I've never participated in Top Ten Tuesday before -- a link-up hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. But a lot of blogs I read do, and so, I'm trying it out myself :-) This week, the theme is Favorite Books I've Read So Far in 2015. Here are mine:
Persuasion by Jane Austen -- my favorite Austen novel. I read this as part of a read-along at Literary Adventures Along the Brandywine in January and February. Re-read, of course, and a book I dearly love.
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell -- my first time reading this. I fell in love with the BBC adaptation earlier this year, and just had to read the book. Not disappointed, for sure!
Hamlet: Poem Unlimited by Harold Bloom -- an eye-opening musing on various themes in Hamlet.
A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd -- a delicious concoction of magic, mystery, and friendship. Junior fiction, yes, but you should read it.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott -- another re-read, this time for my own read-along.
Laura by Vera Caspary -- and another re-read. One of my favorite mysteries, and the basis for one of my favorite movies.
A Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz -- awesome look at how reading Jane Austen's novels changed a grad student's views of himself and the world around him.
Dreaming Spies by Laurie R. King -- the latest novel of suspense featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes finds them in Japan, solving mysteries.
Corral Nocturne by Elizabeth Grace Foley -- a western retelling of the Cinderella story. It's a novella, and only available in ebook form right now, but I totally loved it.
The Light of Western Stars by Zane Grey -- the first ebook I ever read! And an enjoyable western, to boot.
Welcome to TTT then. I haven't read any of these, but I've read that one...***over there in the right hand column of your blog*** The Silmarillion numerous times.
ReplyDeleteJoseph, this is my first time through The Silmarillion! I've read LOTR half a dozen times, but never had the courage to try this before. So far, so good!
DeleteIt's don't find it quite the escape asThe Hobbit and LOTR, really more of a history book (revealing Prof T's obsession with his world building). But it fills in a lot of holes, and will make LOTR more enjoyable next time you read it too.
DeleteYes. It's like reading the Pentateuch, versus the Gospels. Explains lots of stuff, but some of it takes a long time to wade through.
DeleteGreat choices! I always enjoy the Top Ten Tuesdays when I do them. Welcome to the fun!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Hannah! I tend to be a day or two (or five) behind in my blog-reading, and so by the time I see this pop up on people's blogs, Tuesday is over. This time, though, I happened to see it at the top of my feed and was like, "Yes! It's still Tuesday! I can do this!" :-D
DeleteI know that feeling (as proof, I just saw this comment)!
DeleteI've just bought A Snicker of Magic for our school library. Looking forward to reading it. My TTT @Crushingcinders
ReplyDeleteHello, Sue! A Snicker of Magic is an awesome addition to a school library. My son loved it and asked recently if we can look for it at the bookstore next time we're there :-) So we may be adding it to our own little school library soon!
DeleteThanks, Walker Louise! I'm glad I helped you find that book, because it is will worth reading, IMHO. I do hope to carry on with TTT... when I remember/have time :-)
ReplyDeletePersuasion is definitely Jane Austen's best novel, I think. Not that the others aren't good--of course they are--but Persuasion is just that much better. If only there were a movie adaptation worthy of it :-(
ReplyDeleteOf course, we don't NEED a good movie adaptation to appreciate the novel itself. I just WANT one because I think it would be so much fun to watch.
It really is marvelous, Jessica. So rich and deep, and yet succinct!
DeleteA good adaptation would be lovely. One day, maybe!
Persuasion is one of the tops on my list. And I don't really need another movie adaptation as I quite like the '95 one. :)
ReplyDeleteI read the book on Jane Austen Education either last year or the year before. Thought it was pretty decent.
Some top books for me so far this year:
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis.
What Stands in a Storm by Kim Cross, a look at the April 2011 tornado outbreak
The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer
Tornado Watch #211 by John Grant Fuller. It kicked off my interest in tornadoes lo these many years ago.
Farmer Giles of Ham & Smith of Wootton Major by J.R.R. Tolkien
And a whole slew of Agatha Christie novels, in particular The Mysterious Mr. Quin & Parker Pyne Investigates.
George, I do like the '95 movie pretty well, especially the acting. The storytelling has problems, though, in that if you haven't read the book, you have no idea what's going on for the first half hour or more. Not optimal.
DeleteThe Horse and His Boy is my favorite Narnia book :-) I have yet to read a Georgette Heyer book, but I will one of these days. Ditto with the Tolkien short stories -- I'll get there.
The '95 version I agree can be confusing if you haven't read the book. I've seen both versions and I like them both but they both have their own faults.
DeleteA Jane Austen Education sound so cool! You know how much I love Austen. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's really meaty and good, Lois.
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