36. A book featuring a character in education

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

It's Back to School time! Whether you are currently preparing for school (or already back depending on your schedule) or just experiencing it vicariously, this week we are reading a book featuring a character in education. This could be a student, a teacher, an administrator, a librarian, a private tutor, just to name a few. And there's lots of different educational settings as well: traditional schools of course, but also colleges, graduate programs, med schools, arts schools, apprenticeship programs, etc.

Some lists to help educate you on your options:
College Romances: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Boarding schools, camps, & private schools: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...
Dark Academia: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

ATY Listopia https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

What are you reading for this prompt?

[Dixie]

I absolutely loved Dear Committee Members when I read it a few years ago. It's such a funny send-up of academia. For this prompt I'm reading the next book in the series, The Shakespeare Requirement, or, if I can't wait until 2024 to read that one, the third, The English Experience.

[LeahS]

I'm reading Educated (when in doubt, go for the obvious) and Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, from my TBR 'catch up with US classics' list.

[dalex]

Hooray, dark academia!

After falling in love with The Secret History a few years ago I realized dark academia is one of my favorite horror subgenres.

Some possibilities I'm considering for this prompt:
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai

Or any of the other titles on this list:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/th...

[Marie]

I'll be reading Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal. I read a lot of YA, so could easily have filled this prompt that way, but I like that this is about a teacher and adult learners.

[GailW]

I plan to read The Teacher by Michal Ben-Naftali, a translated historical fiction that takes place in Israel post-Holocaust.

[Chrissy]

I feel like students aren't "in education", which to me connotes someone who is making a living in the education field. I suppose most novels about students will have teachers, etc. in them as side characters, but I'm hopeful of finding something about a school or university as a job site. I've read a few good ones, but am on the lookout for something new.

[Chrissy]

Has anyone read Village Affairs or The Groves of Academe? I found them by googling for books like the TV shows "Abbott Elementary" and "The Chair", respectively.

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

Chrissy wrote: "I feel like students aren't "in education", which to me connotes someone who is making a living in the education field. I suppose most novels about students will have teachers, etc. in them as side..."

I'm currently reading I Have Some Questions for You, which is about a woman who returns back to the boarding school she attended to teach a two week class. It's literary fiction, with a side of murder mystery, so if that's your jam you should check it out.

[Jennifer W]

The books by Carol Goodman that I've read have had academic characters. I will see if any of hers that I haven't read fit the prompt.

I've liked or want to read
The Seduction of Water
The Night Villa
The Lake of Dead Languages
Arcadia Falls
The Sonnet Lover

[Wendy]

I'm considering Villette by Charlotte Brontë as the main character goes to teach at a boarding school. I've also been meaning to read Stoner by John Williams.

I'd recommend The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

[Dixie]

Wendy wrote: "I'm considering Villette by Charlotte Brontë as the main character goes to teach at a boarding school. I've also been meaning to read Stoner by [author:J..."

I think Villette is Charlotte's finest novel.

[Wendy]

Dixie wrote: "I think Villette is Charlotte's finest novel."

Excellent! I'm excited to hear that. I've been meaning to read this one for a while now, and it seems like a perfect winter read.

[Ashley Marie]

dalex wrote: "Hooray, dark academia!

After falling in love with The Secret History a few years ago I realized dark academia is one of my favorite horror subgenres.

Some possibilities I'm considering for this ..."

If I don't get around to If We Were Villains before the end of 2023, I'm definitely reading it for this prompt!

[Ellie]

Chrissy wrote: "I feel like students aren't "in education", which to me connotes someone who is making a living in the education field...."

It's pretty common for "in education" to be used as a economic demographic, to differentiate from in employment, retired or unemployed. My mind instantly thinks of students for this prompt for that reason, though of course both are correct.

[Hayley]

I'm planning to read My Dark Vanessa. I have seen this book hyped up on Booktube and several of my favourite vloggers have posted videos on it with good reviews. I've been trying to stay away from A Little Life because I am a highly sensitive person and one of my favourite Booktubers said that this was a very bad reading experience for her. She suggested My Dark Vanessa as an alternative that writes about trauma in a better way. I'm still expecting it to be a hard read though.

