The best way to prepare for any standardized test’s reading section is to read often—these books to read for SAT and ACT prep will help you improve the vocabulary and reading comprehension skills you’ll be tested on!
While the SAT and ACT approach ELA questions in different ways, they both assess students’ reading comprehension, analysis, vocabulary, and reasoning skills. We selected books that are great for building vocabulary, fiction similar to what’s presented on the ACT and SAT, and fascinating nonfiction that help students prepare for the expository reading on those tests. Become immersed in a captivating read while practicing active reading skills to have enjoyable and productive reading test prep!
Books to Read for SAT and ACT Vocabulary Expansion
Vocabulary is a common topic area on both the SAT and ACT reading sections, so make sure to focus some time on vocabulary acquisition ahead of your exam. Reading is one of the best ways to learn new vocabulary for students at any grade level. The following four reads are some of the best books to read for SAT vocabulary and ACT word choice preparation, selected for their acclaim and powerful use of language.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, The Road is the riveting story of a man and his son traversing a bleak, post-apocalyptic America. With his precise diction, Cormac McCarthy transforms the familiar country landscape into a desolate one of abandoned buildings and suspicious characters. His deliberate use of sparse punctuation and simple sentence structure enhances the novel’s bleak tone. Students looking for a thrilling read that showcases the strength of the human spirit and family bonds will devour The Road.
“They came out along the rim of a deep gorge and far down in the darkness a river. They stood listening. High rock bluffs on the far side of the canyon with thin black trees clinging to the escarpment. The sound of the river faded. Then it returned. A cold wind blowing up from the country below. They were all day reaching the river.”
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
The first historical classic in this collection, The Count of Monte Cristo (1846) is a dramatic adventure set in early 19th-century France and southern Europe, following the false imprisonment and journey to vengeance of young sailor Edmond Dantès. Using complex character relationships and the historical context of Napoleon’s final period of rule, Alexandre Dumas (who also wrote The Three Musketeers) develops strong themes of hope, justice, and mercy.
The Count of Monte Cristo’s eloquent imagery captures the social atmosphere and physical ambiance of 1810s–30s France and Italy. At over 1000 pages, this novel is a steeper journey than many others in this collection—but the vivid characters, page-turning suspense, and diverse diction make it worth the read.
“It was ten o’clock at night; the branches of the great trees in the garden of the count’s house stood out boldly against the azure canopy of heaven, which was studded with golden stars, but where the last fleeting clouds of a vanishing storm yet lingered. From the apartments on the ground floor might be heard the sound of music, with the whirl of the waltz and galop, while brilliant streams of light shone through the openings of the Venetian blinds.”
The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
A military satellite comes back to Earth, bringing with it an extraterrestrial organism that infects an entire town with a mysterious, fatal disease. The Andromeda Strain (1969) follows the team of scientists tasked with investigating this phenomenon and capturing the microscopic creature. As a result of its excellent world-building and storytelling, this techno-thriller science fiction story is one of Michael Crichton’s most esteemed novels.
Crichton uses detailed dialogue and advanced vocabulary as he explores both realistic and semi-plausible scientific details of an epidemic originating outside of our world. The Andromeda Strain is filled with so many elements that make it a compelling and immersive read, including letters between scientists and government officials, notes from scientific journals, and even computer-generated text-based images of the organism
“Physically, Stone was a thin, balding man with a prodigious memory that catalogued scientific facts and blue jokes with equal facility. But his most outstanding characteristic was a sense of impatience, the feeling he conveyed to every one around him that they were wasting his time… His imperious manner, when added to the fact that he had won the Nobel Prize at an early age, as well as the scandals of his private life– he was four times married, twice to the wives of colleagues– did nothing to increase his popularity.”
The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde
A man trades his soul for eternal beauty. While his body remains youthful and healthy, his portrait decays, bearing the horrific consequences of his actions. In The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890), readers follow Dorian Grey and his portrait artist as he takes advantage of his perpetual youth to navigate through Victorian society, losing his personhood in the name of vanity.
This was Oscar Wilde’s only novel, and his years of experience as a poet and playwright shine through. His beautiful, precise language forms elegant prose, used to develop themes of identity, taking accountability, and the fleeting nature of beauty. Readers love Wilde’s writing style and the complex characters in this acclaimed novel.
