Independent Study

This semester, the elective that I wanted to take was full, so I got put into an Independent Study class.  I was really worried about what I was going to do to have a worthy topic to study and a worthy method of presentation.  When talking with my supervising professor, we talked about book talking books that I had already read, and I didn't think that I wanted to do that - there wasn't really enough of a challenge.  She suggested that I read 10 young adult books and blog about them.  Now the challenge that I faced was not the reading part, it was the blogging part.  I have never been a person who likes to journal or to write about what I have read.  Since I was unsure about my strengths blogging, I decided to go above and beyond the reading requirement.  I am going to blog about all of the books that I read, but some of my entries will be longer than others.  Also, all of the entries are going to come in the next few days because I moved, and with the move and my other class, I have just been reading, not blogging.  However, I have been keeping a book journal on my nightstand, and I write in it with each book that I finish. 

Now - my assignment was to read 10 young adult books.  As of right now, I have read 21 (20 young adult, and 1 adult fiction).  I have read fiction, nonfiction, and a graphic novel.  I didn't stretch myself as far as I would have liked (some of the books that I haven't gotten to are more boy-oriented), but I am excited about the books that I read.  I have 7 more books that I picked out to read that I have not gotten to yet, but that I wanted to share on my blog because they look interesting, and I will be reading them in the next few weeks. 

Book 1: The Ask and the Answer (Chaos Walking Book 2), Patrick Ness

I read the first book in this series for another class, and I am looking forward to continuing this series.

Book 2: Blood Red Road, Moira Young

 

I picked this up from a display in a bookstore.  It looks really interesting, and it is next in my to read stack!

Book 3: Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, Lish McBride

This book was one of my picks because of the excitement that it got on Twitter.  Many people talked about how much they enjoyed this read. 

Book 4: Hurricane Dancers, Margarita Engle

I am really excited about this book.  I love Margarita Engle's books in verse, which is a format that I am usually not fond of.  She has a way of making books in verse feel like prose, and she tells such beautiful stories.  

Book 5: Ship Breaker, Paolo Bacigalupi

I chose this book to read based only on the fact that it is the 2011 Prinz Winner.  I am intrigued with the description inside the book jacket.  I have almost started on this book a couple of times, but I haven't felt in the mood for the adventure story just yet. 

Book 6: Tighter, Adele Griffin

To be honest, this book was on several lists, and each time that I looked at it online, it did not seem like a book that I wanted to read.  However, once I got to the bookstore, I picked it up, and became interested in it immediately.  I haven't read very much, but I confess that while sitting in the floor of the bookstore making my final decision, I did read a few pages!

Book 7: Closer (Book 4 of the Tunnels series), Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams

This book is a borderline book.  The series is more of a tween series, but I think that older audiences (boys especially) will be interested in it.  I am DYING to read this, and have been since I finished the first 3 books in the series (Tunnels, Deeper, and Freefall).  I was crushed that Closer was not out in the U.S. last fall, and I have been impatiently waiting for it to be released.  I am making myself finish unpacking before I can re-read the series and start this book.