I teach a weekly literature class for grades 9-12 as part of our homeschool co-op. Here’s this week’s assignment, which I developed 4 years ago in response to a student’s complaint: “Why do we have to read this stuff? Why can’t we just read whatever we want?” The answers were fascinating. Eager to hear what my students share today!
Part 1: List the 10 books that you’ve read in your life (whether by choice or for a school assignment, recently or long ago) that you most enjoyed or liked, and explain why you enjoyed each book. (1-2 sentences of explanation per book will be enough, but you may write up to a paragraph if you really have a lot to say.)
Part 2: List the 10 books you would most want to read if you could read whatever you wanted to, without having to consider school-assigned reading, and explain why you want to read each book. (1-2 sentences or up to a paragraph per book)
Now it’s your turn! You don’t have to list 10, but I’d love to hear about your favorite books and what books you’d like to read. Please leave a comment and share this post with your friends!
Mary Jo
My daughter’s answer would b e 10 different anime books. She LOVES anime. She reads it, watches it, sings Japanese songs, and writes fan fiction. She squeezes in other books every now and then, thank goodness.
Joyfully,
Jackie
MJ, I can’t believe you’re really asking me for this much hot air! Here goes:
Books I’ve read:
A Tuscan Childhood: the castle. I love the castle. I’ve read it 3 times in about 8 years, and I never tire of her descriptions of childhood in an Italian fortress, of the locals, the garden atop the battlements, and her eccentric parents. And her style is smooth as silk.
Gifts of the Child-Christ (MacDonald): Again, his style is refined and rich, and his locations are compelling. I’m thinking particularly of “The Gray Wolf,” my favorite, but others are also good.
Last Chronicle of Barset: I love all Trollope, but this is my favorite. I usually fall for location or characters, but the plot in this one is so painfully heart-wrenching that I return to it. Rev. Crawley’s undeserved social torture is impossible to endure, except we know Trollope will save him in the end (in spite of himself).
Green Dolphin Street: This is a recent addition, and I’m still waiting to see if it’s a keeper, a book whose soul haunts one and keeps whispering its secrets again and again. It’s a long tale, over decades, and I love the island as a location.
Robinson Crusoe: What a testimony of faith and conversion! And the suspense of what he’ll find on the island is fun.
Jane Eyre: Haven’t read it since high school, but again the book as a whole entity (setting, character, plot, style) has remained in my mind like a person I’ve met and can’t forget. I liked the idea of the slightly repugnant male hero.
Country of the Pointed Firs: another repeat, about 3 times. Jewett is a master of rich scenery, local color, and winsome characters. Her style is gentle and soothing.
Beowulf: Just love it. Every time I teach it I dive back into Old English and want to master it.
Well-Trained Mind: Please forgive me for including such a practical tome, but I couldn’t homeschool without it. Essential, to me.
Middle House: Pardon the shameless praise of my own kids’ book, but I really like it, and like others, its story and theme remain in my mind, demanding to be told. Now if I could just get someone besides my own kids to feel that way!
What I want to read:
I don’t know how to answer this. There are many books that I feel I ought to read, but that doesn’t mean I want to 🙂 Honestly, the books I’ve wanted to read, I’ve generally read. Exceptions might be ones that I can’t find yet, like the Angela Thirkell novels that the public library doesn’t have.
Hmmm…good questions! Probably don’t have time to do this but will share a couple of favorites but then I have to run and look up some I’m not familiar with that Mary Kathryn mentioned above!
Books I have Read, Loved, and made an impact on me:
1. A Story Like the Wind and its sequel A Far off Place by Laurens Van derPost. Hard to find but usually available used on Amazon. (Don’t bother with the movie – really has nothing to do with the book!) The author grew up in Africa and although these books are fictional there is much truth in them. Beautifully written, powerful stories, unforgettable characters. If I could have a favorite book (well two books in this case) it would have to be these.
2. LOTR. Really, what can I say that hasn’t already been said.
3. A Wrinkle in Time. Read this in the 6th grade – my first intro to anything remotely fantasy/sci-fi and was completely hooked. LOVE Meg. Again, very strong characters and multiple layers of story make this a forever favorite.
4. Jane Eyre. I don’t really know why I love this book so much…
5. LOVE Great Expectations. Dickens. (Strongly disliked The Pickwick Papers, in fact, couldn’t finish it. One of maybe 3 I couldn’t finish.)
6. Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco. Strong story line but if nothing else, read it for the vocabulary! I read it with a dictionary by my side – fairly rare for me.
7. Alberto Manguel – the Library at Night. Non-fiction. Essays. Mesmerizing.
8. Working my way through Jorge Luis Borges Collected Fictions, not ready to make a statement yet.
9. I LOVE non-fiction as well. The Family that COuldn’t Sleep by D.T. Max and also
10. This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel Levitin and
11. Shakespeare by Bill Bryson (fabulous!)
12. From Southern fiction like The Ponder Heart by Eudora Welty to
13. Fantasy? like “Thud” by Terry Pratchett (brilliant work on prejudice by the way and very funny to boot)
14. POETRY. LOTS OF POETRY> too much too mention. Books on writing about writing and writing writing…
15. THE BIBLE. Period. Listed Last but for the most impact on my life – it is hands-down the best. Also great for poetry 🙂
Book I cannot finish:
My Antonia – will someone tell me WHY i NEED to read this book and why I can’t get past the second chapter??
Book I loathed: Tess of the D’urbervilles! ick. double ick. yawn.
Oh dear, I have to stop! But really…so many have shaped who I am and who I wish to become.
List of books to read? Longer than the list I have read already. I will never run out of reading material! Lots of classics, modern, foreign, fiction, non, I even love to read the dictionary.
Hope this is useful to someone 🙂
Gone With the Wind- Have read it a few times and will probably read it again.
The Agony and the Ecstasy- I love Italy and this is a great history lesson about how it might have been.
Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself by Melody Beattie- Started me on a road to a healthy self
Boundaries by Townsend and Cloud- Another good book to become more healthy emotionally.
The Holy Bible- Of course. : )
Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind by Joyce Meyer- more self-help.
I am sure there are many more that will come to my mind later, but those stick out.
I have a huge stack of to be read books both “real” books and audio books. I am reading The Devil in White City right now.
I love books! So if I hear about it and it interests me, I want to read it now! That is why my pile is so huge. Thank God for paperbackbookswap.com.