This year the PLC Reads the World Challenge is focused on exploring literary worlds. The theme for Term 1 was Speculative Fiction, and it has been wonderful to see the wide range of titles read and thoughtful reviews written by our community of readers.
Reading is a prize in itself, but three students were selected to receive book vouchers and certificates of participation, in recognition of the number of speculative fiction books they read and logged during Term 1, as well as the quality of the reviews they submitted about these books. Congratulations to our Term 1 winner Sahana Kumar, and runners-up Quyen Nguyen and Violet Lechlein.
You can see the Reads the World dashboard and read reviews submitted here.
Our Term 1 winners shared some information about their speculative fiction reading.
First place: Sahana Kumar
How would you describe your experience reading speculative fiction?
Speculative fiction is one of my favourite genres. I love the break from the monotony of reading about real life or “normal” subjects, and instead poring over something that is so refreshingly new to me. I suspect that after a while, I’ll have read so much that I’ll feel a very different way, but I’m enjoying it while I can. I started reading speculative fiction at a very young age, with one of my top books being The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson. My mother read it out to me everyday until I could recite the story off by heart myself. I used to pick up any book I could lay my hands on from dictionaries to recipe books but I recently somehow stopped. I started reading more speculative fiction, and I think that’s because it was a nice change from my daily routine, and I could forget that I was on earth (not that it’s that bad a place). Now my top speculative fiction books are fantasy, but not too gory.
What’s your favorite speculative fiction book?
I’ve never had a favourite book, let alone a speculative fiction book. It’s not that I haven’t liked something enough to label it my favourite, but more the fact that every book is special in its own way. Anything I read has had its pros and cons, but I admit there have been some I’ve enjoyed more than others, especially books with unrushed story lines, not too abrupt but not too slow paced either. I find that I enjoy them more because I can get a better understanding of the characters that way. Also, I’ve never really thought about it, to be honest.
Second place: Quyen Nguyen
What is your favourite book?
I don't have a favourite book. I don't believe in favourites, because I'm always finding new books or colours or foods that I enjoy, and it's especially hard for me to choose a favourite book, since I've read so many good stories. If I had to choose one that I've been enjoying particularly, I would say Heartless, by Marissa Meyer, but it's by no means my favourite, just the story I've enjoyed the most this year.
Did anything surprise you during this experience?
While doing the PLC Reads The World Challenge, I chose a few books off the library shelves at random. Cinderella is Dead, The Reader, This Poison Heart, etc. I didn't really like them when I first looked at them, since they had unappealing titles and covers that didn't really draw my attention, but when I actually did read them, since I needed to enter a few more books, I was shocked to find out I really did like their content. Cinderella is Dead has become one of my favourite books now, though I stalled reading it for about a year.
Third place: Violet Lechlein
What’s your favourite speculative fiction book?
My favourite speculative fiction series would be either Skulduggery Pleasant or Keeper of the Lost Cities. I really liked the Divergent series as well.
How would you describe your experience reading speculative fiction?
Speculative fiction is one of my (many) favourite genres of books. I really enjoyed reading speculative fiction books during the term. I was surprised by how many subgenres of speculative fiction there are and how many books there are to choose from!
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