I don’t want to focus on the specific list when the conversation (or at least the better posts from it) is more interesting than the list itself, imo. But, if this was a poll conducted by participating Goodreads posters, perhaps this is says more about who decided to participate in the vote than anything else. Like, each book has an average rating, a number of ratings, and a number of reviews, and they aren’t sorted by any of those metrics. Harry Potter 5 is #4, and Twilight, Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and Fault in Our Stars are also in the top 10.
took a gander over there and what the fuck is this are you okay? First, I’m speaking as a teacher talking about what i see in terms of literacy levels and independent reading. It has nothing to do with my opinion mattering more. If a kid came into my class with The Hunger Games I would be incredibly happy. If they said it was the best book they ever read, I’d be incredibly happy once again! Second…what the fuck?????
I’m not sure why this whole thing is a shock to anybody. It’s not like TikTok is making people read more light half baked fiction, Harry Potter was infinitely more popular than Hunger games in our grade school years and then Twilight sold a lot more books than Hunger Games after that. This isn’t new, there’s always a huge fad series that’s popular with younger more casual readers but not seen as quality art by more seasoned readers and English teachers. and it feels like wasted energy when there’s much worse things like AI art and services that prioritize it rather than paying and promoting real artists… at least Hunger Games was written by a human and has a relevant sociopolitical message for young readers to chew on (regardless how well or poorly you think its executed). If that’s the dregs of book-form entertainment that’s a lot better than what’s going on in the visual and musical art world
See I don’t know, I think I disagree with this. It’s coming from a place with my best friend Nick, who literally this week, asked me for a book rec to read. Can’t remember the last book he ever read. And it’s been warming my heart the texts I am getting legit yesterday and today about how he feels so rewarded with reading. Referred to “painting a picture in his head”, creating “brain stamina”, etc. He’s a structural engineer, but feels like he is using parts of his brain he had turned off for a long time and it’s really giving him a true experience. So overall, I find that as a benefit. And I think it’s why I came into this in general because to me, him having that experience no matter WHAT he is reading feels good. And maybe people who are reading what some deem as “trash” can have this same experience and for them it’s a big deal. (And god do I wish he was reading the hunger games just for irony lol but it’s Stephen king)
Who would brag about being a teacher? We don't make any money, one of the major political parties is trying to destroy us, and the kids think we are the devil.
It’s not a shock and no one says it’s shocking. We’re just talking. For what it’s worth I agree that Hunger Games is better than pure trash.
I'm just laughing that anyone is taking a Goodreads poll seriously. Every poll, end of year list, whatever is full of "easier" reads on that site and has always been that way from my time on it. I'm not sure though that this is unique to this time period with shorter attention spans, either. I'm in a lot of reading communities and I don't think this is indicative of the average or above reader and what they're actually reading.
I know you avoid that thread on purpose, but a bit in that thread is I share a lot of “trauma dumps” but usually have them come out in an exaggerating way. I kind of posted that in a joke to a crowd who kinda already knows my sense of posting lol. I figured you’d prob gander eventually and be like “wtf is this” lol I will say when reading through the posts earlier it did come off as I’m a teacher so my opinion is more valid not from you directly but others and more posts have come in and I know yall have said that’s not your intention. and also, no I’m not okay lol
Word. Was just throwin in my two cents haha. Casual consumers of media will always have a much lower bar than artists and teachers of that art
We are on the same page. I am not using “trash” as harshly as you might think. I own watching trash horror movies and finding value in…at least some of them. Your friend allowed that reading muscle to atrophy, so it is good that he is reading anything. My students are the same way. Literally any independent reading of literature that they are doing on their own is beneficial, so long as it is at/slightly above their reading level to cause them to build that muscle back up. The discussion that a few of us are having is that it’s depressing how many adults have allowed that muscle to decay, especially compared to 25-30 years ago, and how now any reading is considered good reading when the baseline years ago was so much higher
Well, the same can be said for me in this thread. I have conversations with everyone in here pretty regularly, and it’s frustrating to never know when what seems like a casual conversation on this site is going to turn into full on bad faith bullshit because someone posted in that other thread. If you’re in there riling each other up and completely misunderstanding what people are talking about, of course you’re going to come in here hot.
Twilight is a funny one because a lot of the people I went to high school with that I was pretty sure couldn't read started posting about that book back in 2007 or so.
Had you considered that discussions of literature are often pedantic by nature and that maybe you should try a different choice of word than “trash” to be understood better in the discourse? A lot of people are reacting to the language because it IS kinda communicating harshly even though that isn’t your intent (coming from someone who has massive gaps in self awareness and comes off overly harsh and pompous myself lol so don’t think this is me disparaging you)
We actually read The Hunger Games together three years ago. It isn't as bad as the 17 year olds requesting to read Diary of a Wimpy Kid for their book project. The book is considered appropriate for 5th graders. My biggest complaint about The Hunger Games book is how little is different from the movie. I think the no-tongue people is the only plot point that wasn't in the film.
I mean I also mean it to be critical. There are a lot of books out there that I see former classmates/students/acquaintances making instagram stories about because the author is giving away advanced copies or some other bullshit, and they are absolute trash
That NFL thread is extremely toxic. People post in there shit talking and name-calling other users as if it’s not a public forum.
Idk, I refer to things I love as trash (when I find it appropriate) all the time. “Trash (affectionate)” is a category of fav every discerning person should have somewhere in their life.
Yeah my bad, I do think ultimately at the end of the day we share a very similar opinion and both want the same thing as it comes to reading as adults, in general. Sorry again for the other post And also, I hope your students do read clown in the cornfield because it was a fun little story!!
Name-calling people in a different thread is bizarre. We are talking about movies and books on the Internet. We are not passing laws here.
Tbh it’s very often in jest, the dynamic is kinda the opposite - if people are not playfully calling each other names and ribbing each other and are instead typing long serious posts to each other. THATS when it’s more tense lol