transforms ordinary Uglies into paragons of beauty. Yet after befriending the Crims, a group of fellow teens who refuse to take anything in society at face value, Shay starts to question the whole concept. And as the Crims explore beyond the monitored borders of Uglyville into the forbidden, ungoverned wild, Shay must choose between the perks of being Pretty and the rewards of being real.
Sweethearts Brad and Janet, stuck with a flat tire during a storm, discover the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a transvestite scientist. As their innocence is lost, Brad and Janet meet a houseful of wild characters, including a rocking biker and a creepy butler. Through elaborate dances and rock songs, Frank-N-Furter unveils his latest creation: a muscular man named Rocky.
When timid bank clerk Stanley Ipkiss discovers a magical mask containing the spirit of the Norse god Loki, his entire life changes. While wearing the mask, Ipkiss becomes a supernatural playboy exuding charm and confidence which allows him to catch the eye of local nightclub singer Tina Carlyle. Unfortunately, under the mask's influence, Ipkiss also robs a bank, which angers junior crime lord Dorian Tyrell, whose goons get blamed for the heist.
A wealthy New York investment banking executive hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he escalates deeper into his illogical, gratuitous fantasies.
Everyone deserves a great love story. But for seventeen-year old Simon Spier it's a little more complicated. He's yet to tell his family or friends he's gay and he doesn't know the identity of the anonymous classmate he's fallen for online.
Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer are a pair of broke twenty-something slackers roaming the streets of New York City. Ilana's approach to life is infectious, perhaps due to all the pot she smokes. And Abbi is the ultimate wingwoman. Sure, there may be awkward moments in the night, and they might black out on you before midnight. But if all goes well, they're the perfect friends to have in your corner.
ET is a science fiction fairytale about an extra-terrestrial who is left behind on Earth and is found by a young boy who befriends him.
CIA agent Carrie Mathison has been relocated back to the US after causing an international incident in Iraq. In addition to the stress of her job, she battles bipolor disorder. As she goes deeper into her investigations, it becomes difficult to distinguish her imagination from reality.
A young boy wins a tour through the most magnificent chocolate factory in the world, led by the world's most unusual candy maker.