“Dorian Gray listened, open-eyed and wondering. The spray of lilac fell from his hand upon the gravel. A furry bee came and buzzed round it for a moment. Then it began to scramble all over the oval stellated globe of the tiny blossoms. He watched it with that strange interest in trivial things that we try to develop when things of high import make us afraid, or when we are stirred by some new emotion for which we cannot find expression, or when some thought that terrifies us lays sudden siege to the brain and calls on us to yield.”
Active Reading: The Key to ELA Tests
Reading in your free time is most effective at improving ELA skills when you read with intention. Active reading helps you improve your reading comprehension abilities, especially ahead of a standardized test. It is the process of staying engaged and understanding written content as you read—to help you read actively, remember these three techniques:
- Reading with purpose. Read through a page with the context of the plot and any comprehension questions in mind.
- Engaging with the text. When something stands out to you in a book, annotate or make a mental note.
- Checking in with yourself. Maintain awareness that you’re focusing on a task and don’t let your mind wander—concentrate on the plot of the story or the information you’re learning.
Active reading will help you stay focused and find the correct answers on test day, so it’s important to practice it ahead of time. As you read, consider the different literary aspects of the text, such as the author’s purpose, the text’s structure/organization, any themes and symbolism, and figurative language. Try to infer what will happen next or what has happened in the past, and see what dialogue conveys about characters’ personalities.
The Digital SAT Reading & Writing section tests students with one brief, paragraph-length passage per question, while the ACT Reading goes the traditional route of long passages presented with groups of questions. Learning how to stay focused on a lengthy passage that can seem intimidating and boring is one of our top tips for ACT reading—it’s imperative to stay concentrated on test day (especially when you have only 35 minutes to read 4-5 passages and answer 40 questions).
Still, by reading with purpose, engaging with the text, and checking in with yourself while you read in your free time, you’re improving your ELA capabilities while preparing for the active reading you’ll do on test day!
Literature to Prepare for Test Prep
Potentially the most enjoyable part of your test prep, reading fiction stories will improve your literary analysis skills while you get accustomed to reading literature similar to what will be on your test.
Novels to Read for SAT Prep
The SAT tests students mostly on English and American literature over 100 years old. This SAT reading list is a collection of captivating and acclaimed reads drawn from what you’re most likely to see on your Digital SAT exam!
Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
One of the world’s most-loved novels, Gulliver’s Travels (1726) details the voyages of Lemuel Gulliver, a surgeon and ship captain. He encounters several magical islands, from towering over people 1/12th his size in a miniature world to being dwarfed in a land of giants and even soaring around a flying island.
On a surface level, Gulliver’s Travels is a fantasy adventure detailing a man’s encounters with whimsical societies; looking deeper, each aspect of this story uses satire and metaphor to explore real-world politics and society. Through each eccentric island, English author Jonathan Swift thematically analyzes and critiques social phenomena, human nature, and politics.
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
When Hester Prynne delivers a baby without being married to the father, she must pin a scarlet-red letter “A” (for “adultery”) to her clothes and wear it for the rest of her life. This is the law in the 1640’s Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony, the setting of acclaimed American author Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter (1850).
When published, this novel was met with immediate and lasting acclaim—Hawthorne explores how morality and religion intersect with law and punishment, a thematic focus that has remained relevant through the present day. Readers appreciate the many hidden meanings and insights throughout the novel, particularly the author’s use of color symbolism and imagery.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
A dramatic revenge story with a cast of destructive, complex characters, Wuthering Heights (1847) was incredibly controversial at its time of publication but is now cemented as a classic work of English literature. Written by Emily Brontë, the sister of Jane Eyre author Charlotte Brontë, it explores the love story between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw and how Catherine’s marriage to another leads to tragedy for the both of them.
Brontë’s storytelling technique utilizes multiple narrators that speak from their memories, involving biases and perspectives that add greater depth and context to the story. Readers love its immersive imagery of the English moors, and they grow attached to characters despite their despicable personalities. This is one of the best books to read for SAT prep due to its clever storytelling and masterful use of literary tools—a perfect read for anyone looking to devour a dark, unique classic during their test prep journey.
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
In Gilded Age New York City, upper-class society is constrained by conformity—those who involve themselves in scandal risk exclusion. In The Age of Innocence (1920), Newland Archer is preparing to marry the sheltered May Welland. This socially desirable pairing is put at risk when Newland encounters Countess Ellen Olenska, Mary’s intriguing, unconventional cousin.
