{the.book.chat} School Assigned Reading

It seems that I only sporadically participate in book chats, as my last one was so long ago, but here I am again! This week's chat is about school reading assignments, so I'm going to break it into three parts:

- Favorite Assigned Books

- Assigned Books I Never Finished

- Books I Think Should Be Required Reading

Looking back, I really am grateful for assigned reading, because I discovered some great books that I would have probably never read otherwise. Here are some of the ones I am most grateful to have read:

Favorite Assigned Books

  

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

I was assigned this book during 12th grade for AP English, and again during a college British Lit. class. I absolutely LOVE this story, and will probably be reading it again in the near future.

The Cobra Event by Richard Preston

I had a really cool English teacher in 10th grade, and he decided to assign us this cool medical thriller since we were part of a medical magnet program.

Amazonia by James Rollins

This was assigned as extra-credit from one of my favorite teachers - I had her for both Geography and Psychology, so I don't remember 100% what class the credit was for, but I'm thinking it was Geography. It was very cool, with mutated creatures and a guy that got beheaded.

  

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

My 12th grade teacher was the one to introduce me to Shakespeare, and even took us to see a performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream. I enjoyed reading Hamlet so much, I purchased a ticket to see it performed by David Tennant during a study-abroad trip to London! 

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

I will forever be grateful for my 8th grade teacher for converting our entire class into Tolkien fans - she wanted to be 100% certain we actually read this book, so she had us read along with an audiobook version of it during class-time. Then, she showed us the 1st LOTR film in class, and took us on a field trip to see the 2nd one in theaters. She rocked!

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Now my favorite book - my 12th grade English teacher was amazing! Thank you Ms. Ross!

Wow, so many great assigned reading books! I really had some cool teachers over the years....I think that part of why I enjoyed these books so much was that we got some really cool field trips or class discussions because of them. It's great to be able to connect with your peers because of what you're reading!

Assigned Books I Never Finished

 

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

I lost interest somewhere down the line, but I still have my copy and I plan on trying it again.

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

I honestly never even started this one. I think I had too much work at the time (it was senior year), so I just never got around to it. I must have BS'd the assignments for it...

I really can't think of any others at the moment, but I'm sure there are others that I either didn't finish, or didn't start in the first place. I'm not proud of it, but I have been making a mental note to try reading these books again. There's a reason they're considered classics. Maybe they'll go on my list for next year, as I'm hoping to join a classic literature-related year-long reading challenge in January. 

Books That Should Be Required

  

Looking For Alaska by John Green

Because it gets you truly gets you thinking about both life and loss.

feed by M.T. Anderson

I feel this sends a strong message about environmentalism, as well as consumerism, and really gets you thinking about the path that this planet is taking.

Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg

This isn't just about LGBT acceptance, but also about learning to be true to yourself and embrace what makes you different, which is something every student faces.

There are a lot of great books out there that should probably be read by students everywhere, but this is what I narrowed it down to, as the above three books can be considered relate-able to almost anyone. What do you think?

If you're interested in participating in this week's book chat, feel free to link-up with Jessica @ Sweet Green Tangerine. I'm curious to see your choices!

{the.book.chat} Romance Novels - Happy Valentine's Day!

So, in the spirit of Valentine's Day (or Single Awareness Day, in my case), this week's chat is about romance novels. Now, as I've mentioned in a previous post, I don't really tend to read books that are strictly romance, but I do often read books of other genres that have romances in them. My absolute favorite love story, whether in novel or film form, is between Elizabeth Bennet & Mr. Darcy in Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. I just adore the chemistry between those two, and never tire of their story.

 

"In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." - Mr. Darcy

Other Romances I Enjoyed

Aria & Perry (Under The Never Sky)

Ella & Prince Char (Ella Enchanted)

Amy & Poe (Secret Society Girl)

My Top 10 Romances

I truly am a huge fan of the romance genre, but I like to read books from such diverse genres that romances aren't a large percentage of my book choices. I actually think I get most of my romance fix from movies. I've even *gasp* seen a lot of romance films that are based on books without ever reading the novels. Not that I don't plan on reading them in book form, but with everything that's on my TBR, it may take a while.

