Reading Profile
To call me an avid reader seems to be a bit of an understatement. I am usually reading 3-4 things at a time, some of them audiobooks that I listen to as I travel for my job. Since joining Goodreads I have kept track of the books I’m reading and have read 100+ books a year. To see me loose in a bookstore is a terrifying thing, and when working at the library I can bring home so many books I cannot possibly read them all. These are things I struggle with and sometimes think I should start a book-lovers anonymous group to cope with. Last year I read several great books I wouldn’t have normally picked up thanks to completing Materials for Youth and being exposed to more middle-grade titles.
Genres that I read for pleasure typically include:
- Literary Fiction
- Magical Realism
- LGBTQ, Native, & Diverse Voices
- Dystopian/Futuristic/Apocalyptic
- Fantasy & Mythology Retellings
- Poetry
I read adult and YA titles and authors, and enjoy both, tending to pick titles based on my interest in their story versus their age or genre categorization. As our text, The Reader’s Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction notes, “We are living in a post-genre period,” and I, like many other readers I know and have advised in past, are less religiously tied to reading specific genres than whatever piques our interest (J. Saricks, N. Wyatt, p. xvi). Still, I find myself most frequently picking Literary Fiction and Magical Realism because I tend to like modern stories with interesting and complex characters, and find these stories have plots that intrigue me and keep me turning pages. I am a writer as well, and for me, characterization is the most important aspect of connecting with readers. I tend to choose titles that have LGTBQ, Native and diverse voices because I feel like those stories tend to have those complex characters. For me, dystopian, fantasy, and even thriller and/or romance books are sort of brain candy, and I read them when I come across something tempting, or funny, but I don’t usually seek them out.
My favorite books list is quite long but includes:
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betsy Smith
- The Love Machine by Jacqueline Susann
- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
- The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami
- Sacré Bleu: A Comedy d’Art by Christopher Moore
- The Complete Poems of Anne Sexton by Anne Sexton
- The Night of the Iguana by Tennessee Williams
- The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
- You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me by Sherman Alexie
Authors I will NEVER say NO to:
- Margaret Atwood
- Haruki Murakami
- Christopher Moore
- Sherman Alexie
- Isabel Allende
- Garth Nix
References:
Saricks, J. G., & Wyatt, N. (2019). The Readers Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction: Third Edition. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.
Hi Blair! I am so happy to have another class with you! I am always amazed when I see how many books you read on Goodreads and you have given me some great titles to add to my "to-read" list! I also found a lot of books in Materials for Youth that I enjoyed that I personally would have never thought to pick up before! I have tried to read Margaret Atwood in the past and couldn't get into it. Which book would you recommend if I were to give it another shot? :)
ReplyDeleteHey Shelby! It's great to have another class with you as well! I loved Materials for Youth because I don't typically read Middle-Grade and it was great getting more titles and authors from that category under my belt. I honestly think I have a reading obsession, and it surprises me that there have been years when I've only read 10-12 books and now I can't stop reading.
ReplyDeleteI can totally understand that Margaret Atwood can be hard to get into because so much of what she writes is abstract. You could try Penelopiad or Hag Seed which are both retellings, though, honestly Hag Seed might be easier to read unless you like Greek tragedy. Also, Stone Mattress is a great short story collection from her as well. Look forward to reading more with you this semester!
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was the first book I read for school that I truly loved. What a timeless story. I have been making an effort to inject my reading with more diverse voices. I'm looking forward to reading your annotations to see if I come across any recommendations! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteKudos to you for being able to read multiple books at a time! My brain won't allow it. :) Literary fiction is my favorite, too, but I haven't read much magical realism at all. I should try to put more on my list-- maybe I'll start with some of your recommendations!
ReplyDeleteI just read a Tree Grows in Brooklyn last year because it was on the PBS Great American Reads list. I was wonderful! Great profile!
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed with anyone that can keep up with more than one book at a time! I typically have to focus on one at a time, although I don't count the books I ready to my kids out loud. They are in middle school and still love to pick out novels for mom to read to them.
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