Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday: Did I Ever Mention...

Everybody here knows I love Jane Eyre and The Lord of the Rings, Shane and Anne of Green Gables, and lots of other books that I won't shut up about.  But here are ten books that I really love, but haven't mentioned much.  Or, as The Broke and the Bookish put it, top ten books we love but feel like we haven't talked about in a while or enough.



Mine are in alphabetical order by title because I didn't feel like using up the emotional energy to put them in order by favorites.



At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon -- I've read the first five or six books in the series, and own almost all of them, so one of these first years, I'll start all over and read them all from the beginning.  These are the sweetest books about an Episcopal minister and his congregation in the North Carolina mountains.  



Ben-Hur:  A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace -- such a thrilling book, full of drama and adventure and awesome story-telling.  The movie is good, but the book is better.




Catch-22 by Joseph Heller -- once I got the hang of the circular storytelling style, I adored this book, and I laughed and laughed and laughed over it.  Not family-friendly, though, just so you know.




Homer Price by Robert McCloskey -- the adorable adventures of one young man in the middle of America in the middle of the last century.




The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks -- imaginative and awesome, though it does have a couple cuss words.  A young boy named Omri discovers he can magically turn his action figures real.  I feel like Little Bear and Boo-Hoo Boone are my friends.




Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson -- David Balfour and Alan Breck Stewart are just irresistible in their Scottish awesomeness.




The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan -- the fascinating story of the Allies' invasion of Normandy on D-DAY during WWII.  Again, the movie is good, but the book is better.




The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton -- I have a fondness for stories of hoodlums and J.D.s, and this classic is the best of the best.




Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier -- gothic romance in the 20th century, full of intrigue and enchantment.  Also, random thing about this book and the one above it:  in both of them, when the protagonist tells their name to a new acquaintance for the first time, the acquaintance says it's "an unusual and lovely name."




The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin -- the best YA mystery I've ever read.  I make myself wait at least 5 years between readings so it will all feel a bit fresh and I won't remember everything about what happens.


Okay, those are mine.  What're yours?

20 comments:

  1. Great picks. Ben Hur is so descriptive that each scene is painted like a beautiful still-life, though it slows the storytelling a little.

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    1. Thanks, Isaac! Yes, it's to sumptuous images, for sure.

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  2. I love Rebecca. It just thrills me to my toes. :-)

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  3. The Longest Day sounds interesting. I read a lot about WWII so this should fit right in.

    I have never heard of The Westing Game. It sounds like just the type of book my daughter will like.

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    1. Jennifer, it's soooooooo good. My husband has read it aloud to Sam once already, and they're into it again right now.

      The Westing Game is pure delightfulness. I hope she reads it!

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  4. I've heard that about Ben Hur: the book is better. Another film version is coming out very soon, too, but a source I know said it is more like Ben Hur: A Tale without Christ. So...

    I tried reading Catch-22 and I stopped b/c I couldn't get into it. But I kept it with the intent to try again another day. We'll see.

    I loved reading the Indian in the Cupboard w/ my son. I need to do it again w/ my younger ones.

    And I get to read The Longest Day for my histories challenge. You did tell me it was a good one.

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    1. Ruth, the Charlton Heston version of Ben-Hur is in my top 25 of favorite movies, so when I say the book is better... yeow. (I've seen trailers and stuff for the new one. I'm annoyed by it.)

      Catch-22 is weird. Every time I put it down, when I'd pick it up again, I'd have to read about 2 pages before I'd start laughing again, like I had to catch the rhythm of the writing again each time. It's got a very non-linear thing going on, which is tricky to grasp. Maybe I should do a read-along of it some day?

      I need to read Indian in the Cupboard aloud to my kids. Soon! It's so wonderful. The sequels vary in their goodness, but the original -- mmmmmmm.

      Can't wait to hear what you think of The Longest Day !

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    2. You know me...I'm a sucker for a read-along.

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    3. :-D I'll add it to the "prospective" list, how's that?

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  5. I've read most of those, but there were a few that I didn't recognize. I'll have to check them out. :)

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    1. Laura, that's so cool! I hope you find some new ones to enjoy :-)

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  6. The Westing Game! I love that book! And I'm totally like you. I probably read it for the first time ten years ago, and now I read it every two or three years maybe because I always forget a lot of stuff and it keeps the mystery alive! It might be a kid's book, but it's still a great mystery.

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    1. Cori, how cool that we have the same habit when it comes to The Westing Game! I'm about due for a reread -- my memories of it have pretty well faded to vague.

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  7. except by Rebecca and Kidnapped, I have not read the others, but I love those two titles so far... I'm very VERY intrigued by Catch 22, it's in my reading horizon, lol

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    1. Silvia, if I had to pick two off this list that I wish everyone would try, they would be Rebecca and Kidnapped, so good job!

      Catch-22 is a fun ride :-)

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  8. Ben-Hur would definitely go on my list. It is so beautiful!!

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  9. I hadn't read At Home in Mitford for YEARS. But last year I took turns reading it aloud with my friend's family. We first started when we were on a roadtrip together and then I had to come over another night or two so we could finish. Definitely an excellent read-aloud book! I love Father Tim. :D

    And Homer Price! I haven't read that in ages either. But I remember loving it!

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    1. Kara, yay! Another Mitford fan! It's such a lovely series. Father Tim is such a dear man.

      Homer Price is the bee's knees. I'm just saying.

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