Welcome SJU incoming students to our SJU Reads blog. This blog is open to you and members of the SJU community. We ask bloggers who are not incoming students to please identify themselves in their post.
I hope you have all received our SJU Reads novel The Glass Castle in the mail by now. In this blog we’ll introduce each other and members of the SJU community who you’ll be in contact with in first year. Blog posts will be updated weekly. This is a terrific way to become familiar with SJU before you’re even here – and read a very interesting book at the same time. Feel free to share comments and ideas on the book and the posts along the way. Please remember this is a public forum and respectful banter is expected.
In this our first post, we ask you to introduce yourself by telling us what your favourite book is – and if you’re so inclined tell us why.
In the meantime, you can capture the essence of the book and the author by watching this three minute utube clip.
Read up to pg. 62 for next week. 🙂
SJU Reads 
Hi all, my name is Connie and I entering SJU in the Liberal Arts program this fall. My favorite book is Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. So far I have found The Glass Castle a very easy and interesting read. Hope you are all enjoying it and I look forward to your comments about the book.
Hi, my name is Nadia. I am going into the Sociology and Legal Studies program this fall. My favourite book is A Thousand Splendid Suns. I am looking forward to reading The Glass Castle and i hope everyone else enjoys it also.
Hey, my name is Emerald and I’ll be attending SJU for Honours Arts this fall. I am an avid reader so my favourite book is always the last one I read. In this case the last book I read was Daughters of Rome by Kate Quinn and it was a fantastic read! 🙂
I look forward to starting the Glass Castle tonight because I have heard some great reviews about it!
Greetings! My name is Deanna, and I am entering SJU in the Honours Arts program for Psychology. Like Nadia, my favourite book is written by Khaled Hosseini and is titled “The Kite Runner”. It is a powerful novel informing readers of Afghanistan’s military history, while also emphasizing the importance of friendship and the struggles that accompany redemption. Overall, it is an honest and beautiful read.
I too am excited to read the Glass Castle and I look forward to discussing it with all of you!
Hey everyone!
My name is Jade and I’m attending SJU in the Honours Arts program currently for Fine Arts. I absolutely love reading and at the moment I’m really enjoying a novel called “Escape from Camp 14” by Blaine Harden about a man in North Korea who escapes a prison camp to freedom in the West. It is such an eye-opening novel, and puts into perspective how lucky I am to be living in Canada.
I can’t wait to read “The Glass Castle”, I have never read a memoir before so it’s very intriguing. I can’t wait to share the experience with all of you, and i look forward to hearing everyone’s opinions!
Hellooo! My name is Marisa and I will be attending SJU for Math Business! I absolutely love to read and my favourite book is “Sarah’s Key” by Tatiana de Rosnay. For those who haven’t read it, it’s a really interesting book as it is from the point of view of a Jewish child during the holocaust.
I’m excited to see what everyone thinks of “The Glass Castle” as I’ve heard it’s an excellent book!
Hi.
My name is Alysse, and I will be attending SJU for honours mathematics. I read far too much, and tend to forget what is my favourite a lot of the time. Some of my favourites however include A Hand Maid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling, and most recently Matched by Ally Condie. These books all have strong protagonists, and give a whole new spin on what we know to be true.
I’m really excited to read The Glass Castle, as it is the type of book I wouldn’t typically read, and I’m curious how it’s going to turn out.
Hey,
I am Angus and I will be taking Bioinformatics at SJU in the fall. I am not sure I can say I have a favourite book since it usually depends on my mood, but I think The Plague by Albert Camus would be the best answer. It is full of great philosophy and has some really interesting themes throughout!
I am looking forward to reading the Glass Castle since I haven’t really ever read a memoir before and it isn’t something that I would have normally picked up. I am excited to see what it tells!
Hello, I’m Nivan, and I’m going for Arts.
People roll their eyes and disregard me when I say this, but I’m secretly a mermaid. You see, it’s a metaphor. I have lived in 5 different continents and although I don’t solely belong to any, a part of me belongs to each place. Which is why my favourite book is Wicked by Gregory Maguire. Because it’s all about belonging to more than one place at once.
Hello, I’m Peiyao Zeng from China, but of course I have an English name, you can call me Maggie. I will take Math/Business in the upcoming semester.
I have problem determine a “favorite” in many aspects of life, and I haven’t figure out which book is my favorite yet (maybe never). But, I just finished “Little Brother” by Cory Doctorow, and I think that could be a good one to recommend (although I read it because it was the book for grade12 novel unit…). I’m looking forward to reading The Glass Castle…as well as receiving the book.
