Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created and hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new ‘top ten’ challenge is posted – anyone can join in. This week’s topic is ‘Top Ten Favorite Books You’ve Read During The Lifespan Of Your Blog’. I have a 5/5 section so that great books are just a click away but here are my faves (since December last year… I’m new to this gig) –
1. The Feast of Love by Charles Baxter – There are lots of thoughts on love throughout the book (and from many different points of view). Some are hardened, some romantic, some sentimental – all are truthful. Warning: have tissues at hand.
2. Mateship With Birds by Carrie Tiffany – If writing style can be true to the Australian agricultural landscape, this is it – sparse, brittle, obvious. But look a little closer and you’ll find there’s much more to see. This book has been listed on the 2012 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards Shortlist.
3. Delicacy by David Foenkinos – I loved this unusual love story from the very first page.
4. Of a Boy by Sonya Hartnett – Be aware that this is the saddest book I’ve ever read. There were points during the book that I couldn’t read through my tears. Hartnett writes lots of YA fiction (don’t miss Butterfly) – although this book was originally published for the YA market it is certainly one of those books that crosses lots of reading groups.
5. Just My Type – a book about fonts by Simon Garfield – if you only read one non-fiction book this year, pick this one. In telling the history of typesets and fonts, Garfield entertains with amazing stories – who knew that Eric Sans (of the modest and elegant Gill Sans) was a sexual deviant? And that the revered font, Doves, drowned (quite literally – the type set was thrown into the Thames as a result of a business dispute).
6. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – I rarely get to re-read old favourites but I did make time for Gatsby earlier this year. Classic.
7. The Forrests by Emily Perkins – I think Perkins was robbed not being short-listed for this year’s Man Booker prize. Perkins has a distinct style. It’s magical and utterly absorbing. Lose yourself in this wonderful book.
8. The Art of Fielding by Char Harbach – If I recommend this book one more time it’s going to start looking like a sponsored blog… but seriously, read it (liking baseball is not a prerequisite).
9. Eucalyptus by Murray Bail – it’s a love story, it’s a fairytale. It finishes in a way so unexpected, you may just gasp (so don’t read the last page first!).
10. Tigers in Red Weather by Lisa Klaussman – a sublime summer story.
I reread Gatsby this year as well. It just gets better every time. This time I got it on audio, which was a great way to re-read for me.
Okay. It’s your fault that I’ve now just added four books to my Amazon wishlist. If you can have that many recommendations in one blog post, then I probably need to follow your blog!
Here’s my Top Ten Favorite Books I’ve Read During the Lifespan of My Blog.I hope you will stop by!
Which four?! Always interested to know what grabs people. Your Top 10 post has prompted me to start John Green ASAP.
What an interesting list! I haven’t read any of these except The Great Gatsby. (I read that in high school, and I can’t bring myself to read it again, although I know I should.) I’m adding them to my TBR list.
I’ve heard nothing but good about The Art of Fielding.
You would probably love Gatsby second-time round – books are always different when you don’t ‘have’ to read them. The Art of Fielding is one of those books I’ve been pressing on people – brilliant.
Great list! I have Delicacy on my want-to-read pile, I hope to get around to it one of these days (and the French adaptation!).
I recently re-read The Great Gatsby earlier this year (read it the first time during high school) and I really appreciated it the second time around.
Thanks for dropping by my blog earlier! =)
Great choices. Just My Type is on my TBR list. Chad Harbach is actually from my hometown (Racine, WI). I don’t know him, but I still think it’s pretty cool.
I always like a book/author connection, however tenuous! You should read Harbach’s book – best book I’ve read this year by a long shot.
Gatsby is the only book on your list I’ve read or even heard about. I am gleefully adding the rest to my goodreads tbr list! Thanks for the great selections!
Here’s Mine
Ooh, I’ve seen the font book in bookshops and have been intrigued by it, so I’m glad to see it’s worth a read. I appreciate the YA recommendation too as I don’t read much YA and find the whole genre overwhelming. Of A Boy sounds very good. Great list!
Agree, YA can be overwhelming (and all look a bit the same) – Sonya Hartnett’s books are as much for adults as YAs. Thanks for stopping by!