Task 8: Read a Book Originally Published in the Decade You Were Born

[Sophia]

I chose The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks, published in 1984. This book was well-written, but boy, was it a rough read. I can't really say it was enjoyable but it was compelling.

[Anna]

I ended up reading The Color Purple and was absolutely blown away. I can't believe it took me so long to get to it.

Although I've since realized that Lonesome Dove was also published in the '80s, so I may double up on this task... It's my father's favorite book.

[Carolyn]

Not a fan of the Western but loved, loved, loved Lonesome Dove. Read the whole series...

[Edwina]

I read Friedrich by Hans Peter Richter (1961).

[Ashley]

Sophia wrote: "I chose The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks, published in 1984. This book was well-written, but boy, was it a rough read. I can't really say it was enjoyable but it was compelling."

I've been wanting to read that for years! I'm an 80s baby as well (1984, actually - same as the book pub) but haven't been able to find a copy in our local library system. I am quite fond of "weird" and "unsettling" books, lol. Would you recommend it? If so I will have to up my search game!

[Sophia]

Ashley wrote: "Sophia wrote: "I chose The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks, published in 1984. This book was well-written, but boy, was it a rough read. I can't really say it was enjoyable but it was comp..."

I'm a big fan of weird books too haha. In that case I would say yes, do see if you can find a copy. Banks so perfectly captured the voice of his teenage psychopath main character, it was full of creepy moments but it also had me laughing out loud at times. It's definitely a "wtf did I just read" book.

[Emily]

I was born in 1961 and started reading Black Like Me, on my husband's recommendation. So far I find it excellent and still relevant today as well as having historical and cultural value.

[Bonnie G.]

Emily wrote: "I was born in 1961 and started reading Black Like Me, on my husband's recommendation. So far I find it excellent and still relevant today as well as having historical and cultural value."

Ooh, that is a good one. I am a 60's child too so maybe I will do that. I had planned on The Crying of Lot 49, but I am always happy to change plans.

[Jo]

I was born in the 80s, and while I've read a lot of horror and fantasy from that era, I didn't get into sci-fi until later so there's a huge gap in my knowledge. Attempting to rectify that by reading Neuromancer by William Gibson, but I'm actually finding it a struggle - it's obviously a classic, and I can totally see why, but it seems so clichéd now? I've read so much more recent work that obviously draws on texts like this, that I feel as though I recognise everything. Anyone else had this happen?

[Hebah]

This '80s kid decided to read Alanna: The First Adventure as part of her Tamora Pierce exploration. Having started my read with the more-recently-published Beka Cooper trilogy, I can definitely tell that Alanna is earlier writing. It's a bit clunkier, more telling than showing at times, but fundamentally, there's still a compelling story there. I think I'll enjoy it more as Alanna grows up, since her young age in this book made it feel like much more of a middle-grade novel than YA.

I'm still annoyed no one ever saw what I was into reading and put a Tamora Pierce novel in my hands when I was younger, though.

[Sophia]

Hebah wrote: "This '80s kid decided to read Alanna: The First Adventure as part of her Tamora Pierce exploration. Having started my read with the more-recently-published Beka Cooper trilogy, I can d..."

The Tortall series is one of my all-time favorites. I constantly checked them out from the library before I bought my own copies, and I still go back and read through the first three quartets pretty regularly. However, I have yet to read Beka Cooper's or Alianne's books..

[Hebah]

Sophia wrote: "Hebah wrote: "This '80s kid decided to read Alanna: The First Adventure as part of her Tamora Pierce exploration. Having started my read with the more-recently-published Beka Cooper tr..."

I really loved the Beka Cooper books and wish my younger self could have had the to see a heroine who could hold her own but struggled with shyness. It would have done so much for me. You should read them!

[Meg]

I confess I have never read Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. I'm looking forward to reading it!

[Tina]

The 70s

[Katie]

I'm a 90's baby, so for this challenge I am going to read The Golden Compass. I read it years ago when I was in middle school, but I feel like I will get a lot more out of the story now that I am approaching it with a whole new perspective.

[Doc.]

I read Jamaica Kincaid's Lucy, which was published the year I was born.

[Danielle]

80's baby here, and I read The Handmaid's Tale for this one! I am from the south, so there was no chance of this being taught to me in high school! I have always heard about it, but I could never talk myself into reading it, but this challenge actually forced me to. The book is definitely a thinker, but I enjoyed it.

