Valetta’s Comments (group member since Sep 22, 2016)

Valetta’s comments from the Fort Scottians Read group.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

Matched by Ally Condie
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling
Crossed by Ally Condie

Also looking forward to reading Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins and the HP #5 soon!

Please share with your fellow group members the last book you read (over 100 pages), current book you're reading, and what you plan to read next. Additional comments welcome! Happy reading.

In honor of Sept. 17th's Curiosity Day, Miss Val challenges you to be curious and break outside of your reading comfort zone.

Are you comfortably snuggled into a reading niche of one or two select genres? Do you wonder what possible appeal readers might see in western novels, or how anyone could possibly enjoy thick biographies, or who in the world reads steamy romances, or what is going through a person's head when they pick up an 800+ page, ancient classic? Indulge that curiosity, and enter this challenge!

Challenge Details: Choose 3 or more genres (an abbreviated genres list is below to get you thinking) you are curious about, and list them here. Your fellow group members will list books they recommend in those genres, and you choose one to read. Recommended time for completing this challenge is 2 months or less, but there is no strict time limit. This challenge is meant to help you discover new books and authors you never would have considered before, and perhaps, will come to love.

Short List of Popular Genres
Classics. Literature.
Suspense fiction. Crime fiction. Detective fiction. Historical fiction. ...
Thriller. Mystery fiction. Legal thriller. Medical thriller. Horror. ...
Tragedy. Melodrama.
Urban fiction.
Westerns.
Women's fiction. Romance fiction. ...
Non-fiction. Cookbook. Biography. Self-help. ...
General cross-genre. Historical romance. Juvenile fantasy. Young adult. Graphic Novel.
Dystopian fantasy. Science fiction. Paranormal.
Religion. Spirituality. Religious fiction. ...
LGBT fiction.
Comedy.
Sports.

I will start off the comments by saying I always have the worst time choosing any single favorites - the world is so vast and there are too many awesome options! So some of my favorite adult series of all time are: The Wool series by Hugh Howey, the Tao series by Wesley Chu, and the Nexus series by Ramez Naam. I also love any books by Jane Austen. In young adult, I love the Hunger Games series, The Compound series, Garfield comic books, and the Percy Jackson series, although I have only actually read the first Percy book completely through.

Some of my teen favorites were: This Present Darkness & Piercing the Darkness by Frank E. Peretti, the Cooper Kids Adventure series by Frank E. Peretti, any books by Janette Oake or Grace Livingston Hill.

Children's book series I love: The Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis, any "Pigeon" book by Mo Willems, "Bruce" book by Ryan T. Higgins, "If You Give a . . ." book by Laura Joffe Numeroff, Clifford books by Norman Bridwell, Berenstain Bears by Stan and Jan Berenstain, farmyard books by Doreen Cronin, Dojo books by Chris Tougas, Arthur by Marc Brown, and far too many more to count!

To my peers, I would recommend my top three scifi series if you like scifi (you might like them anyway, if you give them a try!) or Jane Austen for anyone. I would recommend Jane Austen to my parents too, along with Frank E. Peretti, although of course they have already read them. To my kids, I try to recommend nearly anything that seems wholesome, fun, and/or educational.

In a zombie apocalypse, I would take every Hugh Howey book I can find, along with any Austen book I could scoop up.

To the love of my life, I would will my recipe books, because that's about all he will read.

Please, tell me your faves. I love to hear good recommendations.

What is/are your all-time favorite series? What series would you recommend to your peers vs. your parents vs. the kids in your life? What series would you take to the safe refuge in a zombie apocalypse with you? What series would you will to the love of your life? Answer any or all of the questions, just for the fun of sharing with us. Maybe we'll pick your favorite series for an upcoming challenge!

Digital Book Lovers, this challenge is for you! Are you a Kindle Unlimited or Kindle First user? Do you receive one or more books a month as a benefit, add it to your ever-lengthening list, and always think you'll get to it sometime? Today is the day!

Challenge Details: To participate, open up your Kindle Cloud and choose 4 or more books still lurking about. You can post the covers or the titles in the feed below. Miss Val will narrow your choice down to 2, and once you accept the challenge, you will be encouraged to try and read one or both of the books within a month. There is no strict time limit, however. This challenge is about boosting your reading, and giving you extra motivation to cross the books on your device off your list.

Bonus Challenge: Read both books I choose plus one more within the month. Brag about your progress in this discussion, and add the shelf with the chosen books to the challenge page here: https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/.... Happy Reading!

Challenge Details:

You know them. They beckon every time you walk past their dusty section of your bookshelf, or designated place at your library. You have always wanted to read these books, but found something else to read instead. Ready to change that?

The Rules: Post 4-10 books you have wanted to read for awhile. Miss Val will narrow your choices down to 2. Decide which one to read and update your post, telling the group. I encourage you to try and read the book within one month, but this challenge has no deadlines.

Please Note: In order to actually complete this challenge, you should add your goal of one book and the shelf the book your reading is on to the "I Have Always Wanted to Read..." Challenge. This is the Challenge Discussion Page, which lets you post the initial choices.

When you have finished the book, let us know what you thought in the discussion comments. Is it worth all the hype? Did it meet your expectations? What surprised you about it?

If you liked the challenge, let me know, and feel free to do it again with a new list. Happy reading!

Welcome to your local virtual book club! We would love to learn a bit about you, what brought you to us, and a few of your favorite books or series.

A bit about me:

I am Valetta Cannon, Youth Librarian & Assistant Director at Fort Scott Public Library. I am also a mother of three, and also keep 2 dogs and 1 cat. My kids attend Fort Scott Public Schools, and I live in town. I have lived here since May of 2010, and was born in Fort Scott but grew up in Missouri. My job at the library began in July of 2015. It is my dream job, and I could not be happier. I am also a recent graduate of FSCC, with an Associate of Arts degree, as well as a former daycare worker and with many years of experience in children's ministry. A few years ago, I also worked as a part-time library clerk and summer reading director at a small public library in Missouri.

My reading preferences have changed a lot over the years. In my young years, I was a huge fan of Ramona Quimby, Laura Ingalls Wilder, The Chronicles of Narnia, and fantasy/action/mystery/comedy books. I also read a lot of non-fiction. I was romance-novel-smitten for most of the 90's and early 2000's, but emerged in the last decade head-over-heels in love with science fiction and fantasy. I am also an aspiring writer who needs a serious kick in her rear to try and get my works published. Maybe someday.

Huge shocker: I love children's books and am addicted lately to dystopian young adult novels as well. I really read little bits of everything, so if you have a great recommendation for me, please do share! I am, alas, also a very slow reader, but will try and get to any worthwhile work eventually. Take a look at my to be read pile sometime.

Now, tell me about yourself!