The Kickoff Party!
In an effort to better myself and catch up to my literary friends I am only reading YA & MG classics, for the month of March. The selection process took place in the beginning of February and sparked intense debate. To Kill a Mockingbird and The Giver being the most frequently mentioned titles. The Giver stands at #10 on my list of all-time faves. To Kill a Mockingbird would be an excellent choice for a reread, but I have something up my sleeve for Capo- I mean, Lee's work. You'll see later in the year. No one has committed to joining me in March is Classic, but here's your chance. If you'd like to pick up one or more of the titles, I'd love to compare thoughts and help each other out when SparkNotes aren't enough. So kidding. I am, I swear.
Here is the official list:
1. Island of the Blue Dolphins* by Scott O'Dell
2. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
3. Watership Down by Richard Adams
4. Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham
5. East of Eden by John Steinbeck
6. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
If I fly through those, then I have The Jungle Book and The Covered Wagon waiting in line.
Wish me luck and please provide input as I post my thoughts for each book finished!
April's theme will be revealed in the middle of March and all six slots will be chosen by you guys.
* I believe I have been incorrectly referring to Island of the Blue Dolphins without the pluralized last word. I will correctly post from here on out. Also, Heather pledged her support and will join me in reading this, hold her to it for me, will ya. I'd do it, but I have myself to watch out for.
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Crap. I need to get this over with!
I received the, uh...flower award? I am not sure of its name. "The Picasso Award!" Oh, thanks. So, The Picasso Award. Amber Lough kindly passed this along stating, "Jonathon Arntson, a new blogger friend of mine, who is in need of YET ANOTHER award, naturally." Thanks, Amber! I have never been given an award just to have another award. So, here are the rules: For this particular award, the requirements are that I share 7 pieces of info about myself and then choose 7 blogs I feel deserve the award too. I am sure that if you read my past SAMS posts, you'd have far more than seven pieces of info about me. I will pick one person to receive this award.I choose...Tina Laurel Lee. She deserves this. I think I've given her other awards, but if you knew the things she and I have in common...we're destined to be BFF's. So, I imagine we both have a love for Picasso's work. I am not sure how Petite Fleurs came to be the symbol of a chain letter award, but what is there to say about it? When someone sat down and designed this award, were they like, let's Google a picture of flowers, oh look, there's a cute one, oh it's drawn by Picasso, even better. Viola. Award. Well, here's my problem, Petite Fleurs was created by Picasso in 1958. It is an overly exploited piece of work, hanging in millions of homes trapped as a piece of crap poster. I have Picasso posters, so I am as guilty as anyone, but the other night I tried to look up info about the painting. Nothing. Nada. The year, the artist, 2,780,000 Google hits of $10 prints from everywhere and that was it. No discussions of mediums used, meanings, I could not even find out where the original is. I am not mad, just sad that some beautifully simple drawing has been watered down to only exist as a nameless print of flowers and a hand. I highly doubt Picasso had gratitude on the mind during its creation. But I at least have some for Amber and her blog love.
I LOVED Island of the Blue Dolphins! Oooo and Watership Down.
ReplyDeleteYou have such an awesome list lined up for the month! OOOOOO and I just got a first edition of The Jungle Book... Maybe I'll read it with you!
OK I won't. My TBR pile is too massive. But STILL. So cool :)
Well...I have to be honest. I probably won't read those classics, though it's a noble cause. I'll read vicariously through your comments on the books. Does that count?
ReplyDeleteSara - I am more than halfway through IoftheBD, I had no idea how short it is. I am very excited for WATHERSHIP. I think you should make an exception for THE JUNGLE BOOK. A first edition, come on! I am reading the copy my grandfather got when he was a child, so I am like, really anxious about it and may get a copy from the library.
ReplyDeleteLaura - Thanks for your honesty. I am doing this for myself and would love for people to join, but I am not looking down upon those who don't. So, you are safe. Please provide input when I have no idea what a certain book means.
ReplyDeleteOh East of Eden is on my list. Hmm I'll try to read it this month. And Watership Down--Oh how I loved that book! I read it twice!
ReplyDeleteChristina - DOn't taunt me, just do it!! Also, I cannot leave comments on your blog...I have tried like ten times and then I get an email stating delivery failure...do you know a remedy?
ReplyDeleteWell, thank you so much, although you could hardly count the things that make me more like you as poor societal decisions! They have been the sliest inadvertent things I have ever done. I will cherish Picasso's lovely bouquet being passed my way and hang it very lovingly on my blog wall as soon as I get around to it.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much lovely best blog friend. BBFF
And I own Island of the Blue Dolphin and think I should reread it because as I recall it is very Island Punk (as opposed to Prairie or Pioneer). And I maybe would join along with you for Catcher in the Rye. But I can't commit myself to either because my pile of books may not allow it. They have so much more control over me than I do.
Hey Jon, cool thinking with the classics, I LOVE Watership Down! Have you read that? I'll read that with you or Catcher in the Rye, I've never read it, but it's been sitting on my shelf for like 3 years. I'll commit to one of those, not sure which yet. It's been a long time since I've read Watership, it was once my favorite.
ReplyDeleteOkay--I'm with you on Island, but you are way ahead. I haven't started yet. And, I wasn't aware of the controversy surrounding Mockingbird. Bastards. What did Harper Lee ever do to them?
ReplyDeleteI like your award to Tina. Very artistic.
TLL - IslandPunk for sure! (I'm still in love with the PrairiePunk idea.) My TBR pile used to have me in a stronghold too, but I flipped it over have been on top since.
