Top Ten Tuesday: School Daze, Reading Haze

I almost skipped participating in TTT today because I didn't think I'd be able to come up with much for today's prompt: Top Ten Books I Was Assigned to Read in School. I'm sure I was required to read plenty, but I just can't remember specifics, especially before college. At Brigham Young University, I studied English, and those years are a little bit clearer. Still, it was a bit of a struggle to come up with ten.

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl. 

Top Ten Books I Was Assigned to Read in School (and how I felt/feel about them)

1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee—TKAM is my favorite novel of all time. I believe I first encountered it in college. I've read it many times since and I love it more each time I read it. It's a classic that's timeless, approachable, and always inspiring.

2. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis—I'm thinking this children's classic was probably something one of my elementary school teachers read aloud to us rather than assigned us to read ourselves. I remember being enraptured by the story. Some of the magical images it conjured in my young head still linger there quite vividly.

3. Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather—All I remember about this book is that I was bored to tears by it when I was assigned to read it in high school. 

4. Watership Down by Richard Adams—I vaguely recall being assigned to read this in one of my college lit classes. Although I know I enjoyed it, I have no recollection of what it's about except that it involves rabbits...

5. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck—This is another one of those books that put vivid images into my head. I believe I first read it in high school.

6. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald—I disliked this classic when I first read it in high school (possibly college) and I despised it even more when I reread it a few years ago with my son, who was studying it in a high school English course. He was likewise flummoxed by it and kept asking, "What is this book even about?" Seriously!

7. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson—This hilarious holiday book wasn't assigned reading, but I remember so well the day my stern, never-cracked-a-smile 3rd grade teacher was reading it aloud to our class and started laughing so hard that she had to hand the book off to a student to read for her. We were all so terrified of her that it was absolutely shocking to watch her lose control like that!

8. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger—I was assigned to read this book in college and absolutely hated it.

9. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle—This is another children's classic that was either assigned reading or a teacher read aloud from elementary school. Again, the vivid images it conjured up in my mind back then are still there. I've reread the novel a few times in the ensuing years and, while it's not a big favorite of mine, it's always a nostalgic read.

10. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury—I believe I read this novel in high school. Other than the book burnings, I don't remember much about the story except that I liked it.

There you go, ten books that I read or that a teacher read aloud to me in school. Have you read any of them? What did you think when you first encountered them? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. I also reply to comments left here, although I am a week or so behind at the moment.

Happy TTT!