A Tuesday Top Ten meme from The Broke and The Bookish
This one's easy considering most of my book choices for the last couple of years have been on recommendations from other bloggers. Heh, I love this forum.
Okay, so here goes . . .
1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Oh man. This book touched me in a way no other book has (except maybe To Kill a Mockingbird) I kept thinking, as I got further and further into the story, that this author *gets it*. He understands compassion and selfless action and lays it out in a story that had me in tears by the end. I probably would never have picked it up (I don't DO sad books, people!) but how could I resist after all the positive posts I read about this story.
2. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova - I thoroughly enjoyed this during last year's group read. I might have stumbled on this book on my own, but really, it was all those Gotta Read recommendations that put a copy in my hand.
3. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier - I passed over this book my entire life because I thought it was a romance. Huh. You guys set me straight on that one. It is a fantastic, atmospheric, gothic, totally absorbing psychological thriller. Loved it!
4. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - This book always struck me as WAY too historical for my liking, almost textbook like. But, wow, on fellow blogger recommendations, it was such a cool read! It opened up the possibility of reading more of these ancient historical stories.
5. The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho - I loved this but I probably wouldn't have found it at all had I not seen so many rave reviews.
6. The Road by Cormac McCarthy - I'm not much one for dystopian so I know I would have passed over this. The reviews, though, were all, There Is a Larger Message Here. There was, and I loved it.
7. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - I wasn't crazy about this one, but I was looking for something mysterious for the Victorian Challenge, so I went and shopped around in all the bookish blog places. I liked it enough to seek out more Collins.
8. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - This one is in the same boat as Rebecca. I passed it up as too chick-lit. But! With such a presence on the book blog scene, I could hardly ignore it any longer. Fantastic read.
Previous Top Tens:
~Authors I'd Love to Meet
~Literary Settings
~Books I'm Glad Were Recommended to Me
~Favorite Places To Read
~Books That Should Be Made Into Movies
~Bookish Pet Peeves
22 comments:
Those are some great books. I've read all EXCEPT Woman in White which I hope to remedy soon,
Yes, I agree. It's pretty easy to make a list this week as most of my book recommendations lately have come from other bloggers.
Here's my list, Top Ten Books I Read Because of Another Reader. I'd also invite you to sign up for the contest to win a $25 Amazon giftcard this month at my blog.
I agree, PotE is amazing. It was one of my favorite reads last year, being reminded of it makes me want to read it again!
Wow - I've score my highest percentage yet on your list. I've read 6/8 and just bought The Woman in White to read a couple weeks ago. I've heard of The Road, but haven't read it.
My book club just read The Historian last month. I was leery of it since the reviews seemed a little polarized, but I ended up liking it.
-Jay
diane- woman in white is a great atmospheric read for this time of year!
sarah - yea, I was quite amazed how much I l liked it, too.
biblio - cool! seems like we have similar tastes.
"The Historian" sounds attractive just from the title. :)
I haven't read The Woman in White but all the other books are among my favorites!
I have yet to read anything by Wilkie Collins, but have The Moonstone on my shelf when I picked it up in England last year. I have been carrying around 'The Book Thief' for quite some time and really do need to sit down and read it! Thanks for your post!
Hopping by... Here's my answer
I've read only Jane Eyre & The Book thief from these & I loved them, but all the other books are on my tbr list :)
coffee - yes, even the cover is fabulous!
lisa - Woman in White is a pretty good read, too.
kate - yes, I'd love to get my hands on a copy of Moonstone. I've heard it said that it's better than Woman in White.
aleksadra - I loved them too. Our bookshelves must be pretty similar then :)
I'm glad to hear there's another person who read Jane Eyre because of other book bloggers. It seems like that book that everyone has just read but I don't think I would have ever picked it up had it not been for other bloggers and their love for it.
The Road is one I mean to read at some stage - again, I've read several recommendations. I've never read anything by Ken Follett - but now you've piqued my interest! The Woman in White is on my TBR shelf.
I've read and enjoyed all of the others in your list.
Thanks for stopping by my blog! You're very right, the blogs are the best place for honest book recommendations. I love it!
So many of the great books I've read have been recommended by blogs (i.e. yours) & by my Book Club - books I never would have chosen for myself.
I looove The Road. I think I'm going to reread it soon, which is something I'm always saying and not often doing. It's a quick one though.
Check out my list at The Scarlet Letter.
Great list! I've got The Book Thief on my TBR, but so far it doesn't look like something I'll be reading soon. I've read Zusak's I Am The Messenger though and that was pretty good.
The Road is such a good book! I love that one and it's awesome that someone who doesn't tend to read dystopia enjoyed it as well.
I have all the books on your list because of recommendations but have not read any of them besides Rebecca and Jane Eyre. Uhh.. so bad.
red - funny, isn't it? I was always kind of chagrinned that I had never read it before. And then when I kept hearing about all the praise it was STILL getting, I had to see for myself. Once I read it, though, holy cow! I couldn't believe I'd never given it a chance in my younger years.
tracy - ken follette seems to be more of a spy/political thriller type author, so pillars of the earth is different, even for him. It's good, though, well worth the read.
kristen - it's the go-to place, for sure! Even just researching a book is enjoyable.
beth - yes, that's the thing, isn't it? I noticed that most of my list consists of books I wouldn't have thought to pick up otherwise.
lbc - it's such a good story and message, well worth a reread.
bonnie - I'd like to look into The Messanger sometime, too. But, yes, the Book Thief is so moving it should be savored at just the right time, I think. The Road has got me thinking I should check out some more dystopian . . .
alexis - books are very patient :)
Some of these are on my TBR, thanks to recommendations! I'm glad to see you enjoyed them :)
Lots of good looking books! I am reading The Woman in White right now. I am hoping to enjoy it!
Mimi and Kailana - yes! good books, all!
I've really been wanting to read The Historian - I'll have to move it up my list :)
Here's my list: Top Ten Tuesday
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