Hello Everyone!
My name is Brianna, and I am entering into the Honours Arts program for Peace and Conflict Studies. My favourite book is Anne of Green Gables because it was the first novel my mother read to me, and as a little girl, I admired Anne’s fiery spirit and passion for life. I watched the Youtube clip for The Glass Castle, and it looks very intriguing. I can’t wait to read it. 🙂
Hi all, I’m Diana and I work in the Student Success Office at SJU. Welcome! Like many of you picking one favourite book is difficult. I did enjoy the creativity of Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson, and I also really liked The Color of Water – a SJU Reads contender – It’s a memoir that touches on civil rights, prejudice, the value of education; a lot of social issues.
Hi Everyone, John here. I also work in SJU Student Success. Welcome to St. Jeorme’s! I look forward to meeting you in person if I haven’t already done so.
Similar to Connie, Tuesday’s with Morrie is one of my favourites.. however my top read would be The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. A true, inspirational and tear-jerker of a story about living and legacy. As Randy says in the book… “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.”
The Last Lecture is a good read. Very inspirational!
Hey Guys! My name is Hannah and I’m going to St. Jerome’s for Honours Math, hopefully specializing in Actuarial Science! My favourite books would still have the be the Harry Potter novels. This is because I found that as I grew older, the writing style did as well, and the idea of magic has always interested me. I can’t wait to start on this book too!
Hi everyone, my name is Erin and I will be studying math this fall at STJ 🙂 my favourite book atm is Water for Elephants because its unlike anything I’ve ever read before and I love what it’s based on.
Hi all! My name is Natalie and I am an upper year student at SJ. I’m going into my fourth year (wow I feel really old) and will be one of your leaders during Orientation and throughout the year! I was also on the book selection committee for SJU Reads so I’m so happy to see people commenting! I hope you all enjoy the book, I found it fascinating. As to my favourite book, I am an English major and can’t possibly choose one, but I love fantasy, historical fiction, and Jane Austen… among other things. Harry Potter is definitely high on the list 🙂 Happy reading everyone!
Hi Everyone! My name is Ingrid and I’ll be going to St.Jerome’s for the Arts and Business program, hopefully majoring in Social Development Studies. Like said before by Nadia, my favourite book is also, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. I read it for my English class in Grade.11 and loved it. I’m excited to read The Glass Castle because I’ve never read a memoir before and after watching the clip, it looks like an interesting book to read!
Hello! My name is Zach and i will be entering St.Jeromes in September for Arts and Business and hopefully a Legal Studies Major, Seeing as Law is a major passion of mine, i don’t tend to read a whole lot of fiction; other than comic books (yes I truly am that nerdy). Reading the Glass Castle will be interesting. I am sure it will be a great read 🙂
Hi everyone! I’m Lorna, the librarian at St. Jerome’s. I look forward to seeing many of you in the library in September! In the meantime, my favourite book is To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf. I also loved Anne of Green Gables (I saw it mentioned earlier in the thread). Happy Reading, everyone!
Hi!! My name is Rachel, and I will be in the bioinformatics program. There are too many great books for me to possibly choose one, my favorite authors are Scott Westerfeld, Veronica Roth, Neil Gaiman, Tolkein, Jane Austen… Mostly I like to read fantasy and science fiction, so this is a new genre for me but I am looking forward to reading the Glass Castle!
Wooo! Bioinformatics!
Great list of favourite authors 🙂
Hi Everyone! My name is Kaitlyn and I am going to be starting at SJU in the Fall in the Honours Arts program! It’s hard to pick a favourite book because I love to read, but I’m currently reading “The Last Maasai Warriors” by Wilson Meikuaya, Jackson Ntirkana who are two Massai Warriors from Kenya that I’ve met through my involvement with Me to We and Free The Children projects. I’m really liking it because I enjoy learning about different cultures. I’m looking forward to re-reading The Glass Castle and learning new things from a second read of it!
I was excited when I read your post, as I’ve met Jackson and Wilson through Free The Children too! I want to read that book now- they were incredible people. 🙂
Hi! My name is Evy. I’m studying computer science at Waterloo in the fall, co-registered at SJU. I’ll be taking math137 at SJU and staying there for residence.
I don’t spend much time reading, and don’t really have a favourite book, but I do often enjoy reading once I get myself to doing it, so I decided to participate in this program and have enjoyed the book so far 🙂 Hope to get to know some of you and learn some cool things through the discussion
Hi everyone! My name is Lydia and I am entering the Arts and Business program in the fall. Like many of you, I love to read, and so it’s really tough for me to pick a favourite book, but The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is up there, and favourite authors include Jane Austen, Tamora Pierce, Cynthia Voigt, and John Green (and of course, I’m a Harry Potter fan as well).
