Reading Profile

I've pretty much been a devourer of books as long as I can remember. So much so that I got competitive about it in elementary school (I'll never forget coming into school in first grade to take my Accelerated Reader test on The Voyages of Dr. Doolittle--which I had been working only for weeks--passing with flying colors, and then being told that I couldn't have the award for most AR points of the year because I surpassed the other girl on one of the last days to take tests that counted. So I got a special award, but not the trophy. Color me upset). It's fair to say I have a book problem, hoarding multiple copies of my favorites, extracting detailed promises from friends and family to treat my loaned books like their prized possessions, and needing months of time to decide to cull any books from my shelves.

However, I think this all translates to passion! I've run a young adult book review blog for almost seven years and I'm the children's lead at my local Barnes & Noble, so there are a lot of books floating about me. Needless to say, Olga Nesi's article "It's All About Text Appeal" felt so familiar to me and what I find at my job. It's like pulling teeth trying to find something a kid will like when they don't know how to tell you what they want, but her conclusion is perfect: "When kids find books they love to read, they become stronger readers—and that in turn increases the chance that they’ll become lifelong readers who will read for pleasure." And that was me when I found fantasy books as a kid! I devoured Robin McKinley (who became my first favorite author, and remains so to this day), Garth Nix, and Phillip Pullman.

In my time really examining why I like and dislike certain books, I've found I love character-driven stories--so I never mind a slow pace if there's good characterization and growth--and, honestly, I just really need some romance in there. I read at least 100 books a year--and though I'm always trying to get that number higher, I've never cracked 150. Maybe this year!

I count Jane Eyre, Into the Wild, Never Let Me Go, Northanger Abbey, Ella Enchanted, Daughter of the Forest, and The Hero & the Crown as my favorite books of all time.

And, because I never got around to doing it on my blog, my favorite YA I read last year, in no particular order:





In general, my interests skew heavily toward fantasy and historical fiction of all kinds, though I read a lot of science fiction as well. And, if I'd written this a year ago, that'd be it. But in the last few months I've gotten into graphic novels and manga, so those are mediums I'm only beginning to explore and am very excited at the prospect!

Comments

  1. Excellent profile! I would have been devastated at not getting the trophy! What trickery after all your hard work! Also, I love your book selections. I too love character driven plots the most!

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  2. Love your favorite YA's from the past year! Many are on my to-read list. I've found exploring the world that is graphic novels and manga to be fascinating, and I always seem to find more that I need to read immediately. My only real struggle with them is that they're sometimes difficult to track down within a library setting, but I've been lucky enough to have access to some really extensive collections through my local systems. Let me know if you find any really good ones, I'm always up for recommendations!

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    1. That's been my biggest concern with reading graphic novels and manga! I really can't afford to buy too many--though my discount at work helps a lot--but there are so many I want to read! I haven't checked out my local library yet, but I have the feeling their selection isn't the greatest. I'm definitely going to take advantage of what they have, though!

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