T5W: Favorite Required Reading

TL;DR

A book lover shares her top 5 favorite books that were assigned reading in school, highlighting the impact and appreciation she gained from each one.

Transcript

Bibliophiles of the internet, my name is Adriana and today I'm here to bring you a Top 5 Wednesday video. And today's topic is our top 5 books that were required reading. So I had a lot of great titles to choose from today, but I really did my homework and narrowed it down, and I'm really excited to be sharing them with you today. So let's get into... Read More

Key Insights

• ✍️ Studying books in a different context, such as a Creative Writing class, can significantly enhance one's appreciation and understanding of the material.
• 👻 The freedom to choose books for assignments allows for personal interest and exploration of authors and genres previously unknown.
• 🏛️ Accessible translations of classic texts, like "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey," can make ancient stories more enjoyable and relatable to modern readers.
• 🥺 Assignments that focus on important and relevant topics, such as mixed-race novels, can lead to powerful and impactful reading experiences.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did studying "The Handmaid's Tale" in a Creative Writing class change the speaker's perception of the book?

When studying the book with other writers, the speaker was able to appreciate the intricate details and excellent writing, leading to a deeper understanding and love for the book.

Q: Why did the speaker choose to read "A Little Princess" for her senior project?

The speaker wanted to explore an author she hadn't read before, and being inspired by the film adaptation, she chose Frances Hodgson Burnett and highly recommends the book.

Q: What makes the Stanley Lombardo translations of "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" highly recommended?

The translations are accessible, allowing readers to fully understand and enjoy the stories while retaining the original strength and power of the words.

Q: How did "Everything I Never Told You" impact the speaker's reading experience?

Assigned for a Creative Writing class on mixed-race novels, the book proved to be unforgettable, with its powerful storytelling and well-written narrative.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood was initially seen as an okay dystopian novel, but studying it in a Creative Writing class with other writers helped the speaker appreciate its complex details and writing.

• "A Little Princess" by Frances Hodgson Burnett was chosen by the speaker as part of a senior project on British Literature, and she highly recommends reading it as a captivating book.

• "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" by Homer, studied in a mythology class, offer incredible, accessible translations that allow readers to fully experience and enjoy these Greek epics.

• "Everything I Never Told You" by Celeste Ng, assigned for a Creative Writing class on mixed-race novels, is described as one of the best novels the speaker has ever read, with a memorable and powerful story.

• "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster, assigned in elementary school, is a book that profoundly impacted the speaker's love for reading and writing, with its unique and whimsical nature.