Here are some of the books I would like to read the most, based on my love for their on-screen versions:

Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

Trust me, there are a TON of others, but those three were the first to come to mind, and they've been on my to-read list for as long as I can remember. I feel I should mention that North and South isn't actually a movie, but a BBC mini-series. If you haven't seen it, it's EPIC, and it's available for streaming on Netflix.

Thanks for stopping by - if you feel like participating in this week's book chat, feel free to make your own post and link-up HERE.

{the.book.chat} Re-Reading Books

I'm just gonna come out and say it: I am a huge believer in re-reading books, and not just once or twice, but over and over again. I mean, of course it really just depends on the book, but I find nothing wrong with immersing yourself in a world as often as you wish. Take Harry Potter, for example. I re-read that series probably more than any other books combined - just about every year or two, depending on if I have the time. And no, I have never grown tired of it, I just happen to love the world Rowling created so much that I want to re-visit it as often as I can.

I also have a guilty-pleasure re-read, which I'm not afraid to admit is the Twilight series. I know the flaws in those books, sure, but I also don't care. I still am a sappy romantic at heart, and Twilight is my third most re-read series, right after Harry Potter and Secret Society Girl (which does not count as a guilty pleasure, as it is pure awesome). I actually re-read the first Twilight book a lot more often than the others, as that series actually just gets weirder as it progresses, leading to a bunch of WTF?! moments scattered in the final book. And while I enjoy the books, please don't mention the movies to me because I absolutely despise them (same for the HP films). As I said, guilty pleasure.

And of course, with so many series coming out, I usually find myself re-reading books just so I can remember what's happened before a sequel is released. If I have to wait a whole year, sometimes more, for the next book to come out, chances are I may not remember the majority of what's going on without re-reading its predecessors (or at least looking up a summary online if I don't have the time, but I prefer re-reads). This is why I have taken such a long hiatus from The Morganville Vampires, a super long series that I made the mistake of taking a break after reading book 8, and now there's a lot I don't remember. I may have to re-read it all (that series has 15 books, people).

My Top 5 Most Re-Read Books

1. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
2. The Secret Society Girl Series by Diana Peterfreund
3. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
4. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
5. The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger

Anywho, I know that many people don't like re-reading books because they can't seem to find the time, or they'd rather read new books, but I am definitely not one of them. For me, re-reading is actually comforting - just like re-watching a beloved movie. So, what do you guys think - do you re-read? Why or why not? Feel free to either comment below, or join us by making your own post and linking up HERE.

{the.book.chat} Short Stories

This week's book chat, hosted by Sweet Green Tangerine and It's The Journey, is all about short stories. While I normally read full-length novels, once in a while I'll read a short story or novella to mix things up a bit. I feel that reading a good short story is a great way to get out of a reading slump, and is also a refreshing read after finishing a truly epic book or series, like Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings - during that short time-frame when you feel as if you can never read again, because you want to stay in the worlds you were previously in. Yup, short stories can help you with that.

My absolute favorite short story is:

Goblin Market 

by Christina Rossetti

So this may technically be a poem, but it's a really long one that tells a short story about two sisters, some goblins, and magical fruit. I love it!

Some of my other favorite short stories include:

I also have a huge love for fairy tales, myths, and legends from all over the world. I enjoy reading the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, and Charles Perrault, amongst others.

So, have you read any of the short stories I mentioned? Which are your favorites? Feel free to join in and link up with the rest of us HERE.

{the.book.chat} What Are You Currently Reading?

