Shame Levels Falling!

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Time for an update on my Shame Unreads List of 2014! Here are six books that I will never again have to sheepishly admit I haven’t read. The books are listed in the order in which I read them.

  1. TFioS
    The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
    Reaction: Quality! Though I may have sprained a tear duct.
    I Hadn’t Already Read It Because: I don’t like crying. I don’t know how I’m going to handle the movie.
  2. delirium
    Delirium by Lauren Oliver
    Reaction: Really drew me in. I’m especially impressed by how well Oliver made a premise that I feel is highly unlikely (a future world in which love is seen as a terrible disease and people get “cured” with dangerous procedures to prevent it) seem more plausible.
    I Hadn’t Already Read It Because: I just hadn’t gotten around to it.
  3. wild magic
    Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce
    Reaction: I like the world and all the cool, powerful women. Some of the writing just fell a little flat for me, though, especially in terms of emotional content. Would probably have loved it as a kid, but I found it hard to identify with the protagonist. Also, there are a lot (a LOT) of characters.
    I Hadn’t Already Read It Because: Somehow I missed out on Tamora Pierce as a kid/teen, when I think a lot of fantasy fans get into her. Maybe my library didn’t have her books? Dunno.
  4. disreputable
    The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
    Reaction: Holy Awesome and Accessible Feminism, Batmanwoman! Plus, this is a really smart and funny book.
    I Hadn’t Already Read It Because: I only heard of it fairly recently. It came very highly recommended, though, so I put it on the list.
  5. curious
    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
    Reaction: Smart and entertaining, and also the kind of book that makes me feel like I might become a more empathetic person because I’ve read it.
    I Hadn’t Already Read It Because: As with Delirium, I just hadn’t gotten around to it. I was pretty sure it would be good, though.
  6. outsiders
    (That little image cuts off in a weird way, doesn’t it?)
    The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
    Reaction: I’m surprised by how much I liked this! It’s universal and heartfelt, and Ponyboy is easy to empathize with. He makes even his gang – some of whom, let’s face it, are kind of thugs, stealing and getting into fights for fun – seem sympathetic and decent.
    I Hadn’t Already Read It Because: I was never assigned to read it, and I saw it as the kind of book you read because you’re assigned to. Also, I was afraid it would rub me the wrong way, like The Catcher in the Rye did, but it didn’t. Maybe because Ponyboy is less jaded than Holden. I don’t know.

I’ll have to pick up my pace on these, since there are nine more in the list! It’ll be fine, though. The reason I haven’t made more headway is that I’ve been reading lots and lots of other books in between, which is also a pretty great use of my time. Books forever!

Here’s to a Shame-Free 2014!

Posted on by chaoticgood21 Comments on Here’s to a Shame-Free 2014!

. . . or at least, you know, low-shame. Let’s be realistic here.

Happy New Year! I’m all excited and energized about writerly things, and also about readery things. In particular, I am excited about the 2014 reading challenge I came up with. I’ve made a list of fifteen Books I’m Kind of Ashamed I Haven’t Read Already. And this year, I’m going to read them! Then I will NEVER AGAIN have to admit that I’m a Teen Services librarian who has read nothing by John Green. Or that, even though I suspect I’ll love it, I’ve never quite gotten around to Ender’s Game. Or look, my school never assigned The Giver, okay? I tried to keep it to books that I think I’ll actually enjoy. Different titles make the list for different reasons: it’s a classic, teens at my library devour it, I’ve heard a million times that it’s great, it’s something I’m obviously going to love and it’s absurd that I haven’t read it already.

It’s a pretty doable challenge, I think, and I’m psyched about it. My coworker Nori (of the book review blog Nori’s Closet) liked the idea, too, and ended up making her own list of embarrassing unreads to be finally read in 2014.

Want to see my list? (You know that’s a trick question on this blog, because you will always see the list.) Here, in alphabetical order but not necessarily reading order, are fifteen books that will soon no longer shame me with their unreadness!

  1. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
  2. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
  3. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
  4. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
  5. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
  6. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (This was the first one to go. I just finished it! And might have sprained a tear duct. WHY, JOHN GREEN, WHY?)
  7. The Giver by Lois Lowry
  8. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
  9. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
  10. Matched by Ally Condie
  11. The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
  12. The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan
  13. Sabriel by Garth Nix (I loved his Keys to the Kingdom series)
  14. Wild Magic (or any other title by Tamora Pierce YOU GUYS I AM A FANTASY FAN AND YA LIT FAN WHO HAS NEVER READ TAMORA PIERCE WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME)
  15. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Probability of crying while reading some of these books: high.
Probability of going, “Why didn’t I read this years ago?”: high.
Probability of being glad I read these books: skywriter high.

Anyone else want in? Or just want to share a book or two that you’re kind of embarrassed not to have read yet?