Reading with Style discussion

10.10 Group Reads: Read any one of these recommended books:

Elizabeth: Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard
Amanda: Travels in the Scriptorium by Paul Auster
Kate S: Underworld by Don DeLillo
Connie: The Wright Brothers by David McCullough
Tien: The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks
Kazen: Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera
Don: Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
itpdx: Day After Night by Anita Diamant
Cory Day: The Just City by Jo Walton
Katy: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Sam: Church of Marvels by Leslie Parry
Bea: The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
Rosemary: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Ed: Paul Gauguin: An Erotic Life by Nancy Mowll Mathews
Chalmation: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

This list is now complete.

I noticed that Americanah is YA Assignment with no lexile score. I've requested a lexile score for it.

Rosemary wrote: "I noticed that Americanah is YA Assignment with no lexile score. I've requested a lexile score for it."

I keep finding more and more books that BPL has labelled "YA Assignment" but that Lexile hasn't categorised. Yes, you can request a lexile score for them, but the publisher has to submit the book for consideration.

It seems to me that they tend to be books that BPL has identified as suitable for an older youthful reader, probably in a high-school classroom setting, but were not originally targeted to a junior audience so Lexile hasn't bothered considering them.

It's frustrating to have genuine "kids" books included, but other more adult (in a good way!) books ruled out.

Lagullande wrote: "Rosemary wrote: "I noticed that Americanah is YA Assignment with no lexile score. I've requested a lexile score for it."

I keep finding more and more books that BPL has labelled "Y..."

See the comments in the socializing thread. Lexile may be broken today.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "See the comments in the socializing thread. Lexile may be broken today."

Thanks for the heads-up, Elizabeth. It's working again today but I'm still frustrated, as Books 1 and 3 of Chinua Achebe's African Trilogy are on there (with Lexiles over 800) but Book 2 (No Longer at Ease) is not.

I have the same problem with Station Eleven - YA Assignment at BPL but not on Lexile (although I see it has it been claimed for Styles in several past seasons, so maybe the YA Ass designation is a recent one).

I still think there is an issue with books designated YA Assignment by (some branches of ) BPL, but it doesn't occur to Lexile or publishers that they may be read by youngsters.

Lagullande wrote: "I have the same problem with Station Eleven - YA Assignment at BPL but not on Lexile (although I see it has it been claimed for Styles in several past seasons, so maybe the YA Ass designation is a recent one)."

That book was entered into our database prior to be designated as YA Assignment at the BPL. It will, therefore, qualify for all styles as in previous seasons.

Rosemary - let me check on Americanah.

The same applies for that book. Not previously designated YA in our database - you can claim styles!

Lagullande wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "See the comments in the socializing thread. Lexile may be broken today."

Thanks for the heads-up, Elizabeth. It's working again today but I'm still frustrated, as Books ..."

I was just doing some checking and all 3 books in the Achebe trilogy are on the canon, so are ok without the Lexile number. That's still a way to make an exception, right?

Karen Michele wrote: "Lagullande wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "See the comments in the socializing thread. Lexile may be broken today."

Thanks for the heads-up, Elizabeth. It's working again today but I'm still fr..."

Yes. On the Canon means no Lexile rule will apply regardless of shelving at BPL.

Karen Michele wrote: "I was just doing some checking and all 3 books in the Achebe trilogy are on the canon"

Wow, thanks for that Karen. I guess I let my frustration with the Lexile thing get in the way of checking everything else properly. Now I feel even guiltier for inadvertently giving Elizabeth extra hassles. But thank you for your kindness in checking that out.

So... I'm just past the halfway mark with Americanah and Obinze was having a Mocha at the bookstore cafe which prompted me to think which African American male authors have I read? I can only think of Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison and I think Malcolm X is on my tbr but I cannot think of any others so thought I should look into this further... Any recs? Any current popular faves?

Walter Mosley, James Earl Hardy

wow, thanks, Ed! Their books look fab, I've added them onto my tbr :)

Tien, here are some recent bestsellers and award winners:

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Sellout by Paul Beatty

Tien, this book is set at the time of the American Civil War:
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gaines

Thanks, Kazen & Connie! I've added those books too... I really didn't need to add onto my tbr :p

James Baldwin from the 1950s/60s.