Musing Mondays (Nov 23)

Musing Mondays (BIG) Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about your bookshelf… 

Tomorrow I have my first teaching job (yes, I’m sharing my non-book bloggy news!) and it’s inspired today’s Musing Monday.

What books did you read while in school? Were there any that you particular liked, or even hated? Did any become lifelong favourites?


PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Musing Mondays post, or share your opinion in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks.

  
I always loved when we came to starting a new novel unit at school – one student would be the person to go collect the books (you, if you were really lucky!), you’d take a book out of the box and then the whole class would walk down to the library to line up and borrow it out. Best part of the year. What can I say? I was always a book nerd (I’m sure you can relate).

The funny thing is, I don’t seem to remember a lot of the books we read – why I have no idea, because it was something I truly enjoyed. I remember that in Year 8 I read Scott Monk’s Boys ‘R’ Us. I didn’t dislike the book, and have evenreread it since, but it wasn’t a book that I loved.

I also remember reading Shakespeare, as you do in school – Othello, Hamlet, The Tempest - but read them far more in uni.

The text I read for Year 12 was Jane Austen’s Emma, which I loved, but love it far more now that I’m not studying it. I also remember stealing my friends Year 12 books to try out that year also (Jane Yolen’s Briar Rose, Melina Marchetta’s Looking for Alibrandi).

The first book I think of, however, when asked about school books was Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, which I read in Year 10. I’m sure a lot of people read TKAM in high school, but I can remember thinking that this was the first big book that I’d read in school. It was Year 10 – the first year my school set an Advanced English class – and it was the first time I’d truly discussed a book. It helped that the English teacher that year loved TKAM … well it was probably a toss up as to whether she loved the book or Atticus Finch more. I loved it then and, if possible, love it even more now.

23 comments :

caite said...

LOL...TKAM is on my list too...gosh, I wish I could remember more of what I read in school, but I thought of a few for my post.

Anonymous said...

I don't have TKAM, but I do have Shakespeare on mine.

Here you go.

Pam said...

I read TKAM in HS, but couldn't really remember much about it. Then about a year and a half ago, my book club read it. WE all agreed that it was much more enjoyable as an adult. My local community theater group is currently doing a production of TKAM and last night a group of us from book club went to see it. It was wonderful!!! I like this story more every time I'm exposed to it.

wendy elizabeth said...

remembering dreamy Mr Rule oh and school reading too

crestina said...

here goes mine...

http://addlife21.blogspot.com/2009/11/no-favorites.html

Ambrosia @ The Purple Booker said...

Fire & Ice: Musing Monday

Brooke from The Bluestocking Guide said...

Here is Mine

Alison said...

Schoolbooks were really love or hate for me.

Michelle said...

My list of books are on my blog.
Looking forward to visiting everyone.

MizB @ Should Be Reading said...

Luckily, I can remember most of the books I read in school! My answer's up!

~MizB

Alayne said...

Great question! Here's my answer: http://thecrowdedleaf.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/musing-monday-november-23/

fredamans said...

I like your answer, though most of the books you read weren't mandatory reading in my schools here in Canada.

http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com/2009/11/musing-monday_23.html

Unknown said...

I think my school reading lead me to a life-long love of fiction!

My Muse and Me

Susan said...

Congratulations on your teaching assignment!!!

I'm late to the party today, but mine's up:

http://wellmanneredfrivolity.blogspot.com/2009/11/musing-mondays_23.html

Helen said...

My answer is here.

La Coccinelle said...

I think I read To Kill A Mockingbird in the summer before grade 10. It was part of the curriculum that year, but not in my particular class (which is a good thing... I probably would have ended up hating it after analyzing it to death!).

I answered this question here.

Nise' said...

My Musing.

Anonymous said...

This is the best one yet!

http://mominsanity.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/monday-musings-12/

Bryan R. Terry said...

Congrats on the teaching job, and I'm in total agreement about To Kill a Mockingbird ... Best. Book. Ever!

My Musing is HERE

Bitsy said...

I was too far ahead of my class
I read too much, and too fast
I was the wrong type of learner
So I was sent to the corner
Because my teacher was an...

Tina Kubala said...

Congrats on the teaching gig.

Matt said...

School readings introduced me to authors whose works I come to appreciate more.

Full Answer is up.

Anonymous said...

Here's my post: http://emeraldfiresbookmark.blogspot.com/2009/11/musing-mondays.html