ReplyDeleteCrystal - Looking forward to your decision and consequent input!
ReplyDeleteHeather - She wrote one of the most important books of all time and never gave anything else. Sounds odd to me too. :)
ReplyDeleteMy TBR pile just got immense.
ReplyDeletewhat a great feeling!
If it had been a man with that sort of one hit wonder, would he have been considered just eccentric? But as a woman, well, clearly some man must have written it for her.
ReplyDeleteBecause it was so much easier back then to get published as a female.
Okay, I'm going to stop shooting from my emotions, and find out more about the controversy.
Although, nobody's wondering about these authors:
http://www.swinkmag.com/ulin.html
Good point, Heather, but I think the controversy really stemmed from the childhood friendship Capote and Lee shared.
ReplyDeleteThis may sound sooo wrong, but if my writing was questioned and Capote was the supposed real author, I'd be pretty honored.
I'll check out your link and see what's up.
These books are all fabulous. I think you'll have a ball. Don't forget more recent MG titles, either.
ReplyDeleteYippee!!
I would join you if I had even one second to breathe. Between blogging, writing two YA novels, the FT job, and my fam-damily. I'm freaking pooped. I grabbed The Maze Runner and haven't even cracked the thing open yet. I'm such a Luh-hooser! Anyway, I'll be interested to see your comments. Happy Monday. And if you don't celebrate Monday, Happy Tuesday Eve!
ReplyDeleteI'm in. The only one I haven't read is The Jungle, so I might check that out. I remembered Island of the Blue Dolphins as one of my favorites & was disappointed when I reread it last year. YA lit has come a long way. And here's an unsolicited vote for my fav - A Separate Peace. Heavy & angsty, but that was the time for me.
ReplyDeleteAnd THANK YOU, JON for the Romeo, Romeo cover. You're one multitalented man.
Picasso may be overdone as poster art, but he doesn't even touch Van Gogh. I think in my first apartment building, there were at least 3 of us who had the exact same Night Cafe poster hanging in the exact same spot in our kitchens. Nice.
ReplyDeleteI've read all of these at some point; Island of the Blue Dolphins was probably my favorite book as a tween; I must have read it a dozen or more times. Still remember some images clear as a bell today.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your challenge--those are some great titles.
I might try and read at least a few of these - I need additions to my TBR list like I need a hammer in my scull, but I'm a sucker for anything I've not read before... and the Adams and the Graham are old favourites, so any excuse!
ReplyDeleteWill see how I go... will have to visit the library.
I remember liking Island of the Blue Dolphins! I read three of these, but honestly so long ago, 20+ years ago, I can barely remember them... Someday I will reread some of the greats. I am rereading The Outsiders now with my son, Ponyboy.
ReplyDeleteJKB - What recent MG titles do you consider classics? A MG feature month is coming up.
ReplyDeleteTina Lynn - Yes, definitely opt out of MiC for THE MAZE RUNNER, that book is amazing!
Robert - I'll add A SEPARATE PEACE to the end of the list, if I get time.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome for the cover. I am glad you dig it.
Lily - You are so right on Van Gogh...between posters and coffee mugs.
ReplyDeleteSummer - I like it thus far, it's very different from what I am used to.
Floot - Only choose one or two if you can, it'll be fun to hear what you have to say about them.
ReplyDeleteKelly - I hope that someday comes soon.
Oooh, lots of good books this month. I think I've read most of them. Maybe. When I was a kid. I need to give one or two of them another chance.
ReplyDeleteIsland is one of my fav books. Have you read any of these before? Looking forward to your thoughts after you've read them.
ReplyDeleteAwesome list! Watership Down is one of my all-time faves and I have a sweet spot in my heart for Wind in the Willows too.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the award too!
Oh and, just to be a snark ~ you do realize this wasn't a very BRIEF post, don't you? Given up already? ;)
♥
Good luck reading THE JUNGLE... I had to read part of it for a class, once, and it made me nauseous.
ReplyDeleteElana - Pick one, just one, for me!
ReplyDeleteTerry - I have read WIND IN THE WILLOWS and THE JUNGLE, but I decided to go again and see what I got out of them that may have been different than when I was a kid.
Ali - Thanks for pointing that out. I had originally planned the award thing for another day, but decided to tack it onto the bottom of today and keep it short and sweet, but then the whole Picasso thing got under my skin and I just left it. The first part is 300 words and the bottom is like 350, so I think I'm okay, as long as you look at them as separate posts, hehe. Also, I have waaay to much planned this week to devote an entire post to an award. I just don't roll that way.
ReplyDeleteMariah - I read it as a sophomore in high school and it made me sick too. I am hoping that this second go around I'll be over the shock and dismay of the conditions those poor people has to work in and will be able to focus on the political tones of the book. Thanks for the good luck, I may not be eating meat that week.
ReplyDeleteI love your Picasso rant. It is a simple, beautiful piece of art made mediocre by repetition. And you couldn't find any details about it? How strange. And depressing. But congrats on the award anyway! I probably won't be joining you in your classical reading, but I'm sure I'm going to enjoy your reviews.
ReplyDeleteGreat books -- most of those are favorites of my girls. Congrats on the flower award too. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat list of classics! I've been meaning to read Watership Down for years. Maybe the day has finally come? My reading pile is about to tip over, but maybe I can sneak it in there. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteMG and Rena - Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAnna - Uh, yes, you are reading WATERSHIP DOWN with me! Please.