skrouhan juggles more than she can handle!
Talk 2016 Category Challenge
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1skrouhan
Hello, hello! I’m back, and ready to try again… after failing miserably last year during my first category challenge! I started out strong, but once I began my Master’s program in the fall, my “fun” reading fell to the wayside. I’m hoping to tailor my challenge to incorporate those mandatory readings, in addition to the books I hope to read in 2016.
This year, I plan to have 9 books in 9 categories (2+0+1+6 = 9). My categories are as follows:
1. Book Club Selections
2. Young Adult Books
3. From my TBR List
4. From my own Library
5. Award Winners
6. New-to-Me Authors
7. Best Books of 2015
8. Recommended by…
9. “Hot off the Press” New Books
Last year I ambitiously attempted to discuss every book I read on my thread. I know this is going to be too much for me to handle this year in addition to my schoolwork… but I’ll try to jot down some quick thoughts for you as I go!
This year, I plan to have 9 books in 9 categories (2+0+1+6 = 9). My categories are as follows:
1. Book Club Selections
2. Young Adult Books
3. From my TBR List
4. From my own Library
5. Award Winners
6. New-to-Me Authors
7. Best Books of 2015
8. Recommended by…
9. “Hot off the Press” New Books
Last year I ambitiously attempted to discuss every book I read on my thread. I know this is going to be too much for me to handle this year in addition to my schoolwork… but I’ll try to jot down some quick thoughts for you as I go!
2skrouhan
Book Club Selections
This will be an easy category for me to fill, as I run a book club group at the library where I work. We meet once a week, and discuss all different genres.
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This will be an easy category for me to fill, as I run a book club group at the library where I work. We meet once a week, and discuss all different genres.
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3skrouhan
Young Adult Books
I expect this category will also be easy to fill, as I'm taking a Resources for Young Adults class for my Master's degree. A majority (if not all) of these books will probably end up being assigned reading for this class.
1. Looking for Alaska by John Green - FINISHED 1/1/16
This was (shockingly) my first time reading a book by John Green. I knew he was a good writer, so there was no surprise when I was completely sucked into his narrative. The book is divided into two parts - "before" and "after." I won't ruin it for first time readers, but it's a pretty intense read. I'm surprised I haven't heard more about this title, and would absolutely recommend it to even non-YA readers.
2. Forever by Judy Blume - FINISHED 1/4/16
So, I understand why the professor chose to include this book in our class, as it's incredibly descriptive and uniquely situated as a sex education book. If you are looking at a book aimed at teens 16-18 that addresses the less romanticized parts of sex, this is a great title (although slightly outdated, published in the 70s). However, because this is clearly the point of this book, it has very little actual content outside of experiencing first love and sex. I wouldn't recommend it unless you are looking for a book that addresses these concepts. Unfortunately, because it is so outdated, it isn't quite relevant to today's teens, either.
3. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger - FINISHED 1/10/16
I am almost embarrassed to admit, this was my first time reading this classic. It was nothing like what I thought it would be, but I did enjoy it quite a bit. I will say this is one of those titles that makes you wonder why exactly it is considered a classic, and if anyone has any insight I'd love to hear it. The language really made me laugh (I mean, to tell the truth, everyone's a phony and all, and old Holden is quite a dirty bastard...) and it was pretty enjoyable, even though the majority of the story takes place in Holden's thoughts and narrative.
4. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness FINISHED 2/5/16
Oh good god... HOW have I not heard of this book before now?!? I opened the cover knowing absolutely nothing about this story, and was totally blown away. This is a quick read (I did it in one sitting, and can't imagine anyone putting it down), and by the end, I was an emotional mess. Very, very well done, and highly recommended.
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I expect this category will also be easy to fill, as I'm taking a Resources for Young Adults class for my Master's degree. A majority (if not all) of these books will probably end up being assigned reading for this class.
1. Looking for Alaska by John Green - FINISHED 1/1/16
This was (shockingly) my first time reading a book by John Green. I knew he was a good writer, so there was no surprise when I was completely sucked into his narrative. The book is divided into two parts - "before" and "after." I won't ruin it for first time readers, but it's a pretty intense read. I'm surprised I haven't heard more about this title, and would absolutely recommend it to even non-YA readers.
2. Forever by Judy Blume - FINISHED 1/4/16
So, I understand why the professor chose to include this book in our class, as it's incredibly descriptive and uniquely situated as a sex education book. If you are looking at a book aimed at teens 16-18 that addresses the less romanticized parts of sex, this is a great title (although slightly outdated, published in the 70s). However, because this is clearly the point of this book, it has very little actual content outside of experiencing first love and sex. I wouldn't recommend it unless you are looking for a book that addresses these concepts. Unfortunately, because it is so outdated, it isn't quite relevant to today's teens, either.
3. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger - FINISHED 1/10/16
I am almost embarrassed to admit, this was my first time reading this classic. It was nothing like what I thought it would be, but I did enjoy it quite a bit. I will say this is one of those titles that makes you wonder why exactly it is considered a classic, and if anyone has any insight I'd love to hear it. The language really made me laugh (I mean, to tell the truth, everyone's a phony and all, and old Holden is quite a dirty bastard...) and it was pretty enjoyable, even though the majority of the story takes place in Holden's thoughts and narrative.
4. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness FINISHED 2/5/16
Oh good god... HOW have I not heard of this book before now?!? I opened the cover knowing absolutely nothing about this story, and was totally blown away. This is a quick read (I did it in one sitting, and can't imagine anyone putting it down), and by the end, I was an emotional mess. Very, very well done, and highly recommended.
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4skrouhan
From my TBR List
So many books, so little time! I'm hoping to get to at least 9 books that I've been itching to read.
