Top Ten Tuesday, as always, is hosted at my other blog — The Broke & the Bookish
This week’s topic: Top Ten Favorite Books I Read Before I Started Blogging In June 2010
I read a lot differently before I started this blog (a topic which I’ll expand upon in a future Before & After) so this should be fun! I wasn’t really up in the YA scene and ones I read were only because I heard great things about them. I’ve started doing “Before I Blogged I Read…” reviews so you’ll see some of these featured in that or have already seen them talked about.
Memoirs of A Geisha by Arthur Golden: God, I loved this book. One of those where I had to pry myself out of it because I felt like I was so deeply embedded in the story and setting. I HIGHLY recommend this book — even if you typically only read YA I think you will love it.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusack: OH MY GOSH. Everything about this book was just perfect for me — an unusual narrator, characters I could see vividly and love, a compelling plot and the ability to absolutely wreck me by the end. OH GOD. I can still remember staying up and bawling while reading it until 4am with very red eyes.
The Giver by Lois Lowry: A childhood favorite that I absolutely need to read again soon!
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen: Forever and always will be a favorite.
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson: I wasn’t really a YA reader but heard everyone in the world talk about this book and WOW. Since blogging I’ve had the pleasure to read more LHA and meet her and she is a fabulous author, person and champion for YA lit. A must read if you are just delving into YA lit. If you haven’t gotten to this one, it’s on sale for the Kindle as I write this!
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer: I know a lot of people think JSF is pretentious or what not but I love what he writes and this book made me bawl and also laugh out loud. There are two storylines and Oskar’s is definitely the more compelling one for me. One of my all time faves!!
Love Is A Mixtape by Rob Sheffield: I just did a “Before I Blogged” review for this one last week so go check it out!
The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: I read this one back in high school in 2004 (I think). A friend had given it to me and I didn’t even KNOW it was YA lit. It was just a book to me and then I read it and I was BLOWN away. I just recently saw the movie and I thought it was one of the best adaptations ever and captured how I felt perfectly.
Love In The Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: If you hate overly verbose books, step away from this one. BUT OMG can this man spin the words. I loved this book so much as well as his other book One Hundred Years of Solitude.
Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum: If you love historical fiction (esp that set in WWII) I highly recommend this. A beautiful and touching mother daughter story this one was. It’s one I recommend regardless if you read YA or Adult Fiction.
So tell me…have you read any of these? Are any on your TBR list?
Lauren says
I’ve been meaning to read Memoirs of a Geisha for a while now. Hopefully I’ll get to read it over the summer. Glad to hear it so good!
The Book Thief is beautiful.
Great list 😀
Lauren x
Chachic says
Pride and Prejudice! How could I forget, I should have included that in my list as well. And I loved The Giver too. There are just way too many good books out there to narrow down the list to just 10.
Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit says
Great choices! P&P is definitely on my list, but I didn’t spotlight it this week because I wanted to choose some books that a lot of people haven’t heard of. =)
Numbers five through nine are all on my TBR. Especially anything by Jonathan Safran Foer. REALLY need to read his stuff. I haven’t heard of Those Who Save Us, so I’m checking that out right now!
Kelley (Another Novel Read) says
The Giver is on my list today, too! And I’m going to be reading The Book Thief later this month. I REALLY need to read Memoirs of a Geisha already; I can’t tell you how many people have recommended it to me!
Great list. 🙂
Loni says
Memoirs of a Geisha is a brilliant novel. I think anyone would like it.
Leah says
Snap on Memoirs of a Geisha! Absolutely adore that book.
My TTT 🙂
DeAnna says
I have seen so many people who loved The Book Thief, but I don’t even know what it’s about. I’ve never managed to get past the fact that it’s historical fiction. Maybe I should give it a chance. Great list!
Stephanie @ Love.Life.Read says
Oh I absolutely LOVE Speak! Great list!
Christianna says
Memoirs of a Geisha really was a good one! My Grandma gave it to me to read when I was like 16 or something and I ate it up.
My TTT
Heather says
I had Memoirs of a Geisha on my list too. I wish Arthur Golden would write another book!
Bonnie says
So glad to see another Memoirs of a Geisha fan. 🙂 The only other ones on your list that I’ve read are Pride and Prejudice and Speak! Several others are on my TBR, including Love is a Mixtape which I added after your blog post. Great picks!
Top Ten Tuesday!
Tara says
That list is totally different than what you mostly read now! Isn’t it funny how blogging can shape what you read?
The Polished Page-Turner says
I really need to pick up The Book Thief! It is one book I have never heard anyone speak a bad word about. The Giver had to be my favorite book we read in grade school. I liked it so much I started writing my own “sequel” in 6th grade.
Amanda says
I love that you read and enjoyed Speak, because not many people have even heard of it! It is definitely one of my all-time favorite books, and it made me look at people a lot differently. Have you seen the movie adaptation?