I actually read The Glass Castle for grade 11 English, and I really enjoyed it, so I’m excited to see the discussions that we will have!
Oh man you too, good taste in books 🙂 And a girl named Lydia who loves Austen, too cool!
The Book Thief is such a good book! 🙂
I love The Book Thief! And I’m thrilled to find a fellow Potterhead! 😀
Hello! My name is Hannah Fahrer and i’m co-registered with SJU, entering the Honours Arts program in the fall. I have to admit, i’m not as avid of a reader as I would like to be but nonetheless, I would have to say that my favorite book is The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks. I enjoy a book that takes me by suprise with a turn in plot that I never would have expected and I think that is why I enjoy this particular book so much. I have started reading The Glass Castle and so far, I am liking it! The Walls family are unconventional people and I am interested to see where the plot goes in terms of their relationships and the way that they are raising their kids!
Hey! My name is Holly and I’m entering SJU in the fall for the Arts and Business Co-op program hoping to focus on Sociology. In terms of my favorite novel, I am a bit of a sap and enjoy any sort of romance novels. However, I did thoroughly enjoy The Great Gatsby novel that was a required novel to read in high school. I’m excited to continue reading The Glass Castle as I’ve heard it’s fantastic!
Oh my gosh! I read the Great Gatsby for one of my ISU books and absolutely loved it! And the movie was pretty good too :p
Gatsby is a great book! One of my favourites!
Hello everyone! I know this post is a little late but I have been away. Anyways, my name is Sydnee and I am entering the Honours Arts program at SJU this fall. My favourite book is one that I read for my religion class ISU last year titled The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff. For those who haven’t read or heard about it, Hoff relates the key concepts and ideas of Taoism to the familiar children’s character Winnie the Pooh. It is a fantastic read that I would recommend to anyone especially Winnie the Pooh fans 🙂
I love that book! Have you read the Te of Piglet?
I had just started it when I got my copy of The Glass Castle. I’m looking forward to finishing it after this book 🙂
Hi everyone!
I’m Jeremy and I will be a resident and co-registered with St. Jerome’s this Fall. I am in the Honours Computer Science co-op program. My favourite book, as hard as it is to say, would probably be 1984 by George Orwell. It had an interesting philosophy of life and definitely had a grim story to share. But I do love other authors such as Kenneth Oppel and J.K. Rowling. Looking forward to getting into the Glass Castle and refrained from watching the Youtube video as I am a stickler against spoilers.
Hello!
My name is Sky and I will be attending St. Jerome`s this fall. I am in the Honours Arts program and will be taking mostly history courses. One of my favourite novels is `The Book Thief`by Markus Zusak. The novel follows the story of a little girl who grows up in Nazi Germany during WW2. Death is personified in the novel and he narrates it. The novel is a very excellent read, and you will find yourself captivated by all of the characters. I love reading and read a little bit of everything. Some other authors that I like are Sarah Dessen, Janet Evanovich, and J.K. Rowling. I cannot wait to start reading `The Glass Castle`. I`m sure it is going to be added to my long list of favourite books.
Hello! My name is Jessica and am going to St. Jerome’s for the Honours Arts program focusing on psychology. I love to read a lot but my favourite book is probably the Catcher in the Rye. it was one of the first more mature, adult books i read and just love it and Holden. I’ve only now just started reading the Glass Castle and I hope it’s really good@
Hello! My name is Kaitlynn and I am going to St. Jerome’s for Honours Arts as well ! I don’t usually spend much of my time reading, but I one book that I did enjoy is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini! I’m just starting to read the Glass Castle now but I have heard good things about it, so hopefully it will be good. 🙂
The Kite Runner was a really good book! I also watched the movie. You should read Khaled Hosseini’s A thousand Splendid Suns, it’s much better!
Hi all,
Wow, some really interesting reading suggestions, thanks! I teach at SJU in the Sexuality, Marriage, and Family Studies Department. Some books that are high on my list are “Room,” “The Help,” and “A Midwife in Venice”. I’m also an avid fan of vampire, witchcraft, and fallen angel books for light reading (yes, it’s true!).
I’m currently reading bell hooks’ “Sisters of the Yam” and the House of Night vampire series. What can I say, I have eclectic tastes 🙂
Looking forward to meeting many of you this fall — enjoy The Glass Castle (it’s now on my ‘top reads list’ as well!).
