Top Ten Tuesday is a meme sponsored by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s top ten – in recognition of BBAW (that’s “Book Blogger Appreciation Week”) is:
” Top Ten Books I Read Because Of Another Blogger.”
I don’t always do these top ten lists, but they’re always fun and this one also is a good list to give a nod to some fellow book bloggers, so here goes…
9. Oh, yeah. I forgot to say I only could come up with nine… This one (and the next few) are books that I don’t know where specifically I first heard of them, but I do know I read them because I learned of them within the blogging community. So for number 9 I’ll go with Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games. Yes, it’s intended for a little younger reader than me, and yes it’s a little out there, but it was a great story (actually a trilogy, along with the follow-ups Catching Fire and Mockingjay) and a fun, diverting read.
8. The Ubiquitous The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (book and series). A towering best seller, I think driven by the great character of Lisbeth Salander. I’d like to meet her. I think.
7. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. Another book outside of my usual genre, but an entertaining, diverting read for me. Here’s what I had to say last year.
6. Beastly by Alex Flinn. I can’t remember which blog I first heard about this modern retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story. I did download it at about the same time as my blogging colleague, Jade, at Chasing Empty Pavements though, so I’ll give her a plug. This book became a pick in my book club as well and we all enjoyed it. My original post about the book may be found here.
5. Under the Skin by Michel Faber. Learned about via The Literary Nomad. An interesting concept for a book blog, where the blogger “visits” a country by reading a book about it or taking place in it. This book was creepy but a real page turner. A beautiful alien (reported to be portrayed by Scarlet Johansson in an upcoming movie adaptation) picking up hitchhikers in Scotland. How could I resist? My original post is here.
4. Gullivers Travels by Jonathan Swift. I read this one because Allie at A Literary Odyssey hosted a read along. Like other read alongs I’ve participated in, I started off with great intentions only to fall behind the schedule. I did finish it, though, and I’m so glad I did. I took a lot out of it that I am ‘carrying around in my head.’ Truly a classic work, and I can’t believe I waited until I was so “old” to finally get around to reading it.
3. Two on a Tower by Thomas Hardy. I learned of this previously ‘unknown’ Hardy book at Chris’s blog, “ProSe.” A great, lesser known work by one of my favorite authors with a predictably intricate plot. Great 19th century literature! My original post about this book was written back in November 2010.
2. After Rain by William Trevor. Heard about at one of my favorite blogs, Ana the Imp. Not exclusively a book blog (lots of politics and history too), but I take her book and movie recommendations seriously. This is a collection of short stories by an recognized master of the form. I posted about several of them this year. Lost Ground, After Rain, and Gilbert’s Mother. The first two were my favorites.
1. The Warded Man by Peter Brett. Heard of through Borough of Books. My friends and I have all enjoyed this book and its sequel, Desert Spear. We are eagerly awaiting the third book… My praise of the book was written this past May.