I have always loved to read. I don't set reading goals (like # of books to read in a year) or follow any kind of reading challenge (read one book that takes place in another country, etc...), yet I never seem to be short of titles on my TBR list. The main reason for this is that my 2 sisters and I keep track of what we read in a google spreadsheet. We all have similar reading tastes (more on mine in a minute), so as we read books, we mark in our designated column that we've read the book, and then we can add comments if we want. Whenever we hear about a book that sounds interesting, we add it to the spreadsheet so the others can always look to find something to read when they're ready.
As far as my reading tastes go, I love:
- Historical fiction about WWII (The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter, etc...). I find this time period fascinating, especially when the author bases some element of their book on a real person.
- YA dystopian fiction, particularly the ones that come in trilogies (the Matched series by Ally Condie, the Delirium series by Lauren Oliver, etc...). I enjoy reading about the completely different societies found in these kinds of books.
- Any book where food or cooking is a big part of the story. Bonus points if it combines food and magic (any book by Sarah Addison Allen). I love to bake, and only wish I knew how to do magic :)
- The genre of "chick lit" with authors like Sophie Kinsella, Abbi Waxman, etc... Lots of times I read as downtime or an escape, and these books are light and fun.
- Books involving time travel. I grew up reading books like Half Magic by Edward Eager and Time at the Top by Edward Ormondroyd, and I still love books like this today.
My #1 favorite book of all time is Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. Some others high on my list are:
- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
- Any Harry Potter book
- The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
- Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan
- The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Thanks for taking the time to learn about my reading tastes. I look forward to learning more about my classmates as I read their reading profiles this week.
Hello Sara!
ReplyDeleteIf you like chick lit or books similar to that genre I highly recommend The Don Tillman series by Graeme Simsion. It is perfect for chick lit readers. It is funny, romantic, and reminds me of how Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory would try to find a mate. From some of the books you said you liked it sounds like this series would be a great escape in your downtime! Do you have any recommendations for someone who wants to start reading about time travel? The topic has always peaked my interest, but I have not looked much into those kinds of books.
Hi Abby. I will have to check out The Don Tillman series - thanks for the recommendation!
DeleteAs far as books about time travel, have you read the one I mentioned above - The Time Traveler's Wife? If not, I highly recommend that one. Also, Stephen King has one (that is not gory or scary like some of his other titles) called 11/22/63, which is about someone trying to go back in time to prevent JFK's assassination. And, while this is a movie and not a book, I love love love the movie About Time, which is about a young man who can relive various moments from his past. It's one of my favorites!
Hi Sara,
DeleteThanks for the recommendations! I have always been wary about reading Stephen King because the movies were too gory and/or scary for me. I probably watched them at too young of an age. I will definitely try the Time Traveler's Wife. It sounds like one that I could really get into.
Hi Sara! Pleased to meet you!
ReplyDeleteI was chatting with a colleague about the concept of TBR lists a few weeks ago. I think it's a good thing to have a long list of books to read; I hope I never reach a point where there's nothing I want to read.
I love your collaborative spreadsheet idea that you share with your sisters. It's nice to share good books with those you love.
Thanks for sharing your reading preferences. Have you read The Cage series by Megan Shepherd? It blends YA dystopian with extraterrestrials, and it's an interesting concept if sci-fi is something you like or want to try.
Looking forward to hearing more from you this semester!
-Daniel Thurston
Hi Daniel,
DeleteI have not read The Cage series before, so thanks for the recommendation. I don't read a lot of sci-fi (in fact, I chose it as one of the genres to annotate for this class since it is out of my comfort zone), so I look forward to trying something new!
Hi, Sara! I think the reading spreadsheet that you share with your sisters is such a great idea! It's like a small, readers' advisory group. I really like how you divided your reading profile into more specific things you like to read rather than just broad genres. YA dystopian fiction is a genre I'd like to explore more. One of my favorites is The Giver by Lois Lowry. I feel like this genre has really blown up in recent years and there are so many YA dystopian books to choose from--it's overwhelming. I'm looking forward to reading more of your posts!
ReplyDeleteHi Juliana,
DeleteYes! I feel like The Giver was kind of like the original YA dystopian fiction book, and I think it inspired so many of the YA titles that you can find on the shelves now. You're right that this genre seems to have blown up recently. It's hard to keep track of all of the new titles that get released. If you are looking for specific titles, I highly recommend the ones I mentioned in my post (Matched and Delirium) in addition to Legend by Marie Lu, Divergent by Veronica Roth, or Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi - all are trilogies, and all are good!
Hi Sara,
ReplyDeleteI, too, find 'chick lit' to be a nice downtime choice - I call it 'brain candy'. While it's been some time since I read any, I enjoyed Sophie Kinsella and Helen Fielding. If you want something with a little more drama, I highly recommend Jennifer Weiner.
Your other preferences interested me a lot, because they are not the types of books I tend to read. I'm eager to see what you share this semester - I think it will help me be better prepared to refer books to patrons.
Hi Amanda,
DeleteI think I just commented about chick lit on your blog! I enjoyed Bridget Jones' Diary a lot. And I asked you in my comment if you'd read Sophie Kinsella, and it looks like you have :) Looking forward to reading with you this semester!
Hi Sara,
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of creating a spreadsheet of books to share with someone. This might even be a fun thing for a book discussion group to try. When you find family or friends that share your reading preferences, that would be a quick and easy way to share titles and find new books to read. And I'm sure when you get together, you have lots to talk about!
Hi Melissa,
DeleteYes, my sisters and I are constantly talking books :) I agree that a spreadsheet like that would be a neat idea for a book discussion group to try. Ours works really well because we all seem to enjoy the same genres. That makes our spreadsheet of titles appealing to all of us.
Hi Sara,
ReplyDeleteYou and I have very similar reading preferences. Historical fiction is my favorite genre and I think WWII might be my favorite time period to read about as well. Have you read "Salt to the Sea" or "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys? Both books take place during WWII and Sepetys is one of my favorite historical fiction authors.
Hi Christina,
DeleteYes, I have read both of those books and thought they were excellent! I remember when reading "Between Shades of Gray" how the author did such an amazing job bringing that cold, barren world alive. Reading it made me so grateful to be in a nice warm house with food to eat!
Hi Sara,
ReplyDeleteI also have 2 sisters and I love the idea of a shared TBR! We follow each other on Goodreads but this would be an even more direct way to share book recommendations.
Hi Jennifer,
DeleteThanks for your comment. Sister spreadsheets for the win! Ours is set up through google sheets, and it is so so easy to update from computer, phone, etc... One of the 3 of us is always adding something, whether it's a book that sounds good, or something we read that we think others should avoid, etc... It's a fun way to stay connected through our reading.
Hi Sara,
ReplyDeleteI also don't set reading goals but perhaps I should. I still have about seven books that I need to finish up before starting on a new one and there are a few books that I want to read like Animal Farm by George Orwell. For me my favorite book of all time is The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton.
Hi Sara!
ReplyDeleteI have never read Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, but I intend to, especially since I recently bought a copy! I know that a lot of people love this book, and I am sure that I will enjoy it as well. I actually want to read another title of hers called The Blue Castle. Sometimes I just know that I am going to like a book before I begin reading it, and The Blue Castle is one of them.
Wow - you got a lot of great feedback from your classmates! I too love how you broke down your reading profile. You've got eclectic tastes which is great. I LOVE the idea of having a spreadsheet to share with sisters. I have 3 and we use Goodreads but that seems like an even better idea. Full points!
ReplyDelete