This novel is one of the most prominent reads from the roaring 20’s, exhibiting a classic love triangle in which our protagonist must choose between social standards and his true feelings. Not unlike Jane Austen’s writing, Edith Wharton critiques upper class society and the conventions of this glittery era in The Age of Innocence.
Plays and Poetry to Read for SAT Prep
The literary passages you’ll encounter on the SAT also include excerpts from select plays and poetry to test your rhetoric and comprehension abilities. Together with the books to read for SAT prep above, the poetic and dramatic works featured below are some of the most impactful English and American writing, aligned with the types of works featured on the exam.
Harlem Shadows by Claude McKay
A prominent poet in the Harlem Renaissance, Claude McKay largely wrote about life as a black man in America and Jamaica, where he was born. His poetry draws on traditional poetic conventions, rather than modernist styles growing in popularity during his time.
In particular, Claude McKay often used the old-fashioned sonnet to convey his ideas—such as in “If We Must Die”, one of the most well-known poems in Harlem Shadows (1922). One of the first books published out of the Harlem Renaissance, McKay’s first poetry collection reflects on the complexity of racial identity and his experience missing Jamaica while in boisterous, lively New York City.
Othello by William Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s prolific playwriting solidifies him as one of the greatest writers in human history. While he produced many comedies, high schoolers are probably more familiar with his tragedies, like Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet. Othello, written in 1603 but published posthumously, is considered one of his greatest tragedies.
Set in Venice and Cyprus in the midst of a war, the play follows Othello and Iago, a military commander and his spiteful subordinate. Because a different officer was promoted in his stead, Iago exploits Othello’s recent, forbidden marriage to plot against him. Othello is a captivating read, full of potent themes of jealousy, patriarchy, and racism, following complex characters that make decisions with devastating consequences.
Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
A collection of poems that American writer Walt Whitman spent much of his life writing and rewriting, Leaves of Grass (1855) is one of the most influential works of American poetry. As a transcendentalist, Whitman’s poems are imbued with appreciation of nature and a focus on the goodness of humanity.
Often called the “father of free verse”, Whitman strived to develop a poetic style appealing to everyday Americans—as opposed to traditionally form-focused poetry that follows strict rhyme schemes and content rules. From “I Hear America Singing” to “Song of Myself”, Leaves of Grass includes many of Whitman’s most memorable poems and more—reading through and analyzing them is an enriching experience that will also help you prepare for Digital SAT questions about poetry and figurative language.
What to Read for ACT Reading Prep
In contrast to the SAT’s older, out-of-copyright reading passages, the ACT tends to use more contemporary fiction in its reading test, with a focus on memoirs and coming-of-age stories. This ACT reading list features reads similar to the subject matter and literary style that you’ll see on a typical ACT exam.
Solito by Javier Zamora
If you’d be interested in a gripping memoir that tugs at readers’ heartstrings, you should pick up this next feature. A true account of nine-year-old Javier Zamora’s trek to migrate into the United States and reunite with his family, Solito (2022) describes the arduous 3,000-mile journey from El Salvador to cross the U.S. border.
Follow Javier as he makes this harrowing journey as a young child in a group of migrating strangers and a coyote hired to lead the way. While he finds himself undergoing frightening hardships, he faces them and retells his story with a childlike innocence, giving himself strength with courage, humor, and hope. Zamora’s background as a poet allows him to convey the emotional depth of this story in a beautiful, poignant way.
For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
The ACT tends to test on contemporary fiction, so this feature is emblematic of the oldest types of passages you’ll encounter. One of the most esteemed American authors, Ernest Hemingway is known for his simple, refined writing style and compelling narratives. For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940) takes place during the Spanish Civil War, where protagonist Robert Jordan is tasked with destroying a major bridge.
Hemingway takes you on a journey with Jordan’s guerilla unit of compelling characters as they endeavor on their mission. His precise use of diction and detailed characterization develops an immersive, impactful story that will stay with you long after you finish the last page.
The Cartographers by Amy Zhang
After struggling with depression her senior year of high school, Ocean Sun’s acceptance to a prestigious New York City university signposts a change for the better. However, things change when she decides to defer the semester—without telling her mother. In The Cartographers (2022), follow Ocean as she finds roommates, a job, and a friend group… only for her new life to turn on its head around the time she goes home for Thanksgiving.
