Blog #10: Reading Recs
By: Julia Konopka
For the past three years I have been finding my way back to reading and it has been a slow and long process. I never enjoyed reading because it was always forced on me through schoolwork and I felt no personal joy from reading. I started reading again through Tumblr and I did not expect that to happen and too last so long. I spent about a year reading on and off fanfics online and through Tumblr; I focused on one fandom, Harry Potter. After 4 months of quarantine and spending all of my day laying in bed and reading I decided to gift myself a graduation present, the full set of the Harry Potter books. I’ve seen the movies over winter break so I know what happens but that didn’t disinterest me.
From June 2020 to now, April 2021, I have read 6 books which were: the first three books of the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer, Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman, and We Were Liars by E. Lockhart.
I highly recommend We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, I managed to finish this book in one sitting and it hit the heart string hard. When reading the story you do not expect what comes at the end and I liked that about the book. Be prepared with a box of tissues, your mother nearby to console you, and your bed ready to take a recuperative nap.
I have a very long list on my computer of the books that I want to read and it is only growing. Sometimes I choose books based on the covers and I know never not to judge a book by it’s cover but sometimes they are too cool to pass up. Currently on my reading queue, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K.Rowling, The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, and A Little Life by Hanya Yanaghiara. I have heard many good things about these books and I can’t wait to read them.
I want to know what are y’alls favorite books, along with book recommendations and if you don’t like reading tell us why.
Love this topic, Julia. It's always nice getting book recommendations. Like everyone else, life gets in the way and I find myself going months and months without actually reading. Strange for a writing/lit prof. But it's true. When you do something for a living, the fun gets sucked out of it. I read a lot, but I don't read in the way you describe - which is the best.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting that fan fiction is what got you back in the game. And even better that it was HP! I'm a HP fanatic and would love to re-read the series in the future. Your mention of TGOF - best. Really, though. I technically 'grew up' with the HP series. My 6th grade teacher read us the 1st book out loud shortly after it came out. And by the time I was a sophomore in college, the final book was published. A very cool experience to read them in that way.
Of all the books, TGOF really sticks out in my mind. There's something about that one that is super memorable. Enjoy!
My favorite book of all time the "Diary of the Wimpy Kid". I used to love reading this whenever I was free or even in school too. There are multiple books to this with different topics and scenes. It was a really funny and entertaining book that could give you a laugh and cheer you up anytime. I tried collecting all the books, but I didn't have the chance to get them all and probably later in the future I would try to get them all. I also recommend this, if you haven't read this or know about it.
ReplyDelete-- Kevin Paez
My favorite book that I read so far is "Johnny got his gun" by Dalton Trumbo. It a long story but it shows the thoughts of a WW1 solider in the hospital after being blown up in battle. When quarantine started, I stopped reading for a bit to focus on school and my job. Recently, I just started a new book from my list and I hope I can finish it soon since I been enjoying reading again.
ReplyDelete~Rameek Blake
In the pictures you put up, I actually want to read one of the books which is The Song of Achilles. Another book I want to read is They Both Die at the End. My favorite book at this time is Flowers from 1970. I read the book on Wattpad and it made me sob. It's about a young man who uses an old telephone to communicate with another man who is living 50 years in the past. I recommend you reading this book. For other recommendations on books, I suggest using TikTok since I find most of the books I read from there.
ReplyDelete-Natalie Munoz
I used to like reading when I was a kid, but school kinda ruined it for me too. I also feel like I have very little free time now and I don't want to spend it reading. I do read articles on my phone from time to time, usually about sports.
ReplyDelete-Brianna Torres
The only reading I do is just what's required for English classes and maybe some online articles here and there.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how you've read so many books in just little time. Personally I don't mind reading, if I can find a good book and time. I haven't read a book in a while due to work and school but I do want to start reading again. Some of my favorite books are Feed by Matthew Tobin Anderson, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, and Locomotion Jacqueline Woodson.
ReplyDelete- Jessica Mongare
Like you I never enjoyed reading but it wasn't until I was in 8th grade when I went to a school book fair that I found a book called the Selection. A lot of my friends were recommending it to me and pushing me to get it so eventually I did. That book was my first book I read for fun and eventually I read the whole series which was 4 books. I even read one of them through a wedding because of how interested I was. I just finished reading "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini. I recommend that book but it honestly very gruesome I personally had to take a break from reading it for a while because of how sad it started to make me feel. This story is not for people with faint hearts but it does teach you a lot and it personally made me appreciate my life a lot more.
ReplyDeleteI also quite enjoy the Harry Potter books, but I'm also reading a lot of Shonen manga like "Jujutsu Kaisen" so I think I definitely have a thing for world-building, and imagery. So you don't have those two things in your book then it's going to be hard and difficult for me to follow what going on. But one of my favorite books ever is flipped. A Novel written by Wendelin Van Draanen, world building is simple, but it's the the characters are intricate and well-thought-out even the "villains" of the story. And we get two perspectives of these young impressionable kids one girl one boy, on how and how the decisions they make now will affect their life later on. It's a beautiful story of youth.
ReplyDelete-Oluwakemi Akanle
When I was a kid, I used to love reading so much, but in high school I kind of feel out of reading. I've been wanting to begin reading again but I haven't really found the time. I'm hoping that after the semester is over I can get back to it and find some books I love.
ReplyDelete-Olivia Reina
When I was younger I actually did enjoy reading books but as I've grown older and more methods of experiencing a story have released such as watching TV shows or movies with Netflix, Hulu, etc. I haven't really looked for any new books to read but if I do end up finding some that look interesting I wouldn't mind checking them out.
ReplyDelete-Saul Arias