British author Helen Fielding brought chick-lit to the masses with her 1996 novel Bridget Jones's Diary. The story is recognized as a landmark in modern publishing and paved the way for an entire genre of books like The Devil Wears Prada, The Nanny Diaries, and Confessions of a Shopaholic. Critics and readers responded positively to Fielding's depiction of an independent, modern woman in her mid-thirties through her intimate personal diary entries. In 1998, Bridget Jones's Diary was recognized as the British Book of the Year.
Loud, vulgar, and unapologetic, Bridget's twenty-first-century voice was relatable to audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. Structured as a series of private diary entries, she details her daily ruminations around such topics as finding love, losing weight, and personal grooming. More than just these cosmetic concerns, the novel approached romance and dating in a decidedly postfeminist way. Three sequels followed, including Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (1999), Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (2013), and Bridget Jones's Baby: The Diaries, which was released in 2016. Fueled by the oversized popularity and cultural significance of the story, Fielding was listed as the 29th most influential person in British culture in a 2004 BBC poll.
Three film adaptations were released after the publication of the novels and starred Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, and Renee Zellweger. In 2001, Zellweger was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance. While Bridget's concerns and flaws may skew slightly female in terms of relatability, this book is certainly not just for one type of reader or audience. As Salmon Rushdie is quoted on the book jacket, "Even men will laugh."
Notorious inmate Sirius Black has escaped the heavily fortified prison of Azkaban, and there is a rumor that he intends to kill Harry Potter. This is probably not the best news to receive as Harry starts his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
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While you were laughing with the rest of your third-grade class as Chicken Licken got crushed under the table of contents, your parents and teachers were quietly patting themselves on the back. The twisted and subversive nature of The Stinky Cheese...
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J.K. Rowling became the world's first billionaire author with the story of young Harry Potter and the magical wizarding world of Hogwarts. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is Rowling's literary debut and the first of the seven novels which make...
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Falling Up is a charming children’s poetry collection written and illustrated by the esteemed American writer Shel Silverstein. It was first published in 1996 by HarperCollins. Falling Up is Silverstein’s third collection of children’s...
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The Rainbow Fish is a beautifully illustrated modern classic, and is still the perfect bedtime story.Its popularity spurred the creation of a book series, short film, and television series. But, '90s kids know where it all began.
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Oh, the Places You'll Go! is a book about transitions. Its relevancy is present whether you are graduating from elementary school, college, or transitioning from one phase of life to another. The classic illustrated children's story was written by...
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Is it really middle school if you don’t have a dogeared copy of The Giver bouncing around in your backpack? Published in 1993 by Houghton Mifflin, Lois Lowry’s young adult dystopian novel was an international bestseller and introduced millions of...
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This powerful novel by Tim O'Brien focuses on the lives of American soldiers in the Vietnam War. As a popular novel for school reading assignments in the '90s, it exposed a new generation to the realities and harshness of war.
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Once again, you can be the coolest kid at recess, utilizing only your shoelace and sleight of hand. Take your cat's cradle game to a whole new level by learning some impressive new tricks.
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a fantasy novel, and the follow-up to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. It is the second of the seven books which make up the original Harry Potter series written by J.K. Rowling. The story picks up...
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