Commentary #70: Time’s 100 Best Young Adult Books Of All Time

TIME YA List

Image Credit: TIME

Thrice Read did another cool lists / ranking post!

Here’s the link to the original list from Time’s website:


Rank and Title Read?
1. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Yes
2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Yes
3. The Book Thief No
4. A Wrinkle in Time Yes
5. Charlotte’s Web Yes
6. Holes Yes
7. Matilda Yes
8. The Outsiders Yes
9. The Phantom Tollbooth Yes
10. The Giver Yes
11. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Yes
12. To Kill A Mockingbird Yes
13. Roll of Thunder, Hear Me Cry Yes
14. Anne of Green Gables No
15. The Chronicles of Narnia Yes
16. Monster Yes
17. The Golden Compass No
18. The Diary of a Young Girl Yes
19. From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler Yes
20. Looking for Alaska Yes
21. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time No
22. Little House on the Prairie Yes
23. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane No
24. Wonder No
25. The Sword in the Stone No
26. The Catcher in the Rye Yes
27. Little Women Yes
28. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Yes
29. The Hobbit No
30. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Yes
31. Lord of the Flies Yes
32. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Yes
33. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Yes
34. Bridge to Terabithia Yes
35. The Call of the Wild Yes
36. A Separate Peace Yes
37. Harriet the Spy Yes
38. The Chocolate War Yes
39. Jacob Here I Loved Yes
40. A Series of Unfortunate Events No
41. Hatchet Yes
42. The Lord of the Rings No
43. Feed Yes
44. The Alchemyst No
45. The Princess Bride Yes
46. Beezus & Ramona Yes
47. Tarzan of the Apes No
48. Johnny Tremain Yes
49. The Westing Game No
50. The Wind in the Willows Yes
51. Speak Yes
52. Mary Poppins No
53. The Fault in Our Stars Yes
54. A Northern Light Yes
55. The Yearling Yes
56. The Hunger Games Yes
57. For Freedom No
58. The Wall Yes
59. A Monster Calls No
60. Percy Jackson & the Olympians No
61. The Illustrated Man No
62. A Wreath for Emmett Till No
63. Every Day No
64. Where Things Come Back No
65. Number the Stars Yes
66. Blankets No
67. Private Peaceful No
68. The Witch of Blackbird Pond Yes
69. Dangerous Angels No
70. Frindle Yes
71. Boxers and Saints No
72. The Graveyard Book No
73. City of the Beasts No
74. American Born Chinese No
75. The Lost Conspiracy No
76. Dogsbody No
77. The Pigman No
78. Alabama Moon No
79. Esperanza Rising Yes
80. The Knife of Never Letting Go Yes
81. Boy Proof No
82. Fallen Angels Yes
83. A High Wind in Jamaica No
84. The Tiger Rising No
85. When You Reach Me No
86. Saffy’s Angel No
87. The Grey King No
88. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Yes
89. The Thief Lord No
90. The Mysterious Benedict Society No
91. The Invention of Hugo Cabret No
92. Sabriel No
93. Tiger Lily Yes
94. Secret No
95. A Wizard of Earthsea No
96. Tales of Mystery and Imagination No
97. Whale Talk No
98. The Chronicles of Prydain No
99. Danny the Champion of the World No
100. Twilight Yes

That’s my take on the list!

Yes: 52
No: 48

I have some more reading to do, I think.


What do you think? How many of these books have you read?


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Writing Prompt #108: “The A to Z Writing Challenge: Favorite Songs/Music/Bands” (Letter T)

Welcome back!

April 23rd – T

True Believers, Darius Rucker

I loved Darius Rucker when he was a part of the epic band Hootie and the Blowfish, but he’s certainly made a name for himself in the country music arena, too.

This is one of my favorite songs by him. It was hard to pick just one for this challenge. I love his voice, and I love the message behind this song. Enjoy!


What are your favorite songs/music/bands that start with T?

Let me know in the comments – I’d love to hear about it!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Writing Prompt #107: “The A to Z Writing Challenge: Favorite Songs/Music/Bands” (Letter S)

Welcome back!

April 20th – S

Sugar, Maroon 5

This is one of my favorite songs of all-time! No, I’m not kidding. Once I discovered this song and music video, it became a true earworm. I think Al’s mom first told me about it!

I’ve watched the music video on YouTube at least 20 times!

We didn’t play this song at our wedding, but I love the idea of associating it with weddings. It’s so catchy. Plus, Adam Levine is very easy on the eyes.


What are your favorite songs/music/bands that start with S?

Let me know in the comments – I’d love to hear about it!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Writing Prompt #106: “The A to Z Writing Challenge: Favorite Songs/Music/Bands” (Letter R)

Welcome back!

April 19th – R

Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up), Florence + The Machine

I knew I needed to put at least one Florence + The Machine song on this list! They are awesome! I love her voice, and the energy she brings to every song they sing/produce.

This song is almost 10 years now (Wow). It was released in June 2009. Excuse me while I go listen to this, and find more songs from them!


