Read a Good Fiction Novel This Summer
There’s a reason you had to read novels in school and then complete a book report. First, reading is an essential competence. Second, reading a published novel that’s well written and edited can only improve your grammar skills!
Whether English is your first language or you are a non-native English speaker, reading helps you better understand grammar through intuition, context and repetition.
If English is fairly new to you, start with simpler books, blogs and newspaper articles that interest you most. Once you’ve mastered the language, use summer downtime and outdoor evenings to enjoy some classic or new novels.
Here are a few possibilities for this summer’s enjoyment:
“All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr. The 2015 Pulitzer Prize winner is set in occupied World War II France.
Another World War II story, “Secrets of a Charmed Life,” is by Susan Meissner. It tells the story of two sisters in 1940s England.
“Still Alice” by Lisa Genova. The book about Alzhemier’s Disease was made into a movie. Genova, who has a Ph.D. in neuroscience, also wrote an excellent book about traumatic brain injury called Left Neglected.
Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire books, which have formed the basis for a Netflix original series, have a 2015 addition called “Dry Bones.”
“The Girl on the Train,” by Paula Hawkins, is a debut thriller about a girl who rides the train every day and people watches, but then witnesses something shocking.
You also can’t beat the classics for their style, rich use of vocabulary and stellar grammar. Even if you read them years ago, take another peak at one of the best:
“Daisy Miller” by Henry James
“The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
“The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger
Anything by Mark Twain
If reading any of these novels is less than pleasurable, you might chalk it up to personal preference. If reading is technically difficult, learn more about our Business Writing Essentials webinar, tip card and coaching package to help non-native English speakers become better business writers.
And if grammar still throws you for a loop, we’ve got an online course just for you.
