Today, I found a weekly feature through Word Hits hosted by The Broke and the Bookish that is so much fun! It's called Top Ten Tuesday. Every week, they feature their top ten in something book related, and this week it was Top Ten Books Read So Far in 2013. (Each of those links leads to a different page, so make sure you check them all out!) I decided I'll participate, even though you all have heard about most of these books already, and I've divided them into a couple of sections. The books themselves are in no particular order, and if I've written about them on my blog, I'll link them to the original post as well. Also, some of my entries are actually series which I've finished, and I didn't want to pick a favorite book from the series. I'm not including any books that I re-read this year, that I have yet to finish, or that were written for elementary school ages or younger.
Loved:
Two Guys Read Jane Austen--What a great way to delve further into Jane Austen!
Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths Vol. 1 & 2--I don't know how many of you have seen The Dark Crystal, but I simply adore that movie! These graphic novels tell the history of Thra (the world in which the movie is set) and how it came to be divided by the devastation of the crystal. I loved being pulled back into this story--it challenged my imagination and my moral compass. Also, the copies that I have included some background information on the making of the movie and the characters, which I found intriguing.
Liked a Lot:
Austenland--This was my first review for the Pride and Prejudice bicentenary challenge. I really enjoyed the playfulness and uniqueness of it.
A Wrinkle in Time--It would be hard for this book to get more awesome. Meg (and all of the main characters) is fantastic, but my favorite is probably Aunt Beast. What a cozy, happy character! I can't believe it took me so long to read this book.
Sookie Stackhouse series--I loved the voice that Charlaine Harris gave Sookie. She may not be my favorite character, but she is definitely unique. Also, I find the mix of mystery, comedy, romance, and paranormal activity very interesting.
A Discovery of Witches (All Souls #1)--With all of the other paranormal books out right now, it's hard to find one that really feels like an original, and this is one. Deborah Harkness has my attention; we'll see what she does with it when I read the second book.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks--Science is not my strong suit, but this book really captured me. Skloot does a fantastic job balancing the family's story of Henrietta with the medical community's story of HeLa.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians series--This is the first series I've read by Rick Riordan, and I love how he transformed Greek mythology, adapting it for the modern world and making it more accessible to the reader. Well-written and very inventive.
The School for Good and Evil--Just your typical fairy tale...or is it? This book took me on one of the craziest psychological roller coasters I've ever been on. Chainani plays games with your head and makes you believe things only to switch it up later. I liked this for it's original take on fairy tale ideals and technicalities. Look for a post on this book later this week.
Unbearable Lightness--I have always liked Portia de Rossi for her wit, humor, and "stage presence," but this book gave me another reason to see her as a strong, admirable woman. I am excited that she decided to share the story of her struggle with anorexia and other eating disorders, and I'll be writing a post about this one soon.
Cookbooks: I don't really "read through" cookbooks; I just glance through, reading bits and trying the recipes that sound the best to me. But I've found some interesting ones this year that I wanted to share with you. They're not exactly part of my ten, and I'm still working on a good way to review cookbooks. Meanwhile, find these and rifle through them--I'm sure you'll find something fantastic!
Liddabit Sweets Candy Cookbook
Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream
The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook
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Interesting list! I esp love that you highlight Austenalia as well as Wrinkle in Time and Percy Jackson. Love that! Haven't yet read Percy but it's on my list. have been so wanting to read Two Guys on Austen since you blogged about it. Will be on my P&P challenge list also.
ReplyDeleteI read all sorts of things, and my favorites tend to not be the same kinds of things, you know? So thanks! I do what I can to keep myself and you guys entertained! The Percy Jackson series is definitely worth your time. I would have blogged about it, but I didn't have a specific review for the first couple and it's been a while since I read them. But Riordan gets pretty creative combining the modern age with Greek mythology. I plan on starting the Heroes of Olympus series soon! And I'm glad you're so interested in Chandler and Hill's book! I'm currently waiting on another copy of it to come in the mail, and then I think I might do a giveaway! I haven't done one before, but the response was so great, so why not start now?
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