I love Tales of Fourth Grade Nothing. It was the first chapter book I ever read. The only thing I remember from the first grade is reading this book. It also helped me as a person. As a youngest sibling I used Fudge as a guide for how not to act. And *spoilers* he eats the turtle. CLASSIC!
I am all about future books. I guess I like to read about the decay and absurdity of future society, or maybe it's just to hope that things really don't turn out this way. In any case, if you're into books about the future, read The Giver. It is a YA book, but aren't all good books YA books these days? I read this book in high school. I still get chills at the idea of a society where love and individuality are silly, antiquated, and un-needed and death is nothing more than a tool to unburden society.
I read this book in college. I actually pulled it out of a trash can. Someone had thrown it away. My first thought was, "Are they crazy? This has a textbook sticker on it! I'm so trading it in at the bookstore." My second thought was, "It's short. I like to read. And I don't want to study for economics, so I'll read this instead." I'm glad I did. It is a short book, about one day in the life of an innocent man in a Soviet prison camp. Nothing extraordinary happens in the book, just the description of the day to day life and survival of someone living in an unjust situation. Parts of it, extreme punishments and downright cruelty by officials, are shocking. The author of this book spent 9 years in a Soviet Labor Camp for writing a derogatory sentence about Stalin in a letter. Oh yeah, I failed my Economics test.
This is the best.vampire.book.ever. Sorry, Edward, but it's true. And don't watch the movie because it doesn't do this book justice. First of all, this book scared the pants off of me. Seriously. The night I finished it I stayed up late. Hubs was in bed and I was too scared to get off the couch and walk to the bedroom. Second, it's very well written and in the format of letters and journal entries, so it's an escape from the normal narrative of a book. You get to see the stories from the points-of-view of multiple characters. Dracula is a true villain. There's no sympathy for him, no excuses, he's just a villain, and a scary one at that. The book is wonderful. Read it.
Back to the Young Adult/Future Fiction shelf. I'm including both books because they're a seamless continuation of one story. I'm not sure why they're out of order in the picture. Hunger Games is first, so read it first, or you'll be muy confused. I love these books because, first of all, the savior is a GIRL! And she's strong and she's revolutionary, but she's relatable. She has weaknesses (glaring ones) and insecurities just like any other girl. She has reservations about being the spearhead of a revolution against unjust government, but she knows she has to take responsibility at the same time. She can use a bow and arrow (so can I!). And she can use them well (I can't!). And she has two men falling all over themselves for her attentions. Peeta, who I love, and Gale. I hate his face. Anyway, Peeta's name makes me giggle because it reminds me of the first book on this list. Coolness points to anyone who can tell me what it reminds me of. Haymitch reminds me of half of my relatives. I devoured both of these books when I read them. Then Lauren and I e-mailed today about whether or not Katniss would pick Peeta or Gale. I assured her that Katniss would pick Peeta. Then I started doubting myself and ate half a box of Family Size Crunch-n-Munch. This is what you do to me, Suzanne Collins. Finish the third book, please.What are some of your favorite books?