[Tracy]

For this I'm reading Agatha of Little Neon by Claire Luchette — a book I chose for one of my IRL bookgroups, this one is mostly made up of past elementary school teachers of my sons (now fully adult), and other people who worked or volunteered at the school. The 'educator' in this book is the titular character, a nun in a destitute convent who has to take up teaching math at a high school to help fund the convent.

[Kathy]

Tracy wrote: "For this I'm reading Agatha of Little Neon by Claire Luchette — a book I chose for one of my IRL bookgroups, this one is mostly made up of past elementary school t..."

I loved this book, Tracy.

[Tracy]

Thanks Kathy E! I don’t even remember how I found it. The night I found it we had all been talking about nuns (from our previous read), and these are all Montessori teachers (which I think I saw was the sort of school where Agatha teaches), so it was just kismet! Glad to hear it should work out just fine :)

Finished the book. A) enjoyed it, especially Agatha, B) I was wrong about the Montessori school — it IS in the book, but not where Agatha teaches.

[SadieReadsAgain]

I've got a few options for this on my physical shelves

- The Illness Lesson by Clare Beams
- Villette by Charlotte Brontë
- School's Out by Christophe Dufossé
- 'Tis by Frank McCourt
- Duck Feet by Ely Percy

[Bec]

Okay I've stretched a little on this prompt of a book featuring a character in education with The Wishing Game, in that the majority of the book isn't set in the education setting. But the main character Lucy is a teachers aid in a primary school (I don't think it's called that) and her desire to adopt christopher, which is the motivation for her playing the wishing game, was because she met him in the school.....so I'm counting it....as it does feature Lucy!

[Joy D]

For this prompt, I read:
South of Broad by Pat Conroy - 4* - My Review
This book features several characters in education, including the main character's mother.

[Sharon]

I'm trying to clear my shelves, okay make a dent, and plan to read Old School by Tobias Wolff.

[Denise]

I'm going to read Still Alice, Alice being an educator

[Eli]

I read Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews. This was a refreshingly sarcastic and funny story even though it was about cancer. Not the typical feel good sad story about a teenager dying but a more realistic awkward tail of teenagers dealing with death. Very good book in my opinion.

[Wendy]

I just finished Villette by Charlotte Brontë for this category, and oof, did this book destroy me. Dixie, you said above you thought this was Charlotte's finest novel and I completely agree! (having not yet read Shirly and The Professor, but I have a feeling those two can't possibly not let me down after this). Lucy Snowe takes a job as an English teacher in a girls school in the fictional city of Villette (probably based on Brussels, Belgium). Things happen, not all of them good.

My full review can be found here.

[Sharon]

I read The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens. Rosa Bud, a central character, is engaged to be married to Edwin Drood and resides at Miss Twinkleton’s Seminary for Young Ladies where she is being educated in all that is deemed necessary and proper for young women of the time. This was Dickens final work and is unfinished, It's got a little bit of everything, and in my opinion, is a magnificent book.

[Misty]

I read River Woman, River Demon by Jennifer Givhan for this prompt. It's probably a little bit of a stretch since the character isn't the main character. He is a professor at the University of New Mexico (which is just kind of fun for me because my daughter is a sophomore there now), and he is the husband of the main character. He is accused of a crime. Honestly, the book is kind of a hot mess in parts, and this character sort of gets forgotten for a while. But parts of it are absolutely fantastic. I gave it four stars, but it's really a 3.5.

[Severina]

I read The Harvest by Scott Nicholson, a not-very-good book. One of the many, many, far too many characters is a professor.

[lexiskat]

The book i chose for this prompt

short and sweet review: 3.5
This book just had me in up in the air, not on edge. The cliffhangers were so dry. Even though the book was not predictable it was not one of my favorite thrillers of Freida. The poor girls in this book leaves me speechless.

[Book Concierge]

Main Char Lara Jean Song is a high school student.