Hi, My name is Karen, I am in honours arts with a major in legal studies. So far I have really enjoyed the glass castle, some of my favourite novels include anything by Nicholas Sparks, I also love Nancy Drew which is a little young but they are perfect light reading. I also loved the books we had to read in school like the Handmaid’s Tale, The Great Gatsby and To Kill a Mocking Bird. I pretty much read whatever sounds good, I look forward to finishing the Glass Castle.
Hi! My name is Monica Pierce, and I am in Honours Mathematics at St. Jeromes! The Glass Castle has been a really interesting read so far, and I am really becoming attached to the main character thus far.
My favourite two authors are John Green and Christopher Moore for light reads (their best books being The Fault in our Stars (JG) and Fool (CM)). However, if I had to pick favourite books, I would have to say The Bell Jar, or Veronika Decides to Die. Depressing picks, but I fell in love with the characters while completing my english ISU!
Hey, my name is Nicole Loucas. I’ll be starting Honours Arts at SJU this fall. So far I’m a little over half way through The Glass Castle and it has been an amazing read. If I had to choose a favorite book it’d probably be a toss up between Going Bovine by Libba Bray and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. There’s just something about the intricate way both authors piece their stories together like they’re seamlessly weaving a web that completely drags me into the story. I think the best part of both novels is that it’s so easy to empathize with the characters. They’re so human – bold and just plain real.
Hi, my name is Keegan, I am entering Honours Mathematics at SJU in September. Choosing a favourite book is difficult for me because I have liked the books that I have read each for different reasons. That being said, one book that has had a tremendous impact on me is ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance’ by Robert Pirsig. The book is an elegant philosophical work, which takes the reader on a journey, exploring the role of technology in modern life, while introducing philosophy to newer students and continually grappling with the theme of insanity.
I recently finished The Glass Castle and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The memoir-style of the novel appealed to me. I found myself very intrigued by Jeannette’s dad, Rex. I look forward to hearing more thoughts and interpretations of the book!
Hi everyone!
My name is Erin and I’ll be in the Honours Arts program at SJU in the Fall. I’ve just started The Glass Castle, and I’ve heard great things about it – so I’m sure it’ll be an interesting read! As for favourite book I’d have to say To Kill a Mockingbird, but I also love the Divergent series by Veronica Roth – I’d recommend it to anyone – it’s kind of like the Hunger Games, but even better!
Hope everyone has an awesome summer! See you guys in September!
I was going to try and read it slowly and pace myself over the summer.. but nope, i finished last week! it was too good to put down, had me in tears a couple times!
I was going to try and read it slowly and pace myself over the summer.. but nope, i finished last week! it was too good to put down, had me in tears a couple times!
I’m with you there!! I would try and space it out because I didn’t want it to end, but that didn’t really work. Once you start you just can’t stop!
Hi, my name is Rachel and I’ll be in the Honours Mathematics program at SJU. My favourite book is probably The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton or Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
Hi my name is Alyssa Almeida and I will be in the Honours Arts program co-registered with SJU this fall exploring my major options in Classical Studies, Psychology, and Drama (That’s my true passion). I read like an addict so I have a ton of books I just love but my all time favourite would have to be the Harry Potter series, I’m a complete super fan (Huge Potterhead nerd).
Hello, my name is Alex. I will be entering my first year of Arts and Business in September, with a preferred major in English, History, or both. My favourite book changes about as often as I polish one off, but I am currently in a complicated relationship with Heart of Darkness. A little (or a lot) unexceptional I know, but there is something about that final sentence which ties the whole novel and the experience of reading it together for me.
Hello. My name is Cyntha Struthers and I teach statistics (I just heard a lot of groaning!) I have lots of books I really like so I will just mention the latest book that I read that really affected me. It was Vincent Lam’s The Headmaster’s Wager which takes place in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War was on the news every night when I was growing up. (Okay so now you have some idea how old I am!) The book is written through the eyes of a Chinese man living near Saigon. I would highly recommend this book even though the events in the book are upsetting. I only know about the war through an American news filter so it was very interesting to read about the war through a very different perspective. Looking forward to reading The Glass Castle when I am on holiday at the cottage next week. See you in September.
Hi everyone! My name is Melisa and I am going to be starting at SJU in the Fall in the Honours Arts program! My favorite book so far is 666 Park Avenue! I enjoy this book because it is an easy read and it is full of mysteries. I have found The Glass Castle to be a very easy and interesting read. Hope you are all enjoying it and I look forward to your comments about the book in September!
See you guys soon!