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Book Club Author Suggestion: John Green

"Writing is something you do alone. It’s a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don’t want to make eye contact while doing it." - John Green

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Headshot of John Green wearing glasses and a denim shirt in from of a white house.

Brief Bio:

John Green is a highly acclaimed American author known for his young adult novels that explore themes of love, loss, and the complexities of adolescence. His works often combine humor, emotional depth, and thought-provoking storytelling. Green is also a prominent online personality, co-creating educational content on YouTube with his brother, Hank Green.

Green attended Kenyon College in Ohio, where he earned a double major in English and Religious Studies. His academic background heavily influences the philosophical and existential themes in his novels.

John Green’s writing career took off with his debut novel, Looking for Alaska (2005), which won the Michael L. Printz Award. His subsequent novels, including An Abundance of Katherines (2006), Paper Towns (2008), and The Fault in Our Stars (2012), garnered critical acclaim and widespread popularity.

Available Works in the Colorado Book Club Resource

The Book Club Resource has 8+ copies of each title available for 8 weeks at a time to reading groups across the state. The descriptions below were taken from Amazon.com.

Looking For Alaska (2005) | Discussion Questions

Cover art for Looking for Alaska. Image is black with a singular plume of smoke as if from a cigarette rising to the top of the image.

First drink. First prank. First friend. First love.

Last words.
 
Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words—and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet François Rabelais called the “Great Perhaps.” Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young, who will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.

The Fault of Our Stars (2012) | Discussion Questions

Cover art for Fault in Our Stars. The bright blue backgraound has a black and a white cloud shaped image with the tile and author's name on them in contrasting colors.

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.


A Few Notable Facts:

  • Green was born August 24, 1977 in Indianapolis, IN.
  • Green lives in Indianapolis with his wife, Sarah Urist Green, and their two children.
  • Several of Green’s books have been the subject of book banning attempts.
  • Looking for Alaska was named the most challenged book of 2015 by the American Library Association, with some people complaining about the book’s “offensive language” and “sexually explicit descriptions”.
  • Green co-founded the YouTube channel Vlogbrothers with his brother Hank in 2007. The channel serves as a platform for discussions on science, history, literature, and social issues.
  • John and Hank Green created educational series such as CrashCourse and SciShow, which have become widely used in classrooms worldwide.
  • Green is a co-founder of the Project for Awesome, an annual charity event that raises money for nonprofit organizations.
  • Green is also involved in promoting literacy and education, often supporting initiatives to make books and educational materials accessible.
  • The Fault in Our Stars became a #1 bestseller and was adapted into a successful film in 2014.
  • Green’s books have been published in more than 55 languages and over 24 million copies are in print.

Quotations:

  • “Great books help you understand, and they help you feel understood.”
  • “The creative process is about finding a problem that you care about and working on it over and over and over again.”
  • “We need to stop conflating being smart with being right. Empathy, humility, and kindness are more important.”
  • “What is the point of being alive if you don’t at least try to do something remarkable?”
  • “The internet is not the world; it’s a reflection of the world, and sometimes an amplification of the worst in the world.”
  • “There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.”
  • “Success is not about money or fame; it’s about being able to do the work that you love.”
  • “Change is the only constant. It is the one thing you can absolutely count on, and it is the one thing that is absolutely terrifying.”
  • “We’re as likely to hurt the universe as we are to help it, and we’re not likely to do either.”

Awards & Recognition:

  • 2006: Michael L Printz Award – Looking for Alaska (Won)
  • 2006: Los Angeles Times Book Prize – Looking for Alaska: Young Adult Novel (Finalist)
  • 2007: Michael L. Printz Award – An Abundance of Katherines (Runner-up)
  • 2007: Los Angeles Times Book Prize – An Abundance of Katherines: Young Adult Novel (Finalist)
  • 2007: Audie Award – Looking for Alaska: Young Adult Title (Finalist)
  • 2009: American Library Association Award – Paper Towns: Best Books for Young Adults (Selected)
  • 2009: Edgar Allan Poe Award – Paper Towns: Best Young Adult Novel (Won)
  • 2009: Audie Award – Paper Towns: Young Adult Title (Finalist)
  • 2010: Corine Literature Prize – Paper Towns: Young Adult Novel (Won)
  • 2011: Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production – Will Grayson, Will Grayson (Runner-up)
  • 2011: Stonewall Book Award – Will Grayson, Will Grayson: Children & Young Adult (Finalist)
  • 2011: Indie Lit Award – Will Grayson, Will Grayson: GLBTQ (Runner-up)
  • 2011: Shorty Award – Will Grayson, Will Grayson: Best Author (Won)
  • 2011: Audie Award – Will Grayson, Will Grayson: Young Adult Title (Finalist)
  • 2012: Chicago Tribune’s Young Adult Literary Prize (Won)
  • 2012: Indiana Authors Award – National Author Award (Won)
  • 2013: Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production – The Fault in Our Stars (Won)
  • 2013: Hörbuchbestenliste – The Fault in Our Stars: Audio Book for Children and Youth (Won)
  • 2013: Indies Choice Book Awards – The Fault in Our Stars: Indie Champion Award (Won)
  • 2013: Children’s Choice Book Awards – The Fault in Our Stars (Won)
  • 2013: Audie Awards – The Fault in Our Stars (Won)
  • 2013: Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award – The Fault in Our Stars (Won)
  • 2013: Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize – The Fault in Our Stars (Shortlisted)
  • 2013: Shorty Award – Best Author (Won)
  • 2013: Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Butler University
  • 2014: Los Angeles Times Book Prize – Innovator’s Award (Won)
  • 2014: MTV Fandom Awards – Visionary Award (Won)
  • 2014: Queen of Teen Award (Nominated)
  • 2014: Premio Bartolome Hidalgo – The Fault in Our Stars: Infantil Juvenil de Autor (Won)
  • 2015: Kids Choice Awards – The Fault in Our Stars: Favorite Book (Nominated)
  • 2015: Young Reader’s Choice Award – The Fault of Our Stars: Senior (Won)
  • 2015: Shorty Award – Distinguished Achievement in Internet Culture (Won)
  • 2015: Webby Award – Mental Floss on YouTube: First Person Video (Won)
  • 2015: Webby Award – Crash Course: Video Channels & Series, Science & Education (Honoree)
  • 2016: Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Kenyon College
  • 2016: International OCD Foundation Illumination Award (Won)
  • 2018: American Library Association Award – Turtles All the Way Down: Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults (Won)
  • 2018: Webby Award – Crash Course: Video Channels & Series, Science & Education (Honoree)
  • 2020: Indiana Arts Commission Governor’s Arts Award (Won)
  • 2021: Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction – The Anthropocene Reviewed (Longlisted)
  • 2021: Goodreads Choice Award – The Anthropocene Reviewed: Best Nonfiction (Won)

Additional Resources

Sources

Book club sets are circulated to participating libraries via the CLiC courier. Read all about the program on the Book Club Resource landing page. If you are interested in receiving book club sets but are not already a member library, use the online form to get signed up.

Since the BCR has always relied on book donations, we are deeply grateful to all of the institutions and individuals that have donated sets and helped make the collection stronger. Please contact bookclub@coloradovirtuallibrary.org for questions or to discuss donations.

Regan Harper
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