We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.
This week’s topic is Books I Was Assigned to Read in School (These can be books you loved or hated. Or just tolerated. Bonus points if you give us a tiny review of your thoughts!)
Colour me completely shocked because my memory surprised the heck out of me with this post today! I remember a few of my assigned reading books but considering how poor my memory is (I often can’t recall what I did a few days or a week ago), I didn’t think I’d remember more than 10… Yet I did! 😄 All of the books I mention below impacted my brain in some way and I remember truly enjoying the reading assignments and discussions. I recall devouring the pages of these books and holding myself back each week because I didn’t want to read too far ahead or finish the book too early. Ah, good memories, indeed! I sometimes get curious about whether I’d feel the same about these books if I read them now but I think I’ll keep my memory of reading these titles as is (for now).
A Bone From A Dry Sea
The House on Mango Street
Island of the Blue Dolphins
The Devil’s Arithmetic
The Giver
Night
Of Mice and Men
The Outsiders
The Sun Also Rises
Wuthering Heights
Were any of these books required reading in your school? I’d love to know if you enjoyed reading and discussing them back in school as well! Also, have you re-read any of them as an adult and did your thoughts/feelings change or remain the same?
dinipandareads 
I don’t think any of these were required reading for me, and I’ve only read a couple. In fact, there are some here I’ve never even heard of!
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Haven’t read any of these either but I think assigned reading is great, the problem is more the curriculum at time. Would love to see more diverse and up-to-date books on school reading lists.
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I’m surprised by how much Of Mice and Men is showing up here. I suppose it has the attraction of being short? My own list is very scatter-shot.
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The Giver was great! I wish the sequels to it had been just as good. Thank you for stopping by earlier.
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I liked Wuthering Heights.
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.
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I don’t think I know them from a school assignment. But I honestly can’t remember any titles.
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I don’t think I read any of these in school, but Island of the Blue Dolphins seems like one I would have really enjoyed! I think Wuthering Heights was also on our assigned reading list, but I can’t remember reading it myself… guess it’s been too long, haha!
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Oh, I forgot to add NIGHT to my list. I read it as an adult because I missed it as a school kid.
My TTT: <a href=”https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2024/10/ttt-books-i-read-in-school-and-what-i.html“>Books I Should Have read in School</a>
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You did good! My memory failed me on this hence why I did another topic lol…I remember a lot of Shakespeare and To Kill a Mockingbird but that’s all I can get out of my memory bank!
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Wuthering Heights was one my favorites in my emo era, when I only read victorian gothic and romantic books 😂
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I don’t think these were assigned in my school, but that’s a difference in countries I guess. Funny, you’re one of the little few who loved assigned reading!
My TTT: https://laurieisreading.com/2024/10/15/top-ten-tuesday-books-with-fall-vibes/
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I’m glad you remembered so many assigned books that impacted you. I loved Outsiders and Of Mice and Men though I didn’t read them for assignments. And Night is such an important book.
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I read The Outsiders and Island of the Blue Dolphin on my own. You had some interesting assigned reading. My daughter loved The Giver. I think she read that in school as well.
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I haven’t read any of these! I remember we did a writing exercise with an extract from Of Mice & Men and from what I remember, it was good and I was annoyed we didn’t get to read the rest of it, lol.
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Island of the Blue Dolphins was so sad
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I have only read The Giver on this list. I’ve read a couple in the series, but stopped. I can see how you can get so many great discussions from that one! I must have been from a dumb school because we never really had to read a ton of books! LOL
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My sons were assigned both The Giver and The House on Mango Street, so I suspect that you are all about the same age!
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I’ve read seven of these, although only a few of them were assigned in school. I had actually forgotten all about ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS until I saw it mentioned on several people’s lists today. I loved that book back in the day. Might be time for a re-read!
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
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There are a couple of really good books and I see that even if most of them are classics, there is a variety in it. I haven’t heard about half of these though.
I decided not to do mine because I did not remember much because I don’t think I ever enjoyed one, and the ones I remembered were very random books and I do not think most have an English translation.
I think assigned readings have changed in the last years but I still believe students should have more options; after all, we want them to enjoy what they read, it is important to know about the classics, but we already study them and talk about them in Literature, so let them foster their creative side and enjoy their reads as well!
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[…] Dini and I are currently buddy reading this! I think I’m a little ahead at around 60% through but we’re both loving it so far. I can’t believe the author still has us guessing at this stage in the trilogy, but I have faith that Roanhorse knows what she’s doing, and I can’t wait to see how this story ends. […]
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I had The Outsiders on my list, too. Of Mice and Men and The Giver could have been on my list, but like you I was surprised how easily I thought of 10 books and could have easily added more.
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I skipped this week because my memory is terrible… and school was faaaar too many years ago lol. I do remember reading Of Mice and Men, and I think Great Expectations in college, but that’s as good as it gets lol
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I’ve heard of several of these but haven’t read many of them, except The Giver and maybe Of Mice and Men, I can’t remember! Oh and I’ve read Wuthering Heights but didn’t like it! 😂
Haze
https://thebookhaze.com/
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I was just saying on another blog how much my thirteen-year-old self loved The Outsiders. I definitely remember crying while reading and also watching the movie.
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Of Mice and Men are the only books we have in common on our lists. I read The Giver on my own and loved it!
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[…] #TopTenTuesday: Assigned Reading Wins! […]
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A Bone From a Dry Sea?? Wow! I didn’t know anyone assigned that; definitely didn’t expect to see a random book that I read for fun in high school on one of these lists. I liked The Devil’s Arithmetic & Island of the Blue Dolphins when I was a kid, too.
Never read The House on Mango Street but some of my college friends had it assigned. I actually just came across a copy at a used book sale the other week and though I didnt’ buy it, I was surprised by how short and readable it looked — now I’m kind of inspired to try it on my own.
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