[Theresa]

Danielle wrote: "80's baby here, and I read The Handmaid's Tale for this one! I am from the south, so there was no chance of this being taught to me in high school! I have always heard about it, but I ..."

I'm reading this for my dystopian category book & I can't wait. In fact, UPS just delivered it today so I'll be diving in tonight.

[Megan]

For this category, I read The Princess Bride by William Goldman, which was originally published in the 1970's. I found a lot of great options for books originally published in the 1970's and plan to read at least a few more from this category too!

[Susan]

For the Arboretum Library's Reading the Western Landscape Book Club we read Edna Ferber's Giant. I'm a 50s model.

[Snowynight]

I read The Compass Rose for this. I feel that it's a mixed bag to me: I really like The Author of The Acacia Seeds, (But then I have a weakness of stories in document format), SQ (What if there's an compulsory sanity test?), The Diary of The Rose (the use of psychology as a tool of dystopia government), The Eye Altering, Malheur County and Sur, but I don't like Intracom (a pointless parodyof Star Trek) and Two Delays on The Northern Line.

[Harper]

Trudie wrote: "As a sometimes follower of The Booker prize I thought I would see what novel won in my year of 1975 - so I guess I will be finding a copy of Heat and Dust"

I have wanted to read Heat and Dust for a long time! And thanks for your method--I will borrow that.

[Julia]

I'm giving an unrecommendation: I was born in the 50's and read Flannery O'Connor's A Good Man is Hard to Find. It wasn't a happy or pleasant read.

[Jane]

I decided to read a book published in the year (not decade) I was born -- 1950. Searching for a book that old was a bit challenging, but enlightening and enjoyable. I decided to read (actually, listen to) A Murder Is Announced by Agatha Christie. Just started it yesterday.

[Henriette]

I'm from 1985 and the next book on my mental tbr-list happens to be from '85, so I'm going to go with DeLilo: White Noise.

[Nikki]

I also chose to go with my specific birth year and not just decade. In 1979, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was written. It's been on my TBR list for quite some time so this provided the perfect opportunity to scratch it off.

It's a quick, entertaining read and I look forward to reading the others in this "trilogy".

[Mindy]

I went with something a bit more in my wheelhouse than some of the other challenges, but it was a part of history I don't know a lot about (I'm a history nut). I was born in 1971, so chose a book written in the 1970s: "A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century" by Barbara Tuchman. I have read Tuchman's "The Guns of August" and want to read more of her books. She has a way of adding irony and a little humor in her serious works of history.

[Monica]

60s baby here!! Back in December, I predicted I would read either Stand on Zanzibar or The Fire Next Time. I have both books and may yet read both before the end of the year; however for this challenge I ended up reading The Lion in Winter (excellent which also filled the bill for "play" and "movie book which was better"). I also read The Bell Jar (very affecting and not all that dated- - which also counted for "mental illness" task).

[Nancy]

I'm reading a classic Agatha Christie mystery, Hickory Dickory Dock, published in 1955.

[Jessica]

I'm planning to read The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood (90s baby)

[Britany]

Finished by Milan Kundera-- 3 Stars.

Simple story with philosophical undertones that I'm not entirely sure I understood.

My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rachel]

I'm reading Misery. I've only ever read one Stephen King book and wasn't a big fan, but this one is better so far.

[Bonnie G.]

Rachel wrote: "I'm reading Misery. I've only ever read one Stephen King book and wasn't a big fan, but this one is better so far."

I know King fans won't appreciate this, but in my opinion King's earlier books are much better edited and therefore much better. He has a tendency to go off on some wild tangents that do nothing for the story. When he was younger people still felt they could tell him to pare things back and as successful as he is I imagine now no one says boo to him. (All respect, I like Stephen King the person a great deal, and he has fantastic literary taste. I don't enjoy horror for the most part so I have not read a lot of his catalog, but I liked the Green Mile books as well as many of the short stories and novellas. 11/22/63 not so much.)

[Rachel]

Bonnie wrote: "Rachel wrote: "I'm reading Misery. I've only ever read one Stephen King book and wasn't a big fan, but this one is better so far."

I know King fans won't appreciate this, but in my op..."

Well the first thing I read of his was Carrie, which I know is one of his earliest...so I'm not sure that was the issue in my case.