Top Ten Tuesday

Ohhhh yeah, as all of you know it's my favourite day of the week (blogwise that is, work wise I have to go back after a 4 day weekend, which is really pretty meh). This weeks top ten is a good one, although I had to mainly go with books that teachers recommended to me since I don't really know that many bookish people in real life, which is really sad-making to me! But I will go on, and possibly form my own book group or something, because the reading needs to be shared and loved people! But anyway, I digress. Here's

Top Ten Books I'm so glad were recommended to me


1. The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling- My sister likes to constantly remind me that she recommended Harry Potter to me, and my response was something like 'No, it's stupid!' Considering the rest of her reading repertoire, I think you would all support me in ignoring her recommendations, but anyway- it was only when a fellow librarian at my school recommended them to me that I actually decided to, and I was so blown away that I could probably still marry him to this day!

2. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee- Technically not so much of a recommendation as a compulsory read for my GCSEs when I was 16, this almost instantly became one of my favourite ever books, which was only enhanced by the opportunity to study it as intensely as I did (this went right down to learning quotes, which I could probably still tell you to this day). So, I guess thanks are in order to the exam board that set this book!

3. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith- I'm not sure if my friend actually recommended this to me, or just went on about it so much that I had to read it just to see what she was talking about! Either way, I'm really glad that it happened, because it's a pretty awesome book. Also, made me want to live in a castle more than a little bit!

4. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver- This is one that is going to make me sound a bit creepy/like a stalker, but I think someone had a quote from this or something on their facebook page, and it really really made me want to read it! This is potentially a marketing ploy for authors- get people to quote you on facebook, and creepy people like me might just pick up your book! It was really really good too, so I am especially glad about this one.

5. His Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman- This is one where I did actually take a recommendation from my sister, possibly because of the success on my brain of the Harry Potter books! These are really really fabulous books, and if you haven't read them then I recommend that you do! (see, I'm making my own recommendations now!)

6. Angels in America by Tony Kushner- Put on a course by essentially my favourite lecturer at University (basically because her units contained some of my favourite ever books/plays) I am so so happy that I did this unit instead of the children's literature unit that I really wanted to do. If I hadn't done this unit, I would probably never have heard of this play, and I wouldn't have this enduring obsession with the play that I do, which would make me really sad!

7. 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King- This was put on my year 9 reading list, and if it didn't necessarily make me read 'Salem's Lot as my first Stephen King book, it definitely put me on the track to a Stephen King book filled life, a better and scarier life than ever before! But yeah, I'm pretty grateful for that.

8. Candy Girl by Diablo Cody- Frances and I had a complete and enduring obsession with Diablo Cody all through University (actually, we kind of still do) but I'd only barely really heard of her book, about her experiences as a stripper. When we came back for the third year, then, Frances brandishing a copy of Candy Girl, I doubt I've been more excited about a book for a very long time. My excitement was really well founded too, since it's awesome!

9. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck- This is an extremely weird one, and you'\re all going to chase me with sticks and possibly have to neutralise me if I tell you about it! But I'll take the chance anyway. This was recommended to me through an exam. That sounds weird, but I took an exam where there was an extract from The Grapes of Wrath, and some other information and stuff about the Great Depression, and while I didn't exactly enjoy the exam, I was sort of interested by all the information it gave me, and I felt inspired to have a look at The Grapes of Wrath. Is that really so wrong?! Probably, but I don't care because it is just so incredibly awesome!

10. The Tortilla Curtain by TC Boyle- This is another one of those books that was recommended to me by my favourite English lecturer, and while it wasn't necessarily my favourite of all the books on the course (that would be number 9 on this list!) it probably is one that I wouldn't have necessarily picked up by myself and one that I would have regretted not reading if I hadn't (except I wouldn't because I wouldn't have known about it but never mind!) But basically, yeah. It was good!

So that's my list, how about yours? Also, if I've led you to a book that you, in turn, really really loved, then I would love to hear about it, because it would make me feel all good and happy inside to know that I am spreading the love of awesome books!