17 - A book set on a college or university campus

[oshizu]

Kristina wrote: "https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

The Doomsday book (time travel) is set in Oxford."

Oh, thanks so much, Kristina!
I'm planning to read this series next year! Excellent!

[Tracy]

Nadine wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Im going with The Secret History...maybe, I was afraid to pick it up this year."


hahaha and I say: Don't be afraid to DNF that sucker!!! I just could not with that book. And I have..."

Ahahaha!!! I told you I was going to ruthlessly DNF this year. Besides, this overlaps with ATY and I have 2 picked out for that so if I have time and don't double dip, I can always use Educated for the ATY prompt and Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town here. I'm a little terrified of Secret History, I had a hard time with The Goldfinch ( Although in fairness I listened on audio and its me we're talking about here)

[Arielle]

Anabell wrote: "Does Dead Poets Society count for this one?"

It takes place at a boys boarding school - so high school, not college/university - but no reason not to bend the prompt, it still has the educational aspect, etc.

[Amanda]

I highly recommend American Panda! This could also work for own voices.

[Jennifer]

Doesn’t it take place at an all boys private school? I don’t think they are college age.

Rachael wrote: "Anabell wrote: "Does Dead Poets Society count for this one?"

I don't know if it counts, but any book that has inspired a film starring Robin Williams feels like a book I really need t..."

[Jennifer]

I’m thinking finally it’s time for The Secret History. It I don’t like that then Educated by Tara Westover is my second choice. I mean, there must be some reason why after all these years I’ve never read The Secret History, right?

[Tina]

T. wrote: "The Name of the Wind takes place in part at least at a university, as does The Wise Man's Fear. This series is excellent. I wish Doors of Stone was out,..."

Oh good, I have The Name of the Wind on my TBR. I also have Fangirl, Love Story (would be a reread), Good-bye to Love and a few other Sweet Valley University books that I collected years ago but never got around to reading.

[Tracy]

Amanda wrote: "I highly recommend American Panda! This could also work for own voices."

Perfect! Thank you, this will be my back up for when I throw The Secret History at the wall.

[Christine]

Vicious flip-flops through time, but the earlier timeline takes place at a university.

[Britany]

Nadine wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Im going with The Secret History...maybe, I was afraid to pick it up this year."


hahaha and I say: Don't be afraid to DNF that sucker!!! I just could not with that book. And I have..."

SAME- I hated it.

[Tina]

We Are Ok

This one came up in the slide show for the 2019 recommendations and it was already on my TBR list, so I'm going to use this.

[Tracy]

Britany wrote: "Nadine wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Im going with The Secret History...."
"hahaha and I say: Don't be afraid to DNF that sucker!!! I just could not with that book..."
"SAME- I hated it"

Oh noooooo........and coming from people I trust LOL. I will give it a few pages but if thats a slog I'm going with American Panda. I'd like to actually enjoy my reading next year ;-)

[Charlotte]

I am going for Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov, as I just can't face reading lolita.

[Jess]

I have a few to choose from for this one. I think I'm going to go with
Zuleika Dobson or A Little Life.

Some books I've read recently that I would recommend for this prompt are:

The Likeness - 2nd in a series but can definitely be read as a standalone and I don't say that lightly as I usually hate reading books out of order

Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred and Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder - If you like The Great Gatsby, this is basically the British version. I loved it!

[Jess]

Raquel wrote: "I think The Historian uses at least some university libraries as settings."

Yes this would definitely fit because it also includes a lot of diary entries and letters from when one of the characters was a PhD student and a big chunk of the story is about his research and his adviser.

[Ellie]

Jess wrote: "Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred and Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder - If you like The Great Gatsby, this is basically the British version. I loved it! "

I feel meh about Gatsby but love Brideshead!

[Jennifer]

Thanks! I was going to read this last year for the villain prompt but will try to use it next year instead.

Christine wrote: "Vicious flip-flops through time, but the earlier timeline takes place at a university."

[Amanda]

The Art of Fielding
The Secret History

[Pedro]

I think I'm going to read Lucky Jim

And if I remember correctly, these books are set or have large parts of them at college or university:

The Liar
Engleby

[Amanda]

Old School

[Cheryl]

I believe The Idiot would be a good fit for this prompt!

[Christine]

Ooh, I'm going to do Equal Rites, and I know there are multiple other Discworld books with large portions set at Unseen University!

[Johanne]

Oh, I have a plan to read some of the Discworld series next year. Thank you for the tip Christine!

[Johanne]

Are any of the Discworld books set in a monastery by any chance?

[Murtaza]

Does 13 Reasons Why counted here?

[Jennifer]

No the kids are in high school.

Murtaza wrote: "Does 13 Reasons Why counted here?"

