Ok so I wasn't very off on my number. I've read 16 out of 111 books toward my goal. Here they are (in order of how I read them too!)
1. "Fearless" by Francine Pascal
Okay so I first read this book my sophomore year in high school. It's now my sophomore year in college. I'll admit to everyone it's a bit too childish for a college kid's reading level. But something about Gaia and her story just draws me in. I re-read it this year because I 1) moved to a bigger city which means that 2) there's a better bookstore and 3) I somehow managed to read extracurricular books and still pull off a 4.0!! Hurrah for me! Anyway, to anyone who has never experienced Francine Pascal's Gaia Moore, they need to at least read the original, first, "Fearless." If you can stop after the first, you have more self discpline than I do.
2. "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" by Harriet Jacobs.
This book--along with about eleven others--was part of the required text for my Honors American Lit class last spring (a class I made an A in!) But I read it cover to cover (skimming is cheating!) so I get to count it on my list. I'm not a very emotional reader. I don't cry at every sad part in a book. I did not cry during this book, but crying is a sign of weakness and so I try and avoid it at all cost. Normal people will probably cry. It is a very moving book about slavery and the trecherous trek a slave attempts to make to win their freedom. If you've never read a slave narrative, this is the one you should start with. It's so well written it will leave you itching for more--especially with the era-cliche "Reader, I..." ending.
3. "Fearless 2: Sam" by Francine Pascal
Like I said, if you can stop after the first one, you're more self-disciplined than I.
4. "Fearless 3: Run" by Francine Pascal.
This is one of my favorites. If you have read the first two you HAVE to read this one. I LOVE the scene between Gaia and Ed in the school hallway. Ha! Now that I've brought up a specific scene you HAVE to read it. Aren't I brilliant?
5. "Fearless 4: Twisted" by Francine Pascal
No comments. I've been sucked into this series like soda up a straw.
6. "Fearless 5: Kiss" by Francine Pascal
I wanted to read this a.) because I'm addicted to Fearless momentarily and b) for the title. I'm into anything that's "love story-ish".
7. "Fearless 6: Payback" by Francine Pascal
There are like, thirty of these books. How can you write thirty books about the same thing? Why not just combine it and make a mega-novel?
8. "As I Lay Dying" by William Faulkner
Another required for American Lit but this one is...interesting. It's written in what's called a "Stream of Consciousness". I would recommend it simply so you can experience reading a book that is written the way people think-hence a 'stream of consciousness'.
9. "Howl and Other Poems" by Allen Ginsberg
Isn't it funny how I like all these poets that are inspired by Whitman, yet Whitman himself I cannot bear to finish his book?? Ginsberg is good, I'll just tell you that. He was a revolutionary and this book was very controversial in his day. It was almost banned from America. And any book that's almost been banned from American is a book that needs to be read.
10. "What My Mother Doesn't Know" by Sonya Sones
Ok, so my Mom actually read this years before I did, and I put off reading it because she wasn't very pleased with it (probably because she didn't want the title giving me any ideas). But now I've read it and I have to say it is PREDICTABLE! I knew from like the third poem how the ending was going to play out. That doesn't mean I didn't absolutely adore the story though (It's a love story--an absolutely sweet, well written, heart-melting love story). The book is set up poem-style, and it takes maybe two hours to read, but it is definately worth it.
11. "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher
I cannot sing enough praises of this book. I think EVERYONE needs to read this book--not just because it is one of the most well written and thought out books with an original plotline--but because it really makes you think about how your actions, no matter how insignificant they may be to you, can really impact someone. Jay Asher also has this amazing way of getting into the mind of a teenage girl in a way I would never have imagined a man could. He is a truly gifted and talented writer and I hope that I see more books from him. This book make me cry incessantly. It is definately a book I want to buy (I read it while my Mom shopped at Walmart a chapter each time we went for groceries, and then eventually I borrowed it from the library). I want Jay Asher to sign my book, and then I want to read it again, and cry all over again. In fact, I might want to cry now just thinking about it. Hannah Baker will live forever in the hearts of everyone who reads her story. When I'm a college professor one day, I will chose this book as a required reading. People need to be aware of the snowball effect.
12. "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf" by Ntozake Shange
This book is interesting, but didn't really have an impact on me until I read crystal and beau willie's story near the end, which is told by the Lady in Red.
13. "Generation Dead" by Daniel Waters
Although a dissapointment from my hyped up expectations from wanting to read this since high school, I still enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the rest of the series.
14. "The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner" by Stephenie Meyer
I read all the the Twilight Saga BEFORE THE MOVIES WERE EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT!!! I AM A TRUE TWILIGHT FAN, NOT A WANNA BE LIKE THESE TWILIGHT MOVIE FANS ARE. TWILIGHT WAS A WORK OF LITERARY GENIOUS UNTIL THE FILM INDUSTRY RUINED IT FOR THE LITERATURE SOCIETY. NOW INSTEAD OF BEING CELEBRATED FOR THE WORK OF WONDER IT IS, IT IS BEING SCOFFED AT!!! and ok, the sparkling vampires don't help, but at least it's a unique alterative to burning in sunlight....
15. "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven" by Sherman Alexie
A collection of short stories that all seem to revolve around the same people so it's sort of like and out of order book. It's very unique....also did you know that tonto and tonta are Spanish for silly?
16. "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman
This man is a god himself. Perfectly written, beautifully creative. My only wish is that Laura....oops! I'm not one to ruin endings.
No comments:
Post a Comment