Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Top Ten Books I Was "Forced" to Read!




To learn more about Top Ten Tuesday or see the future topics, click here!

This week we are talking about the books you were "forced" to read! Obviously, in most cases, you weren't LITERALLY forced to read it but you know what we are getting at here. Those required reading books, book club picks, books for your job or those books that it simply feels like other readers were going to tie you down until you read it!!

Jamie's Pick's



1. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
: This was a required read book in high school and I managed to NOT read it, write an essay and STILL get an A. But then, in college, it got assigned to me in a class and I had to write a HUGE paper on it that could NOT be done without reading it again. I'm SO glad it got assigned to me again because I ended up LOVING it.

2. Unearthly series by Cynthia Hand

I was picked to be the newbie for the Epic Reads The End Is Near event they had. I had to read the books and do some guest posts on their blog. I was obviously a willing participant but I was "forced" to read it in a sense.

3. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein: Book club made me read it! It was on my radar but I likely wouldn't have gotten around to it as soon as I did had it not been for book club!

Jen's Pick


4. The entire Harry Potter series: Kelly and Kimberly knew I had only read the first book and were basically like, "you're reading all of the books this summer".  And I did. I really liked the books A LOT more than I thought I was going to.  But I think my favorite part of being "forced" to read the series was texting Kelly and Kimberly whenever I got a part that made me sad, angry, happy, etc, and discussing it with them. Thank you to you both!

Julia's Picks



5. The Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy: I took a class in high school called "Classic and Modern Novels." We had to read one book together, and this was it. I went into it thinking that I would seriously hate it, but I came out loving it. Recently I am wondering how much was nostalgia and how much is actually this is a great book, so I picked up a copy and plan on giving it a reread.


6. Fatherland by Robert Harris: In my high school world history class, we had to read one book each semester that was on the teacher's pre-approved list for things that had relevance to history. This one is an alternate history "what if the Nazis won WWII" book. It's a mystery detective story and amazing. I read have read this one since high school and it held up to my nostalgic scrutiny. If you like this sort of book, do yourself a favor and check it out!


7. Macbeth: I had read Romeo and Juliet earlier in my highschool career and kinda felt meh about it (except for the fact that I loved the Leonardo DiCaprio movie). But once I read Macbeth I fell in love! It was such a cool work. I really want to see a good rendition of the actual play. Someday.

8. Much Ado About Nothing; In the same vein, college had me read this comedy. It was my first of Shakespeare's comedies. I had no idea how funny it would be (once I read through all the translations from old timey english to modern english/explained some of the references from the time). I would have never picked it up myself.

Bridget's Pick




9. Pride and Prejudice, easily. We had to read it over the summer before my senior year in high school for my AP Literature class. Later, in college, I took a class on Jane Austen just so I could read all her novels (even though I had actually read them already). JA rocks!

Tahleen's Pick




10. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
. I was assigned this book once a year for the first three years of college, all for different classes and professors, and I was surprised by how much I liked it. And how much I hated the title character. Seriously, he's awful. But the book itself is one I feel fortunate to have been able to discuss with different groups of people in different contexts. I'm not sure I'd have picked this up on my own otherwise.













Which books were you "forced" or were gently nudged to read?? 


38 comments:

  1. Pride and Prejudice and HP are the best! :)

    My TTT

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  2. Lords of Discipline was my top pick! It's definitely not only nostalgia you are remembering, it's a fantastic book. And A Midsummer Night's Dream is probably my favourite Shakespeare? Probably? Macbeth is up there for me too :)

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    1. I just picked the book up and have it on my "i must reread this soon" pile. "Soon" being a relative term... lol

      And sometimes Shakespeare without all the helpful "this is what this means" is hard for me to comprehend. Out of the tales I've read, Much Ado About Nothing is probably my favorite... followed closely by Macbeth... the Wishbone's take on Romeo and Juliet :P

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  3. I feel so ashamed that I haven't read Pride and Prejudice yet. Horrible! Soon!

    Sara @ Just Another Story

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    1. Don't feel bad! I've been saying that too... since we started the blog.... three years ago.

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  4. I loved Macbeth! I was forced to read it in high school and absolutely loved it!

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  5. Much Ado About Nothing is one of the greatest books ever! I love rereading it-so funny! And Frankenstein is on my list too!
    Also wanted to mention, I was looking at the upcoming topics for TTT and I noticed that it said that I gave the idea for scary book covers and I actually didn't give that one but did suggest the character names one. Didn't want to be getting credit for something I didn't do so I thought I'd let you know!

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  6. I'm a Shakespeare buff so sitting down with one of his best comedies & best tragedies would be no great hardship. P&P for the win though.

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  7. I found it hard to choose. I read a lot of books in school but disliked hardly any of them (except for Kafka). So, my list is a little longer this week.

    Marianne from Let's Read

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  8. I picked Frankenstein as well, I loved it! It was on the perfect side of gothic ridiculous-ness.