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So many books, so little time! I'm hoping to get to at least 9 books that I've been itching to read.
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5skrouhan
From my own Library
I fully acknowledge that I will probably never read every book I own... but at least I can try to cut down on my unread section!
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I fully acknowledge that I will probably never read every book I own... but at least I can try to cut down on my unread section!
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6skrouhan
Award Winners
Pretty self explanatory - books with a shiny sticker on them!
1.Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell - FINISHED 2/13/16
I've been meaning to read this one for a while, and I finally got around to it this week! If you aren't familiar with this whopper of a story, it's a bit of a Romeo and Juliet love story (don't worry, nobody dies at the end). It's definitely a good book, but I'm not as crazy about it as others seem to be. I appreciate the ability to see the situation from both Eleanor and Park's viewpoints, which really adds to the complexity of the story. It wouldn't be as good without them together.
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Pretty self explanatory - books with a shiny sticker on them!
1.Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell - FINISHED 2/13/16
I've been meaning to read this one for a while, and I finally got around to it this week! If you aren't familiar with this whopper of a story, it's a bit of a Romeo and Juliet love story (don't worry, nobody dies at the end). It's definitely a good book, but I'm not as crazy about it as others seem to be. I appreciate the ability to see the situation from both Eleanor and Park's viewpoints, which really adds to the complexity of the story. It wouldn't be as good without them together.
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7skrouhan
New-to-Me Authors
There are a few authors I like to read over and over and over... this category forces me to hear from someone new for a change!
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There are a few authors I like to read over and over and over... this category forces me to hear from someone new for a change!
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8skrouhan
Best Books of 2015
There were so many great books in 2015. This category is for those books that were recommended reads for the year.
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There were so many great books in 2015. This category is for those books that were recommended reads for the year.
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9skrouhan
Recommended by...
Books that are recommended to me by coworkers, family and friends.
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Books that are recommended to me by coworkers, family and friends.
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10skrouhan
"Hot off the Press" New Books
It's important to stay current! This category covers any book published in 2016.
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It's important to stay current! This category covers any book published in 2016.
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11mamzel
Welcome back! I'm glad you're back. Working towards a master's is a reasonable reason for taking a year off. Hope you can stay with us this year with your more tailored approach. I would be interested in hearing your comments on the YA books you read for your course and why they were assigned. I took a course in YA Lit at a community college and they assigned The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier which I thoroughly disliked.
14skrouhan
Thank you everyone! It's good to be back... I always look forward to hearing about new books from your threads, so I look forward to watching your progress as well!
>11 mamzel: I had to read The Chocolate War for this YA class, as well. I remember reading it back in middle school, but what goes on in the book is totally different from how I remember it! It's actually a relatively disheartening book, and I'm surprised it's so well loved.
We have 13 books assigned for the first day of class, which is Jan 12. So far, I've read most of them...
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Seventeenth Summer by Maureen Daly
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Monster by Walter Dean Meyers
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
I'm currently reading Forever by Judy Blume, and still need to catch up on Hatchet by Gary Paulsen and The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger. Then I should be good to go for day one! This class is pretty intensive - we will read another 1-2 books per week for the next 15 weeks.
>11 mamzel: I had to read The Chocolate War for this YA class, as well. I remember reading it back in middle school, but what goes on in the book is totally different from how I remember it! It's actually a relatively disheartening book, and I'm surprised it's so well loved.
We have 13 books assigned for the first day of class, which is Jan 12. So far, I've read most of them...
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Seventeenth Summer by Maureen Daly
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Monster by Walter Dean Meyers
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
I'm currently reading Forever by Judy Blume, and still need to catch up on Hatchet by Gary Paulsen and The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger. Then I should be good to go for day one! This class is pretty intensive - we will read another 1-2 books per week for the next 15 weeks.
15thornton37814
I'm pretty sure that The Chocolate War was one of the books assigned for a YA class when I took it years ago. I won't say how many that was. Hatchet was also one of the ones we read, and it was one of our favorites. If I remember the set-up correctly for our class, we had one assigned for each week and also read one other book per week from a list. It totaled 30 books, I think.
16mamzel
>14 skrouhan: It's good to see they have some more modern books.
17skrouhan
>15 thornton37814: I'm glad to see your class loved Hatchet! I'll be reading that one tonight.
>16 mamzel: I think the professor of this course is attempting to give a historical, big picture overview of young adult literature, hence the inclusion of both older and more modern titles. I certainly appreciate having the newer books as assigned reading, and there are a few titles on my TBR list that are on the syllabus!
In other news, I finished Forever by Judy Blume and Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.
>16 mamzel: I think the professor of this course is attempting to give a historical, big picture overview of young adult literature, hence the inclusion of both older and more modern titles. I certainly appreciate having the newer books as assigned reading, and there are a few titles on my TBR list that are on the syllabus!
In other news, I finished Forever by Judy Blume and Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.
18paruline
>3 skrouhan:I will say this is one of those titles that makes you wonder why exactly it is considered a classic, and if anyone has any insight I'd love to hear it
I never studied it but based on discussions with other people, I think the classic status comes in part because of the different responses readers have to the story. For example, some of my friends who read it in their teens identified strongly with Holden. I read it in my thirties, and was irritated by Holden's immaturity and selfishness. Another friend of mine read it for the first time in her fifties, and she told me she felt great compassion for this teenager. Does that make sense?
I never studied it but based on discussions with other people, I think the classic status comes in part because of the different responses readers have to the story. For example, some of my friends who read it in their teens identified strongly with Holden. I read it in my thirties, and was irritated by Holden's immaturity and selfishness. Another friend of mine read it for the first time in her fifties, and she told me she felt great compassion for this teenager. Does that make sense?
