Tuesday 26 March 2013

Top Ten Books I Recommend the Most


I really love Top Ten Tuesday - I feel like it's a really easy way to think about books in different categories and to remind myself of the books that I may have slightly forgotten about. Also, my list obsession means that it's an easy way to feel like I'm keeping up with the blog! We were away at my Mum's last weekend, and will be this weekend and the weekend after, so between travelling, taking care of Benji and attempting to do all the work for my Ancient Greeks course there's not too much time left over for blogging! I really hope to be more active soon though! But anyway, for now, here's my list:


  • Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling - Weirdly enough, I still seem to meet a lot of people who haven't read these books, or at least haven't read all of them. I tend to bug them about it until they give in and agree to either start them or carry on from where they left off! 
  • Little Women and sequels by Louisa May Alcott - I have so much love for these books. They are my antidepressant and motivator at all times and everybody should read them. I don't care that they're 'girly books'. 
  • The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - seriously one of the best, if not the best book I've read in the past few years. Everybody should read this - I've yet to meet a person who didn't love it. 
  • How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran - this is such a hilarious memoir. I think I've posted enough about it now that people know that her reference to sage and onion stuffing literally made me cry with laughter. She is brilliant. 
  • Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi - I've mentioned the humour in this before, and how it was the first time I'd encountered the graphic format outside of fantasy and that's what I tell people when I recommend it. 
  • The End of Mr Y by Scarlett Thomas - I actually cannot put my love for Scarlett Thomas into words. The fact that she works in the same (small) city as me is a little ridiculous. She also is apparently often on the train I get to and from work. I may even have walked past her. My brain is about to explode. 
  • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - This book is important. Read it. 
  • The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - First book that ever made me laugh aloud on public transport. On the first page. It still totally does. 
  • Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan - I actually love these books (major thanks to Hanna for sending me the first one and getting me hooked!) and now I'm reading bits of The Iliad and The Odyssey for my course I'm totally finding the bits I recognise. It's pretty great. 
  • The Fables series by Bill Willingham - this is my favourite graphic novel series at the moment.They're based around classic fables and fairytale characters who have escaped their homelands, where an enemy known as The Adversary is taking over, and set up a new life in New York. I don't understand how anything that sounds a little lame in synopsis could be so great, but it seriously is. 

12 comments:

  1. I still meet people who haven't read HP, too. It's almost unbelievable.
    And I loved The End of Mr Y by Scarlett Thomas! :) Have you read her other books? I have Our Tragic Universe, but I still haven't read it.

    Here is my TTT.

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  2. Thanks for reminding me that I have to read little women still and the Percy Jackson books as well :) I have added them on goodreads now so I won't forget :)

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  3. I loved The Night Circus and Harry Potter and highly recommend them too. A few of the others you mentioned I plan to read and even more are new to me - love this list!

    Tanya Patrice
    Girlxoxo.com

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  4. TOTALLY agree with the first two. Great stories with a lot of across-the-board appeal. I'll have to check out your other recommendations, too!

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  5. Whenever I walk past 'The End of Mr Y' on my bookshelf, your name flashes into my mind. You love this book so much that I now think of it as 'a Bex book'. Just like The Woman in White is 'a Laura book' and the Pirates! series are 'Hanna books'. Job well done, old bean...

    Also, I need to read Caitlin Moran, and Mockingbird, and The Night Circus, because they've been on my shelves unloved for far too long. And more Percy Jackson! :D

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    1. YOU NEED TO READ TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD OMG SO IMPORTANT! It's maybe my favourite book. Maybe. If you were going to like, kill a kitten to make me choose. Please don't make me choose (or kill a kitten)

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  6. I loooooove Little Women, and I've read Good Wives, but... I haven't got any further because I've read that something bad happens to a good character and waaaaaah! I do really really need to read Little Men though, cause, like, I own it and all. Might read it soon, actually.

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  7. Oh, thank you for reminding me about The Fables. I've been meaning to start with the series but, not being a graphic novel reader, I never happen across them when I'm book shopping.

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  8. Do you know I've read NINE of these books? I knew you were my book twin for a reason!

    There's only Persepolis left and I'm tempted to read that for the sake of completion...

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  9. I love the Harry Potter series and Little Women too. :) Some of my friends have already read How to Be a Woman and said it's hilarious so I'll probably pick it up as soon as I can - it sounds like my cup of tea!

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  10. I haven't read TKAM yet but everyone loves it so much, I can't wait.

    I would also recommend the first half of LW to anyone who needs a reminder of why working hard is important.

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  11. I am definitely going to read To Kill a Mockingbird soon. I ordered it 3 months ago and it's been lying on my bedside table since then!

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