Highschool students.....?

Question

Do you ever read books outside of required class books? i'm just wondering because i know me and my best friend have always read and read and read nomatter what.. im a highschool sophomore and am nerdy enough to keep count and i've gotten to where i barely read much anymore.. last year i read 35 books and thought to myself "whats happening to me?" because thats soo few for a whole year.. and classmates caught wind of this and said "you read 35 books.. in one year?" and upon inquiry i learned nothing i didn't already know, but is still alarming, that most of them have prolly read maybe that many books in their lives...

is it really uncommon to read for pleasure anymore? I admit i read childrens books that offer no difficulty but i still read them because i enjoy them!... yes.. i still have every intention of reading every Nancy Drew book ever published... i know im a dork.. but whatever! im still appalled that me and my friend are the only people we know who ever read for fun!!

i do understand the not having time thing.. since the new year i have read one book... ONLY ONE!!! now im reading the first book i've ever truely felt is beyond my league (except of the time i started A Tale of Two Cities.. but i was only 12!!! soi quit.. 2 pages into it) im reading Pride and Prejudice, not the modifyed version, and its kickin my tail!

but yeah, back in the summer before 9th grade, when i had no live, i was reading 3 books that were 150 pages each per day and it only took me 2 days to read the un-modifyed version of Hound of the Baskervilles.. which came close to kickin my butt, but i made it through! so yeah.. that summer i read aprox. 450-750 pages a day (yeah.. im a loser for sure now!) and now i read about... oh.. 3 pages a day?.. cant help it.. im doing lotsa extra-curricular junk now!

so i understand not having time.. but i dont understand not wanting too.. i mean.. with a book you can imagine the details, they're not forced upon you like a movie scene is.

Answer 1

no

Answer 2

I'm a high school freshman and do too enjoy reading for fun I just read 2 Harry Potter Books in 3 weeks. But I dont think it makes me a nerd, I mean, I'd pick going to a party over sitting at home reading a book anyday. For example, last weekend there was a big party and my mom wouldn't let me go so instead of sitting at home reading, I decided to go to the movies with my slightly less boring friends. It really just depends on how often you read, try to keep a balance in your life. Dont become "that girl who hides behind a book all her life". Keep the balance, go out every once in a while.
And actually 35 books in one year is a lot. I probably read 5 books outside of school a year. Probably because I dont read during the summer, but still dont live through characters in a book, live your own life.

Well I've left you with my words of wisdom, use them well.

Answer 3

I adore reading. I'm a senior in high school and had weaned myself out of the YA section when I was a freshman... I don't have enough time to read 35 books a year in-between play practice, band practice, homework, friends, etc. but with all of that I can finish one book every two months or thereabouts (sad, I know.) I love Shakespeare although I've only read one of his books, The Merchant of Venice. I prefer watching his plays than to reading them. For my research paper this year I did it on why Shylock was the moral character and my teacher was so excited about it-- a teenage who has read Shakespeare... bestill her heart, I guess.
For the holidays I recieved nine books by Chaim Potok, my new favorite author. I also recieved Les Misearables and Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead, both by Ayn Rand. Last year I read The Chosen, The Promise (both by Potok), We the Living, Anthem (both by Rand), and 1984 and Animal Farm (both by Orwell), just to name the ones that really stuck out.
I can't say I read a lot of different books mainly because I stick with what I adore and read things over a lot but if something takes my interest then I'll try something new, although my "something new" has to be about the Holocaust, sociology, or something historical.
I had to write an essay for a college application about what I treasure the most. I wrote about my books and the knowledge I learn from them. In all of that, though, I hate reading books for school. I hate being forced to read something-- I never seem to enjoy it. I hated Tom Sawyer, The Catcher in the Rye, Lord of the Flies, and whatever else. The only decent book that I had to read in school was The Good Earth and I never even finished that.
And that was a lot of nothing, but yes. I do read and enjoy it.

Answer 4

Its not uncommon, but its rarely done to the degree that you have achieved. I have probably read 35 books since 8th grade, and I'm a senior now. But none of those 35 was for my enjoyment.

High school kids really care more about hanging out with friends and partying, or using the internet and playing games, as opposed to reading books for pleasure. While I don't like reading, I can't deny the fact that reading is invaluable to ones education, as it improves writing and reading ability much more than partying and gaming ever will.

Answer 5

I can't remember a time when I didn't read for fun, and I'm in my mid-twenties now. In high school I didn't always have time to read books that weren't required when I had English classes, but the rest of the year I read all the time.

Sometimes it isn't obvious that people read as much as they do, because some people might not just carry a book around at all times with them (like I do), and just read before they go to bed or after their homework is done or something like that.

If you're looking for more people to share your love of reading with, try starting a book club at school. More people might show up than you'd think!

Answer 6

Yes, I still read books for pleasure, but not as often as I used to in middle school. Whenever I go to the library to pick up a couple books for an essay I can't help but grab a novel that catches my eye. Sometimes the story draws me in so much I stay up half the night reading it. Yes, I guess I am considered a dork by others, but I learn alot. Even when talking to people through yahoo, who don't know my age, they assume I'm twenty-something, because I can relate to there questions about marriage, college life, and having children and marriage problems. Too bad they never find out that I'm only fourteen. But I'm proud of myself, because though I learn a great deal by still reading in my spare time, I apply it to everyday life and I don't live off of books. So yes, people your age still read for pleasure.

I can't believe I rambled that much. Sorry!

Answer 7

I'm a sophomore too. I used to read all the time, but this year I've been so busy with so many things. I used to read in class, but I got in trouble for that, so I don't do it anymore. It bothers me that I don't read as much as I used to, but I still pleasure read when I get the chance, and I usually have a non-school related book in my backpack, especially on test days.

Answer 8

I thought I was the ONLY student that read for pleasure most of my life. My grandmother read and my dad read science fiction and western paperbacks. I used to get 10 books a week in elementary school from the public library. In high school I read at least one book a week outside of class, often more. Even in college, I would read science fiction books or fantasy books outside of class.

When my now husband introduced me to science fiction fandom, I found that I was not alone in my reading habit. I feel at home with these people. And my husband and I own 5000+ books with about 40% of them autographed by the author.

I still read childrens books in addition to adult books because I work with children and try to inspire them to read. I can't say I ever got that into Nancy Drew because I discovered them to be to forumula. But I do like mystery novels in addition to science fiction and fantasy.

Keep reading!

Answer 9

Yes! I love to read. Whenever we have a required book to read I am always reading other books for my pleasure at the same time. My friends love to read too. If one of us buys a book, we'll finish it and all swap books.

Answer 10

I'm a sophomore too and i love to read! I read out side of school too though i dont think i've gotten through 35 books yet this year! :-p

Answer 11

I read all the time. It's good that you read. Most highschool students are lazy because they have things like the internet and television. thirty five books seems like a lot to them because it's a book almost every ten days. people are just lazy to read. Lots of people read for fun. You just need to find them.