This week's discussion is all about what books we are reading, and at the moment, I am reading two books and one novella. They are:

Siege by Rhiannon Frater

Siege is the final book in Rhiannon Frater's As The World Dies trilogy - a zombie series that is all about people who are fighting to survive in a dying world. I absolutely love this series and its' characters! I'm about 31% through this novel (which is longer than the previous books in the series), and I am keeping my fingers crossed that my favorite people make it through....Luckily for me, Frater has also put out a couple of volumes of short stories (soon to be three!) featuring background stories for some of the minor characters in this series. This means that once I finish the trilogy, I get to stay with these peeps a for a little while longer! Yippee!

       * Check out the first book in this trilogy HERE

Through The Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Through The Ever Night is the second book in Veronica Rossi's Under The Never Sky trilogy. Let me tell you, I did not expect to love this series as much as I do! On my kindle, I am exactly 58% through the story, and since I started this series, there has never been a dull moment! I think the reason I love it so much is that it is told from two perspectives: the chapters alternate between the characters Aria and Peregrine, so everything isn't always one sided. I had to put it on pause so that I could read the novella that Rossi wrote on the characters Roar and Liv, as knowing their background will surely play a crucial part in understanding the rest of this book.

       * Check out the first book in this trilogy HERE

Roar and Liv: An Under The Never Sky Story by Veronica Rossi
I've just barely started this novella, so I don't have much to say about it, but I truly adore Roar, so I'm excited about this! I don't really know much about Liv, but if Roar loves her, then she must be pretty cool. I am expecting this to be a quick read, that way I can finish up Through The Ever Night.

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I tried to keep this short, so sorry for not including the synopsis for these books. If you'd like to know more about them, you can read their descriptions on Goodreads by clicking on their pictures above. So, now that I've told you about what I'm reading, I'd like to know what you're reading. Let me know in the comments!

{the.book.chat} Bookish Pet Peeves

 

Wow, it's been a while since I've participated in The Book Chat, but here I am! Today's chat, in addition to being hosted by Sweet Green Tangerine, will also be hosted by Dear Brighton, who came up with today's discussion topic: 

What are some of your bookish pet peeves?

I know that when I'm reading, there are quite a few things that will really bug me. Here's what I can remember off the top of my head:

1. The Mary Sue and her male equivalent, Gary Stu (or sometimes Marty Stu). I just can't stand when characters are portrayed as being nearly perfect or good at everything, as they just don't feel real to me.


2. Insta-love. I just don't believe it. I like when books have romance, but the characters have to have substance to their relationship, such as being friends first or being annoyed by each other but gradually falling in love. Something believable, please!


3. Dog-eared pages. I just don't see why people have to ruin a perfectly good book by folding the page corners when almost anything can function as a book mark. I myself tend to use business cards, as I find them all over.


4. When you can't tell which character said a certain line. Okay, this is rare, but once in a while there will be a book with a conversation involving multiple characters, and at some point something will be said without any clues as to who said it, and it'll piss me off! I know it really isn't that big of a deal, but it really bugs me.


5. When people interrupt me while I'm reading. Self-explanatory, really.


6. When people gush about the movies but refuse to read the book. Or even if they hate the movies and thus refuse to read the book. I can't tell you how many of my friends won't read the HP series, but talk about the movies like they're the best thing ever. Gahhh!!!! Also, my sister is reluctant to read the Hunger Games just because she didn't like the movie. I even bought her a copy of the first book to get her into it, and told her that I thought the movie sucked, too (which I do.)


7. Mass-market paperbacks. I just prefer trade paperbacks or hardcovers. They look prettier.


8. Movie tie-in book covers, or "Now A Major Motion Picture!" This is so annoying - I always prefer the original cover to the movie tie-in covers. And I don't care if it was made into a movie, don't ruin the cover by stamping that across it! I always have to go out of my way to ensure that I buy books with the exact covers that I want them to have.


9. White-washed covers. This means you, Through The Ever Night! Neither Perry nor Roar are white, so why the heck does your cover feature a white Abercrombie male?! Now I have to hold off on purchasing the sequel until a version is released somewhere with an acceptable cover.


10. Rushed endings, or when things are tied-up way too easily. Why go through all the trouble of writing such a great book, just to wrap everything up in a hurried manner? It can really ruin a story for me.