What are your favorite songs/music/bands that start with R?

Let me know in the comments – I’d love to hear about it!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Writing Prompt #105: “The A to Z Writing Challenge: Favorite Songs/Music/Bands” (Letter Q)

Welcome back!

April 18th – Q

Queen

This was almost a no-brainer. Queen is such an epic band!!

There are so many songs from them that I adore. I know all the words to Bohemian Rhapsody!


What are your favorite songs/music/bands that start with Q?

Let me know in the comments – I’d love to hear about it!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Writing Prompt #104: “The A to Z Writing Challenge: Favorite Songs/Music/Bands” (Letter P)

Welcome back!

April 17th – P

(P.Y.T.) Pretty Young Thing, Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson has become one of my favorite artists. I remember first becoming interested in his music when I read Ryan White’s autobiography in high school. Ryan and Michael were good friends when Ryan was fighting his battle with AIDS in the late 1980s.

Until it was covered on Glee in 2011, I absolutely butchered the words of this song when I was singing it! I love that Glee covered many of Michael Jackson’s songs, I thought they did a good job with them.


What are your favorite songs/music/bands that start with P?

Let me know in the comments – I’d love to hear about it!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Writing Prompt #103: “The A to Z Writing Challenge: Favorite Songs/Music/Bands” (Letter O)

Welcome back!

April 16th – O

Oops!… I Did It Again, Britney Spears

Like BSB and NSYNC, Britney Spears was a big part of my childhood. I loved her music from the very beginning, but once I got the Oops!… I Did It Again CD somewhere around 2000, I listened to it on repeat. I know most of the songs by heart, even all these years later!

This song was fitting. I belt it out whenever I hear it!


What are your favorite songs/music/bands that start with O?

Let me know in the comments – I’d love to hear about it!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Writing Prompt #102: “The A to Z Writing Challenge: Favorite Songs/Music/Bands” (Schedule Update)

So, I goofed. I’m all sorts of off with the daily writing challenge.

When I started, part of me was thinking, “Okay. So, there are 26 letters in the alphabet, and 30 days in the month of April. Hmm. How the heck is this going to work?”

Watching a few other bloggers indicate that there wasn’t a post scheduled for Sunday, April 9th, I did some digging.

Aside from Sunday, April 1st, there aren’t any posts on Sundays!

So that means you won’t see any writing challenge posts today, on the 22nd, or the 29th.

Come back tomorrow to see the next letter! I’ve been having so much fun with this!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Writing Prompt #101: “The A to Z Writing Challenge: Favorite Songs/Music/Bands” (Letter N)

Welcome back!

April 14th – N

NSYNC

If I gushed about the Backstreet Boys when I started this challenge, I’ll gush even more about NSYNC. This group was a staple in my childhood! I remember begging my parents to buy my the “cool” CDs for my birthday one year – I wanted Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, and NSYNC. I squealed when I opened the box from Limited Too. Yep, totally 90s!

I had the CDs, I had the “No Strings Attached” poster, I love it! I remember crushing, hard, on Lance!

This is gonna be a long list!


What are your favorite songs/music/bands that start with N?

Let me know in the comments – I’d love to hear about it!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Writing Prompt #100: “The A to Z Writing Challenge: Favorite Songs/Music/Bands” (Letter M)

Welcome back!

April 13th – M

Mine, Taylor Swift

This is another sentimental, mushy post, for sure!

When I first heard this song and watched the music video in 2010, it was right before Al and I became friends. However, I knew immediately that this song was special. It was special to me. Little I did know, how significant it would become.

About a month after Mine was released, Al and I went on our first date. That one date changed both our lives forever. It was like magic!

When we got engaged in December 2014, I knew I wanted this song to be a part of our wedding, somehow. By that time, the Glee cast had released their CD with Mine on it (Season 4, Volume 1).

Sometime in early 2015, I decided that I wanted to sing the song to Al during our rehearsal dinner. I used that Glee CD and practiced every single time that I was in the car by myself.

I’m not the best singer in the world – I usually get really nervous if I’m singing solo. Knees knocking, shaking, sweating, the whole deal.

But, I knew this song was special. And, I wanted to be as confident as I could, knowing it would be a surprise to Al, and many others attending the dinner.

I got my bridal party involved, too. They helped make posters that spelled out “You are the best thing that’s ever been mine,” from the song. I had the bridal party and the groomsmen stand and hold them as I was singing, in the middle of the local Olive Garden. It was incredible! I asked my dad to videotape the whole thing, too.

It went off as perfectly as it could. Did I get nervous? Absolutely. I was sweating, could hardly still stay, and I could feel my knees knocking as I sang to him in my patterned dress and brown heels. But, it was awesome. I kissed him right afterwards. I think he was embarrassed, but also touched. It felt amazing! I was so proud of myself that I was able to pull it off.

Anyway, that’s my story!


Here’s the music:


What are your favorite songs/music/bands that start with M?

Let me know in the comments – I’d love to hear about it!


Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