✔ - 11Feb24
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before – Jenny Han – 3***
This is a lovely coming-of-age novel featuring a trio of sisters, of which Lara Jean is the middle sister. Among the issues dealt with are sibling rivalry, teen crushes, sex, social media (and bullying), and conflicting feelings – whether for your sister or your boyfriend. I really liked Lara Jean. She mostly has her act together, but she is only sixteen. Still, she’s a good kid; she’s smart, talented, loyal, principled, and determined. And she has an open heart that is ready to learn about love and what it really means.
LINK to my full review

[Stacey]

Over time, psychological thrillers have become one of my favorite genres and author Lawrence Osborne always delivers. For this prompt, I read Osborne's exciting cat-and-mouse tale set in contemporary Cambodia (although the spectre of the Khmer Rouge still looms large), Hunters in the Dark. Robert, the book's 28-year-old main character, is a former English teacher who drifts around Southeast Asia in search of a meaningful identity and future.

[Anne]

I will be reading Fresh from the Country by Miss Read.

[J]

I read Harold by Stephen Wright. Yeah, that's the famous comedian, Stephen Wright, and yeah he read the audiobook - which made it very worth it.

I stole this pick for this week from Victoria Marie, but I see that she also didn't post it here.

[Robin H-R]

I read:
Miss Etta by Deanna Lynn Sletten

BIO: A teacher of multiple grades (i.e.: one room schoolhouse)
REJECT: A book with a real person as a character

Finished: 05/05/2024
Rating: 4 stars

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is my favorite movie, so this book was a real treat.

[Jette]

I'm reading Babel. I've just started it, but I am enjoying it so far. It may be switched out for a main character that is BIPOC if I don't find a good fit for that prompt.

[Kathy]

I read The Rainbow by D.H. Lawrence. Ursula becomes a school teacher in early 20th century England. The chapters about her experiences feel so true.

[Samantha]

I read Only If You're Lucky it was an okay Mystery/Thriller. It is a college setting with primarily college students.

[LeahS]

I read Vladimir. A university professor is accused of sexual misconduct - behaviour which took place in the past, and he alleges was consensual. The book is told from the point of view of his wife, who is infatuated with a younger professor at the same college. The theme and execution were both interesting and I was enjoying the book until the narrator did something so weird that I was thrown out of the story.

I also read Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, part of my attempt to read classic US children's/YA books. (Moved from another prompt). The MC starts a new school, and makes new friends among her classmates.

I was too old for this when it first came out. I think I would have found it a help at the time, although I was bit taken aback by M's assertion that periods wouldn't hurt - I would have felt somewhat betrayed by that!

[Sherri]

I read Hello Beautiful

[Denise]

I read Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries and Just One More Page Before Lights Out by Shannon Reed

The author is a teacher, and is the main "character" as it is essays/memoir

[Marie (UK)]

I read A Touch of Darkness persephone is in college whilst also doing a journalism job and making wagers with Hades

[Guylian]

Finished by Nathan Hill a few days ago.

[Phil]

I read Empire Falls by Richard Russo for this prompt as 2 of the main characters are students at high school and another is a teacher. (Read July 7; 4*)

[Liz]

Written by Karen N. McManus, One of Us is Lying is a YA mystery/thriller that delivers.

Five students find themselves in detention. When one of them suddenly starts choking and dies, fear and questions abound: Was it an accident or did someone murder him? If so, who and why?

This is a book intended for a young adult audience and I feel McManus did a good job setting out a story and characters that her audience could relate to. She's a great storyteller, and although some readers may feel that her writing was trope heavy, it's difficult to make this comment without acknowledging that the characters are teenagers. Emotions, angst, preoccupation with superficial things, first loves, and drama are part of growing up and it's unreasonable to expect that a story about adolescents wouldn't include this.

4 stars!
My review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Pam]

I’m reading The Secret History by Donna Tartt. The main characters are a group of college students.

[Jill]

I read A Body at a Boarding School by Benedict Brown

What I would call a cosy mystery.

[Kell]

I found Daddy Long Legs on the Listopia for this week, and it ended up being a 4 star read!

This is the reason I like reading challenges - the delightful surprise of hidden gems.

Judy is just like the Shakespeare she admires - so incredibly relatable, despite the intervening 100+ years.

[Clare]

I’m enjoying Straight Man by Richard Russo. He’s a funny writer and very clever!

This book takes place on a college campus. The main character is a professor. His wife is a high school teacher. I’m halfway through and this is a fun read!