blonde poker forum

Our daughter Jayde is a bookworm,she reads all the time.

Starting with the Jaqueline Wilson (Tracey Beaker books) she has well surpassed them now.

After the HP and LOTR books,she needed a new higher level to read,the only one we could think of that we had in the house was 1984,she loved it!!

Any thoughts on what she could read next? We have thought about Brave New World or Catcher in the Rye?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance
Shelly x

I was an avid reader as a kid too.  I think I was around 12 or 13 when I started reading some Shakespeare stuff - might be worth a go if she's not read them yet.

Oh - and I'm sure a lot of us remember reading Judy Blume's 'Forever' at that age too :D

"The Secret History" by Donna Tartt. I think deep down that book's why Jen and I read Classics at college.

Hi Shelly

I read 1984 at school at that age and straight after that we had to read All Quiet on the Western Front - and although it may not seem like the best of recommendations it's the one book I thoroughly enjoyed reading at school and have always remembered.

FWIW it seemed to go down well with the whole class - as in the majority of us finished reading it at home when we were 'supposed' to read a chapter at a time lol.

I am also an avid bookworm, about 14-15 was when I discovered Crime Fiction books which opened me to a whole world of Forensics. If I could turn back time and change my study options I would love to have studied towards that.

Mich/x

Harrington on Holdem? The trilogy.

Very educational & interesting.

Dont thank me.

Vinny.

Has she read all of the LOTRs books? There is still the Hobbit and Silmarillion if not. I remember when I was in school and we were forced to visit the Library once a week for like an hour I used to just look at True Crime books. Like Jack the Ripper and modern stuff. But if your looking for fantasy like Harry Potter and LOTRs then you should try some Phillip Pullman stuff, Amber Spyglass, Northern Lights, they're all great books. 

To kill a mocking bird?

Let Jayde loose on Amazon. Look up the books she has read and liked and see what other people who bought the book have liked.

I wouldn't worry about the specific fact she's 13 - if she's done 1984 and LOTR then she's passed 'kid's books'. Seeing as she's read 1984, Brave New World is an obvious choice - I read it at about that age and loved it.

In terms of classic books, Charles Dickens' stuff is very readable (schools do too much Shakespeare and not enough Dickens, IMO). Jane Austen as well might be good.

I'd recommend these also.

What about joining the local library. The most fantastic local resource for communities, & they are never used enough.

The book that really got me into reading as a kid was "My Family & Other Animals" by Gerald Durrell. I've just started reading it again, its still a magical book to me.

I have to say I'm not a big fan of reading old stuff just cos it's old. I read vast amounts when I was young, and still do. Easily get through a book a week, and sometimes 2.
How about Philip Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy? Main character is a girl around 13 YO. Ignore the film - the books are way way better (although I quite liked the film, but I'd already read the books). And once she's read them, you can read them as well - they work on many levels. Wonderful books.
I'd recommend anything by Terry Pratchett as well. Recent discworld stuff works on many levels as well - she may not get some of the satire in there, but you don't really have to to enjoy them.
How old is she? I'd recommend Iain Banks for some "grittier" reading, but there's some fairly adult stuff in a lot of his books.

Andrew

Gone With the Wind might be a good one.

when i was that age i was reading the Bronte sister books..Jane Eyre,Wuthering Heights and so on.
i also think the hobbit is a must if she has not read that.

i'm half way through this, brilliant so far.

phillip pullmans trilogy is perfect imo.

some sebastian faulks i always recommend to anyone, beautiful language and images.

Catch 22 is good. Tom Sawyer is fantastic for a 13 YO  would say

dunno if she would like this but i read it about that age and couldn't put it down till the end :-

The Kon-Tiki Expedition  by Thor Heyerdahl

He also did The Ra Expeditions which was about crossing the Atlantic in an Egyptian papyrus boat.

This one in fact - (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/RaII.InMuseum.jpg/250px-RaII.InMuseum.jpg)

If she's particularly interested in books then I'd recommend "The Book of Lost Things" by John Connolly which is a very good dramatic story which uses a lot of old myths and folklore as plot devices.

And for the comedy variety of books about books, or fiction about fiction, then there is Jasper Ffordes 'Thursday Next' series.

    * The Eyre Affair (2001)
    * Lost in a Good Book (2002)
    * The Well of Lost Plots (2003)
    * Something Rotten (2004)
    * First Among Sequels (2007)

These would be particularly good, because they reference so many other books it could give her further ideas of what to read afterwards.

If she liked 1984 then Brave New World is a good choice as it is a similar type of book.

 ;iagree;

http://www.thecull.com/stoppage.asp (http://www.thecull.com/stoppage.asp)

A good story & a good read, written by a guy who runs a drop in centre for drug addicts - my mates teenage daughter loved it and said how unusual it was for there to be gritty reality in a book about drugs for kids.

I was and still am very big on reading. At 13, though, don't try and depress her just yet.

I'd recommend books by Robin Hobb - The Farseer trilogy, Liveship Trader trilogy and the Tawny Man trilogy in that order.

Terry Pratchett's Discworld is also choc-a-bloc full of classics. I could read his stuff non-stop.

Raymond E. Feist also wrote some good books that I enjoyed, again it's fantasy genre - They start with a fantastic book called 'Magician'

George R. R. Martin - A song of ice and fire - This series is absolutely fantastical, and is uncontested in the fantasy genre.

Trudi Canavan's Black Magician series is based around a young girl as the central character, which she might prefer to some of the others.

I've got it upstairs and it is still only part read, i just couldn't get into this at all.
I would agree whole heartedly with these suggestions, Trudi Canavan also has The Age of Five series which is very readable.

At 13 I had only just reached the             Wishing Chair    stage

BTW


I gave up on We need to talk about Kevin,should i restart?

I hate giving up on books but found this one really hard going - think I tried 3 times before giving in for good.  Lots of friends said the same.  I read for pleasure, so it shouldn't feel like a chore.

Many many thanks for all the replies.

Jayde has read through the thread,and could not belive all the wonderful posts and exciting books you have all spoke about.

She is going to read Brave New World first as we have that here,but she is compling a list from all your suggestions of books, she wishes Pete and I to buy for her.

This going to cost me a fortune lol

Thanks once again

Animal Farm- a really great multi leveled book. Also the Independent has today listed the Top ten books for teens, coincidence huh!

"the curious incident of the dog in the night time"


http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/childrens/grownups/davidficklingbooks/curious/

I'd definetly give it another go once you get over the fact that she is writing letters (how annoying to start with??)it does actually become a very good read.

The works are currently selling all the old classic stuff, bronte, Thomas Harding, Dickens etc. They have two stories in each book. Only a couple of quid each.

As Mad posted earlier, 'To Kill a Mocking Bird' is a good book.

If she was a fan of 'The Hobbit' and 'LOTR', then 'The Belgariad' series by David Eddings would be recommended, starting with 'Pawn of Prophecy'.

I love The Belgariad series, Nakor put me onto it. I've got though the first series and I'm on King of the Murgos from The Mallorean series. Good stuff indeed:)  I've never read The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings, are they worth a go?

Absolutely.  The Hobbit is aimed at a younger audience, but is still enjoyable.
The Lord of the Rings is simply the best book i've ever read. I presume you have seen the films though?

Yes the films were brilliant but would they spoil the book?

Well, you know then ending!

Still a good read though.

BTW: There is a sequel to The Belgariad.  'The Mallorean', only another five books!

yes thats the series im on now....lol