Reading Profile
I can't recall a time in life that I didn't love reading. When I was in grade school I used to stay up late reading with a flashlight reading. I distinctly remember reading and rereading Robert Clyde Bulla's The Ghost of Windy Hill multiple times under the blankets (I'm sure there were others) and then my parents took the flashlights away because apparently I was not a pleasant child to wake up in the mornings (to be fair, I'm also not a pleasant adult to wake up in the mornings).
As of now, I tend to gravitate toward Young Adult books. It's not the only thing I read, but it is what I read most (it's one of the pitfalls of working in the youth services department at a library - sometimes you just get sucked into the vortex!). While I have lots of individual titles I enjoy, if I were to attempt to narrow down my favorite authors, they might include:
- Jenny Lawson
- A.G. Howard
- Maggie Stiefvater
- Kendare Blake
- Leigh Bardugo
- Ruta Sepetys
- Jodi Picoult
For a long time I didn't think that I like historical fiction at all. FYI - it turns out that the author makes all the difference! Jennifer Donnelly changed my mind completely on the genre of historical fiction. When I read Revolution by her I realized I had been missing so much. Then I read Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein in 2012 and I am still shook. I've read more since then but those two will always hold a special place in my heart (and are immediate recommendations to teen (or YA reading) library patrons for varying genres, but especially historical fiction).
For the most part science fiction is not a huge draw for me. It's not something I gravitate towards (see what I did there? haha) and if it's a huge part of the description it's generally a no-go for me. I'm also not a huge fan of the writing style of Stephen King and Dean Koontz. I did read Dean Koontz's books in high school and liked them, but I've tried in recent years and haven't been able to get into them. I feel it's too much detail, maybe? I like the premise of the stories; I just want someone else to write them.
Nonfiction has slowly been making its way into my reading as well. I'm definitely more of memoir-type reader and enjoy it more if it has humor in it also. I've also found that oftentimes these make for pretty good audio books. (I'm very picky on audio books because I have a lot of trouble focusing on them; I used to only like them for rereads, but I have discovered that as long as the narrator is good, I can stay focused and multitask!)
For the most part I'm willing to give most books a go if someone recommends it to me but I'm also not afraid of setting a book aside if I'm not feeling it or able to get into it at that point in time. I may revisit it later in life (or not), but there is only so much time in my life I have to read and I don't want to give up time I could be really enjoying a book by reading a book I truly am not liking at all.
For the most part I'm willing to give most books a go if someone recommends it to me but I'm also not afraid of setting a book aside if I'm not feeling it or able to get into it at that point in time. I may revisit it later in life (or not), but there is only so much time in my life I have to read and I don't want to give up time I could be really enjoying a book by reading a book I truly am not liking at all.
If you want to know more about me outside of my reading interests, visit the About Me tab! :)
Hello! I also did the flashlight-under-the-covers trick when I was in school. Nothing was going to keep me from finishing the Harry Potter series!
ReplyDeleteI see you like YA already. If you like dystopian fiction at all and want to dip your toes into some sci fi/dystopian novels I really enjoyed Life as We Knew It, Scythe, and Uglies.
Life as We Knew It is told from the point of view of a teenage girl whose family is trying to live after an asteroid knocks the moon out of orbit, causing complete chaos on Earth in the form of volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis.
Scythe is about a supposedly Utopian society that has a seedy side. Because immortality has been reached, the population must be culled periodically. This is done by the Scythes. It's the story of two apprentice scythes who go through the training and discover this "solution" isn't as great as it seems.
Uglies is also about an alleged Utopian society where upon a person's 16 birthday they are given a cosmetic operation and get to live in Pretty Town, where every day is a party. There's more to this operation though, and the protagonist discovers secrets about her society that forever change her life.
For adults, the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a classic. It's more of a humor book with some sci fi thrown in. It's great!
I've read the Uglies series. I was totally creeped out by the idea of a society unilaterally deciding what "pretty" was and making them that way. *shudder* Scythe has been on my TBR list for quite some time and I just haven't gotten to it yet; but I keep meaning to!
DeleteI'll keep the other suggestions in mind! Thanks!
It has been a while since I read YA historical fiction--in fact, the last historical fiction geared towards a younger audience was the American Girl books (esp. the ones by Valerie Tripp). I wonder if they hold up? Do kids still read those? I adored the Molly books.
ReplyDeleteThere is still an audience for the American Girl books! :)
DeleteHello Brandy,
ReplyDeleteIt seems that we differ in both tastes and upbringing when it comes to reading. I did not discover reading until much later in life so I am playing catch up on all the books that I missed out. I have heard really good things about Code Name Verity but haven't gotten around to reading it yet. I also have been getting more into nonfiction but since I consume a lot of my books as audio-books during my long commute to work I sometimes find it difficult to get the non-fiction that I am looking for. I do understand your point about science fiction but I do enjoy the details and if they get too overwhelming I just start to skim a little bit more. What would you say is your favorite book?
Just *one* favorite book? Not possible. And, it changes all the time! ;) But some of my top books are Furiously Happy,The Scorpio Races, Code Name Verity, The Lovely Bones, Six of Crows, Out of the Easy, Ballads of Suburbia, The Replacement... Maybe I should have just linked my 'favorites' list from Goodreads? ;) I have found recently (the last year-ish or more) that I am enjoying a lot more non-ficiton. Think memoir-type non-fiction. AndI have found I like books in audio a lot as well, but the narrator matters immensely (Furiously Happy was amazingly well done, I thought).
DeleteMaybe I'll try your trick of skimming details in books/authors like that and I'll read more of them. I'm probably missing out on a lot of great stories. lol
I just left a Mock Caldecott workshop, and one of the books was called Nothing Stopped Sophie: The Story of Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain (by Cheryl Bardoe, ill. Barbara McClintock). Sophie's parents would take away her candles to stop her from studying (the story is set in the 18th century)!
ReplyDeleteLike you, I'm not a big science fiction fan. I also tend to stay away from thrillers and horror. I don't think I will try horror soon, but I am reading a thriller for next week. I used to read thrillers, but for some reason I am more sensitive to the violence in some of them. Suspense has been my go to genre for several years.
Aw, I love the idea of it dating back that far!!! ♥
DeleteI have found my tastes to change quite a bit with the phases in my life - reading and television wise. Sometimes I can correlate them to something specific and sometimes I can't and I just chalk it up "I've had enough of it for now." :)
Excellent and humorous reading profile, it made me smile. Full points! You also had some great comments on your post. I too read a lot of YA and will always be shook when I think back to my first reading of Code Name Verity. Have you read The Book Thief?
ReplyDelete