Weekend Reads #86: High-School Experiences

Weekend Reads is a weekly post in which I discuss a variety of topics and mention the books I’m currently reading.

This week’s topic:

High-school experiences

That just popped into my head. I didn’t have a topic for this weekend but when I started writing about not having a topic, I thought back to a podcast I listened to a while back where two authors of YA novels said “everyone’s high-school experience was horrible” and if your experience wasn’t horrible, then you were doing something wrong. (Not the exact words, but that’s the gist of it.)

That really frustrated me because my high-school experience was great and I didn’t do anything wrong to make it so. I enjoyed high school and had loads of fun, so I don’t think it’s right to generalize such experiences. I understand that lots of people had horrible experiences in high school, but that’s not true of everyone. Like many people, I was insecure during my teenage years and struggled to accept who I am and identify who and what I want to be. Home life was stressful, so I hardly ever wanted to be there. My joy came from hanging out with friends, whether at school or after school. I didn’t like attending school because I chafe against routine and regimen, but once I was there, I enjoyed it. I loved some of my classes and though I wasn’t popular, I got along with many of the teachers and students. I felt free at school and the stress I felt sometimes at home was lifted while there.

School life was great, hanging out with my friends was great, and there’s nothing wrong with having such an awesome high-school experience.

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What I’m currently reading:

The Devourers by Indra Das

I’m buddy-reading this with Rachel from Life of a Female Bibliophile and… I don’t know what to think of it. So far it bores me. I nod off every time I attempt to read it. I don’t mind a slow plot, but this one is annoying because it’s as if it’s hinting that something bad is going to happen but is holding back to increase tension but since I’m not interested, I’m annoyed instead of eager and curious. I’m now at the second part (the story is divided into seven parts) and am slowly beginning to like the writing.

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris (narr.)

I’m listening to the audio book because I listened to Sedaris narrate one of his essays for an episode of This American Life podcast and I wanted to more. But it was a bad decision to listen to this audio book. I usually use audio books for rereads, but it’s my first time encountering the contents of Holidays on Ice. I thought that would be okay since I listened to the audio book of The Girl with All the Gifts without first reading the book and didn’t have a problem. But I guess I can only do that with thrillers/horror novels, or just The Girl with All the Gifts, because nothing sticks in my head when I listen to Holidays on Ice. I enjoy listening to Sedaris narrate it, of course, but after a session listening to it, I can’t remember the details of what was said. It just goes through one ear and out the other. So it’s good that I have a physical copy of the book because I’ll have to read instead of listen to it.

The Shape of Water by Guillermo del Toro and Daniel Kraus

I’m loving this!!! It’s almost exactly like the movie. I finally (long story) got a copy of the book from the library only to realize shortly after starting it that I’ll need to get a copy for myself. I can’t read the library’s copy because there are so many lines I want to highlight. I’m only a few pages in (on pg. 36) and am hooked on the story and the writing and the characters. Only 36 pages in and already I prefer Strickland in the book to the one in the film. So far, he has more depth in the book, and I appreciate that we get to see how exactly the amphibious man was “captured.”

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

It’s a reread and I’m going through it slowly because I prioritize all other books ahead of it. My plan is to take my time with it and simply appreciate how the story is told.

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That’s it for now.

Let me know below what you’re currently reading.

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