Wow, that's a lot! I think I'll stick with ten, though I'm sure I can come up with more, f I had enough time. So, how about you guys, what are your bookish pet peeves? Please share them in the comments - I'd love to hear them!

{the.book.chat} Printed Books vs. e-Readers

A Meme By Sweet Green Tangerine

Ever since e-readers came out, this debate has brought on much screaming and yelling from both sides of the table. Personally, I have always been a fan of the printed word, and thought that the idea of reading on an e-reader would just feel plain weird. Still, during the start of my senior year of college, I started reading up on the Kindle, and all of the benefits of owning one. The biggest one, to me, was the ease of portability. 

I went to school in San Antonio, lived in El Paso, and spent summers in Austin, so I traveled by plane a lot. Not to mention a semester spent abroad in London, with many weekend trips. I bought books everywhere I went, and it became burdensome to have to buy a book again because I had left my copy at home, or to leave a book behind because it took to much space, etc. So I splurged and treated myself to the Kindle 3 (I think they re-named it somewhere along the line to the Kindle Keyboard) and a simple case (a zipped one, as I like to read with a naked Kindle):

I chose a Kindle because I was already a huge Amazon fan, and also had their free year of Amazon Prime for students. Let me tell you, this was a purchase I did not regret. Reading on my Kindle is so easy to me now, and I always have tons of books with me wherever I go. Of course, I still buy printed books all the time - if I love a book I read on the Kindle, I have to get a physical copy. It's also very comforting to feel a real book in my hands. But the thing is, I really don't see a point in choosing sides. I will always love printed books, but I also love getting to carry around a mini-library with me. 

Plus, the Kindle 3 is perfect for me, because it's meant for reading and nothing more. I don't care for anything with a back-light, because those are bad for your eyes. I also don't need to watch movies or play games on it, because that's what my laptop is for. All I wanted was a device for reading, and that's what I got. And battery life is great - I can go through a couple weeks of reading on it without having to charge it. My only worry is that I fear I may somehow break it - it's so lightweight!

So, what do you guys think? Do you have an e-Reader yourself?

{the.book.chat} My Favorite Author

The Book Chat is a weekly meme hosted by Sweet Green Tangerine on Thursdays. Each week there is a new topic up for discussion, and this week's topic asks "Who is your favorite author?" My answer would have to be this guy right here:

John Green

Why?

I'll tell you why. John Green has not only written some of the most amazing and bestselling books for today's youth (without the need for paranormal creatures or sequels), but he has also been the co-host of the popular YouTube channel, Vlogbrothers, along with his brother, Hank. He is my favorite author because in addition to reading his books, I am also connected to him through his videos, which make me feel as though I actually know him. John Green is not just an author I love, but my friend. I have been watching his videos as they have been released - three times a week since 2007. That's a lot!

I love that he enjoys staying connected to his fans - enough so to start such a large and awesome community of Nerdfighters, and chat with them not only through YouTube, but also through sites like Tumblr and Twitter. Knowing more about how an author is as a person really makes their books more meaningful to me. Not that his books wouldn't be any less awesome if I hadn't seen a Vlogbrothers video, it just helps to know the man behind the words. I mean, Looking for Alaska was the only book I've read that I had to set down because I started crying my eyes out and re-evaluating my life. A book has never made me feel that much before. 

Plus, John Green writes in an engaging way - he has me hanging on to each and every sentence. I always feel for his characters, and while a couple of his novels make me emotional at certain points, he still has this way of always making me laugh out loud - which can be a bit embarrassing if I'm out in public.

Books By John Green

An Abundance of Katherines

The Fault In Our Stars

Let It Snow (also featuring stories by Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle)

Looking for Alaska

Paper Towns

Will Grayson ,Will Grayson (a collaboration with David Levithan)

Zombicorns (a novella)

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While John Green is my absolute favorite author, I do have some other favorites. They are: Charles Dickens, Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Ray Bradbury, and Dean Koontz.