The characters of this novel, like students preparing for college admissions, are all cartographers, gradually drawing maps for their futures. Perhaps the most contemporary novel in this collection, this coming-of-age story captures the complex feelings of teens growing into adults, facing college and adulthood while navigating friendships and romance.
Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
Another heartbreaking memoir about children forced to grow up too early (like Solito), Angela’s Ashes (1996) follows Frank McCourt’s childhood in Ireland, grappling with poverty, religion, and the alcoholism of the adults around him. McCourt eloquently recollects the everyday struggles of his childhood, describing his work to support his family while dreaming of returning to the United States, where he was born.
This coming-of-age memoir is now considered a modern classic. McCourt conveys the distressing subject matter with authentic excitement, forgiveness, and humor, and the descriptive, first-person narration masterfully illustrates the ambiance of Limerick, Ireland. The ACT literature passages are likely to ask about point of view, themes, and inference, which this immersive story will help you improve your understanding of—especially if you use active reading strategies.
Points of View: An Anthology of Short Stories by James Moffett and Kenneth R. McElheny
The ACT (and SAT) will have several questions asking about points of view, perhaps even presenting pairs of contrasting passages. Reading novels with changing narrators or an anthology of different stories is a great way to prepare for these types of questions. Points of View: An Anthology of Short Stories (1956, revised 1995) is a perfect example, in which editors James Moffett and Kenneth R. McElheny compiled 44 short stories from great writers in literary history.
Points of View has a particular focus on the way perspective shapes a story, which makes it an excellent way to become familiar with POV. From Edgar Allen Poe to Margaret Atwood, this collection includes the best-of-the-best when it comes to literature. Thus, it’s also a great avenue to introduce yourself to acclaimed authors you haven’t read before.
Nonfiction Books to Prepare for Reading Tests
Many questions on both the SAT and ACT will test you on expository or persuasive texts. While reading news and opinion articles on the web can help you prepare for the tests’ nonfiction passages, these nonfiction books to read for SAT and ACT prep are representative of the types of nonfiction reading you’ll do on the test.
The Victorian Internet by Tom Standage
The invention and proliferation of the internet revolutionized global communications, but it wasn’t the first time where communication became so widespread. In The Victorian Internet (1998), journalist Tom Standage argues that the telegraph communications system of the Victorian era (around 1840–1900) was just as complex and available to the masses.
Thanks to the 1860’s installation of telegraph cables across the world, individuals were able to communicate across thousands of miles. This gave rise to forums, chats, virtual romances, and secret messaging like the ones we have in our digital age. The ACT and SAT both include passages about technology that require you to read through technical language and understand an author’s argumentation, which The Victorian Internet will help you prepare for!
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
In Thinking, Fast and Slow (2011), psychologist and Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman explores how our brains think, describing the two systems that drive the way we think: System 1, fast-paced, emotion-driven thinking; and System 2, slower, more deliberate thinking. He takes the reader on a tour of human decision-making, including biases and fallacies, the over- and under-estimations we make, and how to make better, more well-informed choices.
This is one of the best books to read for SAT and ACT nonfiction reading prep, as both exams frequently feature texts about sociology and psychology. Kahneman includes technical descriptions and uses real-world examples to develop his arguments in Thinking, Fast and Slow, so you’ll become familiar with parsing through dense texts and dissecting rhetorical arguments.
Why We Cook by Lindsay Gardner
Like we mentioned earlier, the ACT and SAT will both ask questions about point of view and opposing opinions. Reading articles about different opinions of issues you’re interested in can help you prepare for this, and so can reading a collection of essays by various authors. In Why We Cook, Lindsay Gardner assembles a collection of personal essays that celebrate the achievements of women in the culinary world.
Each essay colorfully describes its author’s distinct, personal relationship with food and cooking in eloquent prose. It also includes recipes and Q&As with professional chefs, so be prepared to expand your own cooking knowledge! To improve your ACT reading preparedness, pay close attention to the similarities and differences between each author’s contribution.
How to Prepare for the SAT and ACT Reading/English
We hope you found a handful of stories that piqued your interest out of these books to read for SAT and ACT prep! Reading in your free time is the best way to supplement your college admissions test prep, especially when the books are similar to what you’ll encounter on the exam.
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