[Megan]

Murtaza wrote: "Does 13 Reasons Why counted here?"

no

[Tina]

I plan to use Ninth House for this one, although it doesn't come out til October 2019

[Christine]

Johanne wrote: "Are any of the Discworld books set in a monastery by any chance?"

It looks like Thief of Time has significant portions involving monks!

[Juliebean]

I haven't read it in a long time, but I am almost positive that a good portion of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency takes place at Cambridge.

[Jane]

Rachelnyc wrote: "I'm hoping Stoner fits this prompt since the description mentions he goes to university and becomes a scholar and I really want to finally read this next year. Can anyone confirm this..."

Stoner is perfect! It definitely takes place on a college campus. I read it a while ago for a book club I've belonged to for forty years. The members all agreed that Stoner should be The Great American Novel, not The Great Gatsby. You'll understand when you read it. Utterly different in language and tone from Gatsby, but brilliant!!

[Diane]

The Madwoman Upstairs by Catherine Lowell about an Oxford student and last surviving relative of the Brontes looking for the long lost Bronte estate.

[Anabell]

Arielle wrote: "Anabell wrote: "Does Dead Poets Society count for this one?"

It takes place at a boys boarding school - so high school, not college/university - but no reason not to bend the prompt, ..."

Oh I actually thought it was College. Well then I'll find something different. Thanks for the heads up.

[Rachelnyc]

Jane wrote: "Rachelnyc wrote: "I'm hoping Stoner fits this prompt since the description mentions he goes to university and becomes a scholar and I really want to finally read this next year. Can a..."

This makes me even more excited to read it! It's been on my TBR forever so I'm glad I have the perfect prompt for it.

[Johanne]

Thanks Christine

[SadieReadsAgain]

I'm using On Beauty for the retelling of classic, but that's classed as a campus novel, if that helps anyone?

I think I'm going to go for The Secret History. I see it getting flamed here, and my husband DNF'd it, but I loved The Goldfinch this year and I have a very different taste from my hubby so...fingers crossed!

[Therese]

A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nassar would work. I enjoyed reading this book a while back. Still looking for something for this prompt, though.

[Monnie]

If you like scary stories you could go with The Night Class by Tom Picarelli..

[Maria]

For people who read The Secret History and want something like that, If We Were Villians is another great campus mystery novel

[Trina]

Im going with the popular suggestion made by many of you and choosing Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Another book that's been on my TBR for ages. Surely this will be the year I finally beginning to dwindle down my list opposed to increasing it, right? haha time will tell anyway

[Tracy]

Trina wrote: " Surely this will be the year I finally begin to dwindle down my list..."


Good luck with that 😏, mine just gets bigger and BIGGER.

[Debbie]

A few books I read in the last few years, for these challenges:
- Porterhouse Blue and Grantchester Grind by Tom Sharpe
- Goodbye, Vitamin
- We Are Okay
- In the Country We Love: My Family Divided (only partially)
- Tam Lin (also good for retellings)
- The Pact (childhood, college, and med school)
- Wrecked

Happy reading!

[Lindi]

Trina wrote: "Surely this will be the year I finally beginning to dwindle down my list opposed to increasing it, right? ..."

I tell myself the same thing every year!

[Therese]

I thought of To Sir with Love,, but I have a feeling that it isn't university or college?

[Trina]

Tracy wrote: "Trina wrote: " Surely this will be the year I finally begin to dwindle down my list..."
Good luck with that 😏, mine just gets bigger and BIGGER."

Lindi wrote: "I tell myself the same thing every year!"

Glad I'm not the only one! I just can't help but get wrapped up in the hype of books! I'm such a sucker for it and get serious FOMO.

[Trina]

Kelsey wrote: "Beautiful Disaster for this one. Its been on my list for a while but the reviews have made me hold off. Time to do it!"

I actually quite liked it. It is massively cheesy and dramatic at times, but super entertaining and addictive too. Be warned though it is hugely problematic. It is definitely not a feminist work of fiction. The behaviours are certainly not ones you'd aspire too. I suppose your enjoyment of it will depend upon how you approach the book. The characters are super flawed and make some stupid choices, but it was entertaining nonetheless to read about. If you go in knowing its about young adults who are still maturing, you might be able to look past all the problematic issues. It is definitely a polarising book though.

[Tina]

I'm thinking The Female Persuasion for this prompt.

[Thomas]

I was thinking The Third Twin Ken Follet anyone know how much of that is at the university?

[Dawn]

Would Brideshead Revisited count?

[Thomas]

Dawn wrote: "Would Brideshead Revisited count?"

The university part is a small but signficant plot point. I guess its a matter of interpretation