Jul 26, 2012

Feature and Follow Friday {2}


Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read that gives bloggers the opportunity to gain followers and meet other bloggers!

This Week's Question...

Summer Reading. What was your favorite book that you were REQUIRED to read when you were in school?


I didn't need to give this week's Feature and Follow question much thought- my favourite would definitely be Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare! Although predictable, reading this novel in English class last semester really opened my eyes. No, I did not fall in love with love story between Romeo and Juliet (can I say, um, tragic?) but I did fall in love with what the story did for literature. My English teacher once said to my class that almost everything we read and watch can in some way be brought back to Shakespeare- and when you really think about it, she's right. So many of the love stories us Y.A. bookworms love so dearly have similarities with Romeo and Juliet:

Edward Cullen and Bella Swan (Twilight)
Rose Hathaway and Dimitri Belikov (Vampire Academy)
Clary Fray and Jace Wayland (Mortal Instruments)
Ever Bloom and Damen Auguste (Evermore)
Schuyler Van Alen and Jack Force (Blue Bloods)
I could go on...

I'm not saying that any of these are unoriginal or anything (trust me, I love these books a lot more than R&J) but just that they all connected, big or small, to this classic piece of literature I was forced into reading :)

Well that's it with all the gooshy-talk, I promise, I'm done! I can't wait to read all of your answers so be sure to leave a comment letting me know you were here and I'll be sure to follow you!! Keep Reading!

Your Y.A. Bookworm,
Caitlin <3

50 comments:

  1. Your teacher was right, so many books and movies are similar to Shakespeare. Guess it just proves his genius!! :)

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    1. It sure does! I stopped by and followed your blog :)

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  2. Romeo and Juliet is such a great classic. Nice pick. =] New Follower. Thanks for sharing. =] Here is My FF
    Michael @ The Bookshelf Review

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    1. Thanks for dropping by and following! I'm already following you :)

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  3. Love Romeo and Juliet! I was on of the few in the class who actually read the book and was able to answer questions about the book that weren't in the movie. all the kiddos relied on the movie to pass the test!
    trish - my ff

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    1. That's funny, because when you actually read the Play you can see that the movie(s) usually leave parts out :P I'm following you!

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  4. I can't actually talk politely about Romeo and Juliet. I think it's one of the most horribly misunderstood stories ever. And it's not romantic. At all. BUT I love Shakespeare. New follower! Thanks for stopping by! My FF

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    1. I've never thought of it as a "love story" either, more like an infatuation. Glad to hear you're a Shakespeare fan :)Thanks for the follow!

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  5. I wasn't a huge fan of Shakespeare in school, I am just wondering if I would feel the same way now.

    My FF

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    1. Thanks for the follow- I'm now following your blog :)

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  6. Macbeth was my very first Shakespeare reading experience, followed by Romeo & Juliet :)

    Thank-you so much for stopping by my blog.

    Have a great weekend.

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    1. Thanks for visiting! I think Macbeth is part of my english class next year- looking forward to it :)

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  7. Yeah, there are only about six original plots in the world. Everything else is a derivation of those six if you ask me. The forbidden love of Romeo and Juliet is one. And have you seen the movie with Claire Danes and Leo DiCaprio. Awesome.

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    1. We actually watched that version in class- it was a very clever remake! Loved it :) Thanks for stopping by and following :)

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  8. Romeo and Juliet was a fun one to study in class. Our teacher that year was awesome.

    New follower!
    My FF

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    1. I definitely think having the right teacher is key when reading a Shakespeare novel- luckily I had a really great one :) Thanks for the follow- I'm already following you ! =D

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  9. one of the best stories ever! :) thank you for following and commenting on my FF!

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  10. I loved R&J! I never read it in school though. I read the Wishbone version I got from Scholastica, lol. I was in elementary school, so I needed the "real" English version. No way could I interpret Old English back then.

    Great pick. Thank you for stopping by my FF! I followed back.

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    1. I still find it difficult to translate the Old English- luckily my teacher guided us through the entire Play :P Thank-you for the follow, it's much appreciated !

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  11. Romeo and Juliet was pretty good :) It was the first Shakespeare play I read!
    The Brunette Librarian Blog

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    1. Yeah, I really enjoyed my first Shakespeare play :D Thanks for dropping by!

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  12. Good choice! I'm sure I must have had some kind of Shakespeare as required summer reading, but I can't remember.

    Have a great weekend!

    My FF

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  13. Great Choice, I did like Romeo and Juliet! I followed back
    Ashley @ #booknerd

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  14. R & J, a great classic. I actually forgot about that one, lol.

    New follower.

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    1. Thanks for commenting and following my blog :)

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  15. Not a Shakespeare fan but I do agree with his genius and many books lead right back to him. Thanks for stopping by, following back.

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    1. Yeah, it's kind of remarkable when you start thinking about how influential his pieces are to today's literature...Thanks for the follow! :D

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  16. I most definitely not a Shakespeare fan. I had to study Macbeth and Othello in school. To me it was like trying to understand a foreign language. I like the words to just come to me when I am reading. I do like some of the stories though. I agree that many romance stories are like Romeo and Juliet.

    New Follower!

    My FF

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    1. I can honestly say that if I didn't have the support I did from my teacher, I probably would have despised it :P
      Thanks for the follow- I'm following you back!

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  17. A truly great classic!

    http://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/2012/07/feature.html

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    1. Thanks for stopping by- I'm following you ! :)

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  18. Great choice! New follower here, thanks for stopping by my blog!

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  19. Now that I think about it, your teacher's right... :)

    New follower!

    My FF :)

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    1. Thank you so much for leaving a comment and following! I've visited and followed your blog :)

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  20. Thanks for becoming a follower of my site. I'm now following you back via GFC and think your choice is a good one.

    The Scarf Princess

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  21. hello there
    I got your link from bookblogs..and stopped by Im following you on GFC as vb..my teen romance wouldn't be the clasic one bt somehow I just loved it..its earth and high heaven by Gwethlyn Graham.I feel the characters to be more close to life rather than dramatic..
    Do check out my blog
    booksformee.blogspot.com
    vb

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    1. Thank you so much for the follow- I visited and followed your blog :)

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  22. Oddly my teacher freshman year let me choose a book to read in place of Romeo and Juliet because she said it was below my reading level. I chose Twilight, also below my reading level. The connection must have been the reason she accepted it.

    I'm a new follower.

    Ashley
    Booksaremylove.blogspot.com

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    1. Really?! You had a pretty awesome teacher ! Thanks for following- I visited and followed your blog :)

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  23. We never read it at school. In fact we never read any book as a class at school. I have read R & J since and loved it.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by- I'm now following your blog :)

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  24. Great answer, and I also love them books you listed (not blue bloods so much, more the writing style and designer name dropping in the first book drove me nuts, but the story was good) loved the others.
    New follower
    FF Post

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    1. Blue Bloods always seems to get a bit of mixed reviews- glad to hear you love the others though! Thanks for the follow- I'm now following you !

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  25. My Summer Read was…Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe (Author) It was interesting ☺

    Hi,
    I found you on Follow Fridays Hosted By
    {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}. I am a New Follower, Please
    Follow me back.
    Thanks, http://dawnandwinniebookreviews.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Thank you so much for following :) I'm a new follower at your blog !

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