This thread is about whatever you all want it to be about. :D

Books that suck - The English Patient

How about anything by John Grisham after "A Time TO Kill". How many times can one write the same book? Well "A Painted House" was different but it still sucked.

^^^ I hear that. The Appeal was terrible (IMO).
I did like Bleachers, though.

I've mentioned before that GC needs a book club. If not a club, it'd be nice to have a couple threads that would at least steer us in the right direction.

If I could wipe my behind with a book, Beloved would be it.

Bwhahahahaha.

I thought GC had a book club thread. Maybe that was another board.

There is a "What are you reading?" type thread with lots of recommendations, etc. I can't find it though, I'm too tired.


Ok, I'm not THAT tired: http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...hlight=reading

umm, heck yes! my sister put me on to this book. young adult fiction has come a LONG way.

Maybe not for school, but if it's helpful for preschoolers to read a book multiple times (in developing their language and literacy skills), i can only think its as helpful for older children (and adults) to reread books. I know when i read a book for the 2nd or 3rd time (often years later), i get a WHOLE different understanding and comprehension of its content. I'm sure if i read TKAM now (and i havent read it since... id say 10th grade) i'd pull something more out of it.

I had to re-read "The Yellow Wallpaper" and "Streetcar Named Desire" in college and it was NOT the same as in high school.

As a fellow New Yorker, this book wins at LIFE. We also read it freshman year, read the book AND watched the movie. Good times. And i totally agree with you on "finding books that 14 year old boys can relate and enjoy" because that was one of the few titles the ENTIRE class could enjoy and discuss.

Took the words out of my mouth. It's usually on the Top Ten of any Banned Books, as is To Kill A Mockingbird. People forget the concept of context.

Extremely random, but this reminded me of the times when we read these books in middle (HF) and high (TKAM) school.

I lived in Bel Air, MD during middle school, and I was one of like 4 black people in this 1,400+ student school. When we started reading Huck Finn, the teacher gave this huge disclaimer about the word's usage ("k_s, I'm SO sorry you have to hear this word, but..."). When students would read out loud, they usually paused and wanted me to say the word lol

In high school, we read TKAM individually and then watched the movie as a group. My 9th grade center was lot more diverse, but there weren't many black folks in my English class. Every time "colored" or any other similar word was dropped, everyone turned to look at me to make sure I was OK.

I agree that folks should recognize that context is important.

/random

LOL. I can relate to that.

At the same time, context doesn't always matter because I've heard people complain when others read things within context and it rolls off their tongue too easily/smoothly.

It reminds me of a thread about "the n word" (I hate that phrase) where a white GCer typed the word out. Although it was within a certain context, I kind of wished she had just put "n" or something to that effect.

Many of the social scientists and linguists I know are very hesitant to say certain words, almost regardless of the setting, as to not appear too at ease with something that makes some people uncomfortable.

For the most part, I agree with the bolded. You (general you) should be able to discern when there's a malicious intent, though.

Reading the lines of a book wouldn't affect me at all, but dropping the word all willy-nilly in a race discussion will make me raise an eyebrow.

No mal intent, though, no mal intent. :p

Outcome matters more than intent because we can hear tone and so forth, but can't read minds.

even more /random:

@ the bolded, i had a similar experience, discussing Don Imus' remarks a few years back. A white classmate slid me a note asking me if it was "okay if she used the word 'nappy' as long as it was in context."

:confused: is the look i gave her back. it was more http://www.runemasterstudios.com/gra...ages/whaat.gif

Whatever comments she wanted to make during that class, she refrained. But everytime the word was used, looks were dated back and forth in the classroom.

:back to OT, as i could easily see this blowing up into GC Race War X:

*fingers crossed*