Booktalk., What book to choose? Options

[GlamorousSky]

Earlier last month, my school gave me (and several other students) a job: To give a book talk the following year.

The thing is, I'm not comfortable with talking in front of large crowds.

Neither do I have any idea what book to pick...

Any tips?

[MissHygienic]

Well, a common strategy for people who don't like public speaking is to look at the very back of the room or focus on a wall, so that you're not looking at people's faces. However, I think once you get up there, you're going to start looking at people's faces, anyway.

Another confidence booster is to pound that speech into your head and be fluent in your speech about your book. Once you're not stuttering to find your words or panic about your notecards, you'll feel much better.

Do you talk about any book you want? If that's the case, that's pretty broad. If I were you, I'd pick a book that has enough information so that you can go on and on about it, boring the hell out of people, but still doing your job. Here are my suggestions, in order:

1.) The Picture of Dorian Gray
2.) Brave New World
3.) The Sound and the Fury
3.) 1984/Animal Farm
4.) Lord of the Flies
5.) Grapes of Wrath
6.) Fahrenheit 451

You can also talk about the ever-so-popular Harry Potter books. . .? But that sounds like a cheap shot.

[lkajsfklajskds]

Th Kite Runner
The 5 People You Meet in Heaven
Eat, Pray, Love
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Lord of the Flies
The Scarlet Letter
The Catcher in the Rye
Speak
Angelas Ashes
A Child Called "It"
The Lost Boy
'Tis
The Bell Jar
Beloved

There are so many to choose from!

If you have trouble speaking in front of crowds, you must think you need to impress them. Either that, or you feel inferior towards them. Just think of this: The have to wipe their butts, too. Imagine that(or their faces when theyre constipated) and youll do fine =]

[karmakiller]

Deep breaths. It shouldn't be too big of a deal what book you read. Go to the library and start to read a few pages into a book and if keeps your attention and gives you ideas for what to speak about, get that book.

I've never made a really good public speaker, but when I was in Speech class I had to confront that fear. For me, if I had to sit there and listen to other speeches while getting closer to my time to go I'd get more and more nervous. You might want to volunteer to go second or third. Plus, make sure you practice, practice, practice.

[freeridefight]

Either Night or The Scarlet Letter
both books I enjoyed and can easily be stepped in to

[jaeman]

You can't go wrong with Orwell's Animal Farm, or maybe even Paulsen's Hatchet.

[LoveToMySilas]

For some reason, the book The Perks of being a Wallflower flew into my mind. But I guess you can pick a book that you could really relate to.

[*yrrnotelekktric*]

What actually happens in the Booktalk? Do you simply discuss a book? Or several?