Hollie @ Music, Books and Tea says
So many of these books are on my to-read pile! I loved The Book Thief and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, they are just two fantastic books. I’m definitely going to be checking out Love Is a Mixtape very, very soon, because I’m 99.9% sure it’s a book I’ll love.
Christa says
I read and loved a lot of these books before I started blogging too – and I especially enjoyed Memoirs of Geisha, Speak and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. I still need to read Love is a Mixtape though!
Janita (Book, Interrupted) says
I’ve read a couple of these, but I really want to read Memoirs of a Geisha. I watch the movie all the time and am constantly blown away by the setting and the story, how it’s a retelling of Cinderella. Amazing picks!
Rachel says
I absolutely adored Speak. I read it in highschool and it was one of those books that came along at the right time for me. I loved The Book Thief as well. I think I read that faster than almost every other book I’ve read.
Candice @ The Grown-Up YA says
Yay for this list! I’ve been seeing several of these on others’ lists today and they really make me think I should check them out!
Jennifer @ A Librarian's Library says
I just LOVE Memoirs of a Geisha! That made my list too! And Perks of Being a Wallflower…every time I read it I get something new out of it! It is one of those timeless stories that will stand the test of time, for sure! And I for sure need to actually read The book Thief. I have had it on my shelf and just haven’t gotten to it! Gaaah!
My TTT
Asheley Tart (@BookwormAsheley) says
Oh my goodness gracious, I just need to read all of these. Except for The Book Thief, which I’ve already read. But seriously, I need to read the rest of them. I am LAME. Also I am so glad you read adult fiction.
Annie says
Oh my gosh, The Book Thief! It was amazing! Honestly, I bawled like a baby when I finished. 🙁
Christina (BookTasty) says
Pride and Prejudice is my all time favorite book ever. I just know that Jane Austen and I would be best friends! 🙂
Brittany @ The Book Addict's Guide says
I love seeing The Giver on your list!!! It’s a favorite since my childhood when I first read it. It got me excited to read, excited about dystopians when I didn’t even know what they were, and it made a lasting impression. AND it was still good when I reread it as a 25-year-old.
Amy says
I only read The Giver recently, back in December, and just loved it! You should definitely re-read it soon!
kailia Sage says
The Giver and Pride and Prejudice will always be favorites of mine, no matter what. I read Speak a few years ago, but after blogging I believe! I can’t believe I haven’t read The Book Thief yet; I must change that soon. This is a great list!
Erin @ YA Book Crush says
Pride & Prejudice made my list, too, and if I hadn’t read Perks after starting my blog it definitely would have made the cut 🙂 Have to agree with you on the movie version; one of the best adaptations ever.
Great list.
Lisa says
The Giver is ALWAYS good for a reread.
Sarina says
Though I’ve read a couple of these books already, I have to say that The Perks of Being a Wallflower is my favourite on your list!
Chantelle says
I read Memoir’s Of A Geisha two or three times in high-school. Each time I read it I was a bit older, and had a few more life experiences, and I think I got something different out of the book on each read. It’s one of those books that stays with you.
The American Beat says
I want to read Jonathan Safran so bad!
Kristilyn (Reading In Winter) says
I really wasn’t part of the YA scene, either, before I started blogging. I mean, I read Twilight and the Mortal Instruments series (that was about when I started to blog), but it wasn’t until the past year or so that I really noticed how many wonderful books there were in the YA section. Of course, NOW I’m trying to find balance between adult literature and YA literature … and everything else out there!
Memoirs of a Geisha and The Giver would definitely be on my list! I remember loving Memoirs and I still haven’t seen the movie because I KNOW it won’t do the book justice. I have a copy of Those Who Save Us on my shelf and really should read it soon! I also want to find a copy of Love is a Mixtape … I saw your review and then saw someone on Twitter was reading it and loving it!
Great list!
Leticia (@osoordinary) says
Pride & Prejudice! LOVE LOVE LOVE! Many of the others are already on my TBR list! But I just added Those Who Save Us and about to check out your review of Love Is A Mix Tape. I haven’t read The Perks of Being a Wallflower, but I did see the movie! LOVED IT! I MUST read that book! Thanks for your list!! Great books!
Alexa Y. says
Memoirs of a Geisha is definitely a book I loved before I started blogging. I remember reading the book multiple times because I loved it so! I think it also had a lot to do with how fascinating I find Japanese culture to be. But still, it’s such a lovely book.
Also – Pride & Prejudice. I love that book. I read it the summer before I started blogging (finally) and can totally justify the hype. It’s such a beautiful, classic love story.
And it looks like I should read The Giver (since I never have before)!
Liz says
I actually only just read THE GIVER in 2011. I don’t know how it took me so long, but I absolutely adored it. Other than that I’d read MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, P&P, SPEAK, and EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE all before blogging. It’s funny how different books can affect you at different points in your life.