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  9. HP was on my list as well! I was in high school when it came out so I first dismissed it as a "kids book" -- my mistake!! A friend pretty much forced the first book on me by calling me and reading it to me over the phone. After a few chapters, I was hooked!

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  10. I loved Unearthly by Cynthia Hand as well! I haven't read the sequels though. The covers are so pretty!

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  11. Sorry I accidentally posted my link twice. But I just want to say that I too think Frankenstein was one of my favorite required reading books of all time!

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  12. Great picks! Glad to see Shakespeare on your list. I actually took two Shakespeare classes in college so I could be "forced" to read more of his works, since I love them and rarely do it on my own. I still haven't gotten through all the plays, but some day I want to. :D Happy Tuesday!

    My TTT

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  13. My favourite book that I was "forced" to read is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

    Great picks! :)

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  14. I loved this Top Ten topic! So good!

    Here's mine: Top Ten Tuesday

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  15. Aside from Hamlet Much Ado is my FAVORITE play of the Bard.
    Nice list!
    My ttt
    http://hauntedgravebooks.blogspot.com/2013/10/top-ten-book-i-was-forced-to-read.html

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  16. I put Harry Potter on my list too, and totally forgot about The Things They Carried! What a haunting book. Those are some nice classics on your list, from Pride and Prejudice to Frankenstein. I was never actually assigned Pride and Prejudice but ended up reading it on my own last year because I felt that I was underexposed when it came to female lit authors. Thanks for sharing!

    My Top Ten Tuesday

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  17. great picks, I love reading Shakespeare--I'm glad you included him.

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  18. Ah, the books you're forced to read--or in some cases, don't read--in school. I kind of forgot about those for this list. But I read a lot of the same classics in class, too. :)

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  19. Pat Conroy is a genius writer. I love all of his books, although they usually all make me sob my brains out. I actually have The Prince of Tides on my list, which I read before that crappy movie. Frankenstein made my list too. :)

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  20. I always find it fascinating when I see someone was "forced" to read a book multiple times for different classes. FRANKENSTEIN is on my list as "somehow was never forced" because all of my teachers assumed I'd read it for another class, and therefore it was never on the syllabus.
    MACBETH is my favorite Shakespeare play. It was the first Shakespeare work I read as well (ROMEO AND JULIET I never read for school, funny enough. Same thing: teachers assumed I'd already read it), so being introduced to something magnificent was a great way to open Shakespeare.

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  21. Frankenstein is great, I'm grateful to have been forced to read it as well. I was also forced to read Harry Potter, sometimes other people do know what's good for you :)

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  22. Yay! Harry Potter and Frankenstein :D. Truly brilliant books.

    My TTT

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  23. I now want to read Macbeth - have only read A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare (which I loved). Frankenstein is a great book to read because it gives you a whole new understanding and almost appreciation for what the monster was going through. Great choices.
    Lynn :D

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  24. Speaking of MacBeth, I saw somewhere else today that Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard are going to be in a film adaption so I have high hopes for that one.

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    1. Well, if it has the Fass I will be there (at the opening) - watching every minute!
      Lynn :D

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  25. I just love this! Thanks so much for creating a fun reader meme!

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  26. Just started the Top Ten, thanks for creating this! :D

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  27. I had to read The Things They Carried for my English class back in high school. I am remember enjoying that book. I will need to reread it.

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  28. When I read "Frankenstein" I had a completely wrong idea about what it would be like. All book talk seems to focus on the horrific aspect of creating a human being (or animated creature) out of body parts.
    I was surprised at how much social criticism could be found in its pages. This is a novel that (although I was never assigned to do it) I will definitely read again one day.

    Cheers, Katarina :)

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  29. I've been dying to read Frankenstein; but I'm determined its something I should have in paperback, so I keep waiting for a trip to the bookstore... @Get Lost in Lit

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  30. I couldn't really think of any books that I felt I'd been forced to read. School book ones I seem to have forgotten a lot of them! So I took an idea from Inspiring Insomnia's post and did the ten I force others to read! My TTT

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  31. I really need to read The Things They Carried and Frankenstein. Why, oh why did no one force me to read them? Then maybe I'd get off my behind and do it!

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  32. AHHH! I can't begin to explain my love for Much Ado About Nothing...I saw it performed at Shakespeare on the Common in Boston and then I was cast as Beatrice in my senior year of high school! Definitely my favorite Shakespeare comedy :)

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  33. Pride and Prejudice is cool :D I want to read Frankestein.

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  34. I also picked Macbeth!!
    Only on my third post for my blog and completely new to this! Hope I did everything correctly. :)

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  35. I also really like The Things They Carried when I was forced to read it for a class in college. The writing style is very good, it's quite poetic.

    However, the fact that anyone would have to force you to read Harry Potter is beyond me! I'm glad you enjoyed it at least.

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