I'm at the point in my life where I DNF books (mostly) without guilt.

In fact, I just deleted Thursday Murder Club AND You'll Grow Out of it from my kindle. The first one, I got about 20 pages in and just didn't vibe with it. The second one, after about 27%, I realized I couldn't relate to this straight, white, wealthy woman's neurotic problems.

Onto something good.

I'll be honest I haven't read much YA in the past few years so I'd not be the best person to recommend. Any librarians want to chime in? Haha

The part where he's a hypocrite is actually a strength. A protagonist doesn't need to be likable for you to empathize with them.

It’s complicated.

[removed]

The book is fine but I really found Holden whiny and annoying. I don't understand why this book gets so much love. I wonder if I would have felt differently if I'd read it as a teenager but I was in my 30's and I just couldn't stand Holden.

I discussed it with someone who read it when it originally came out and they said at the time people loved the main character because no one had ever written a teenager like that. All other teenage characters were perfect but Holden felt real to them.

If you like historical crime, there are the Amelia Peabody books by Elizabeth Peters (set in Egypt primary, turn of the century) and the Father Cadfael books by Ellis Peters (he's a monk). Agatha Christie's books are also generally excellent to read, quite devious, and they're set around WW2-ish. She wrote for decades. They were contemporary at the time, but are definitely more historical now.

This is a valid point, syllabi are still often weighed heavily toward men; that doesn't detract from the book; however. I think a book from a teenaged girl's POV should indeed be taught; if you have any suggestions, please let me know; I know I have read some, and they've been great, but I can't recall them off the top of my head.

Why do we have to like a character to enjoy a book, or to recognize why it matters? Yes, Holden is whiny, he's meant to be, but in terms of being disaffected and thinking everything is phony, most teenagers experience this (though perhaps not at Holden's level) at some point, so his stance is a universal one. This book was written in the 50's, when their were few real ways for teenagers to rebel; they were expected to fit a specific mold, and never question authority, so Holden does not fit in the world in which he lives (again, a feeling many of us, teenagers and not, can relate to).

Catcher is not even close to my favorite book, but there is a certainly a reason it stands the test of time.

I use a number generator because sometimes I have so much anxiety I can't pick one from my tbr pile and just stop reading altogether. I don't cheat the rule and it became a fun little game over the years.

Which one? I’m curious, love those books.

One of the book series that taught me the most was the Earthsea trilogy.

[deleted]

A great book Holden is telling this story from a mental institution. He recounts a time when he was probably suffering PTSD from the death of his brother, he has little relationship with his parents, they ship him off to a boarding school, the only adult in his life who gives him any sort of guidance gropes him in his sleep, he alludes to the fact stuff like this has happened before. He is a very troubled kid trying to make some sense of the world.

I think the way this book is taught in high school is way off base

I haven't read it yet (it's on my shelf), but the description reminds me a lot of Educated by Tara Westover

I'm great at it - there are too many books to read, and life is too short, to waste it on those I'm not enjoying.

Personally, I'm not a fan of Colleen Hoover and think she's a bit overhyped because I've read romance books that are written way better and not as cheesy or corny. I do agree that her books aren't as taboo as others though. For example, I think Penelope Douglas' books are a lot more taboo than her's and sometimes are problematic.

Yes but it's not really chekovs gun stuff that often, because for that you have to have planned to use it whereas JK tends to just act like she planned it the whole time.

I've never finished it. I hated it that much.

I'd agree, I'm just parroting what many teachers have told me about why it's on the syllabus.

[deleted]

I never used to dnf books. It felt a little like an unfinished assignment, maybe? The first book I ever dnfd was one by Kate Atkinson. Everyone told me it was astounding, transformative, life changing. I dragged myself along, a couple of pages at a time, for weeks.

Finally I looked up the big twist ending, roles my eyes, and gave it to a friend. I'm glad I didn't waste my time on it - I understand the point the book was trying to make, but it's a point I've already been firm on for many years so it was wasted on me anyway.

I had the same thoughts about Holden. He keeps calling everyone a “phony”, yet he himself isn’t that great. Also I don’t think this is a great insight into the mind of a teenage boy, since Holden isn’t a normal teenage boy. He is heavily traumatized and in need of help, and he constantly refuses to address issues with himself.

I hated Holden. He's a spoiled, snotty little boy with an ego complex. I find it fascinating that it's on so many school reading lists because it's supposed to be an insight into the mind of a teenaged boy, yet I can't recall a single book from a teenaged girl's point of view being required reading. Maybe things are different now, I graduated a long time ago.

No, everybody is pretending.