Nine Stories is a collection of short stories by J.D. Salinger. One of the most famous, "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" tells the story of Seymour, a strange man on vacation with his wife. Seymour talks with a young girl, telling her a tragic story about the bananafish, before returning to his hotel room and killing himself. "For Esme-with Love & Squalor," tells the story of a sergeant in World War II who becomes disillusioned, eventually recovering after finding a letter from a woman, Esme, whom he met earlier.
Season of Migration to the North is a post-colonial novel by Tayeb Salih. The narrator returns to Sudan after his studies in England and meets a man named Mustafa Sa'eed who, it seems, is well-read in English. After questioning him, Mustafa tells Tayeb his story, his own education in England, his love affairs with English women and his anger and confusion towards the West. Tayeb sees Mustafa as very similar to himself, a realization that brings him to the brink of sanity until he finally finds independence from Mustafa.
The Six Wives of Henry VIII is a historical text documenting the English King's marriages and their impact on British culture and on the European world of the post-Medieval period. Each period of Henry's marriage alliances is covered in detail, starting with his formative marriage to Katherine of Aragon and moving through his series of divorces and annulments. The book also concerns itself with the formation of the Anglican Church after Henry's estrangement from Catholicism.
Franny and Zooey is a novel made up of two distinct parts, focusing on two siblings who are very intellectual and at odds with themselves and the world. In the first part, Franny has a breakdown while attending a football game with her boyfriend. In the second part, her brother, Zooey talks to Franny as her breakdown continues. With Zooey pretending to be Buddy, their brother, the siblings discuss religion and spirituality, which are at the heart of Franny's breakdown. In the end, Franny reaches an inner peace.