Take a Trip Down Memory Lane Book List Style

The Book List is just a short and fun meme that allows us to share books and make a list of books! This meme is hosted by Rebecca at I'm Lost in Books and I thought I'd give it a try.

How to do this meme:

• There is a different topic each week
• Write a post on your blog about the topic (3 books pertaining to the topic)
• Link back to I'm Lost in Books and put your own link in the Mr. Linky

This week's topic: 3 books that take you back to high school

VC Andrews' Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews. I remember all of us reading the VC Andrews books, starting with Flowers in the Attic, and getting really into them. They are so disturbing; it's strange that I liked them so much. I mean, seriously, incest, kids locked in an attic...ew! I think I liked that the books were so different from what we were being "forced" to read in English class. Those books seemed so boring by comparison. And, maybe for a good girl (which I definitely was/am) the books seemed like a walk on the wild side in both content and the fact that they were trashy.

Portrait of the Artist As a Young Man by James Joyce. Ugh. I just couldn't stand this book! And, to be honest, I don't even remember what it's about. I just remember hating it and being so mad that I had to read it for AP English as a senior. I think I didn't "get it" at all, even with our class discussions. And, we tend to dislike what we don't understand. I've always wondered if I'd like it better as an adult, but quite frankly, I am not going to give it a chance. Sorry about that Mr. Joyce.

Tess of the D'Urbervilles by D.H. Lawrence. This book I liked better. Of course, it's been so many years since high school that I don't remember a whole lot about the book, but I do remember liking the setting and the time. I still really like the PBS series that are similar to this so perhaps it's just a style I go for. All those wonderful costumes and fabrics just get me. Of course, Tess wasn't wealthy so she probably didn't have wonderful dresses. I do remember protesting during a reading quiz when the teacher asked how Tess was Christ-like at one point. I didn't go to church and felt that was unfair since I had no idea and it wasn't something we had discussed in class. The teacher didn't like that response. Oh well.

Thinking about this makes me realize I don't remember a whole lot about what I read in high school. I also remember liking The Scarlet Letter and the Crucible. But pretty much we read works by dead white males. Bummer.