"Outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read!" -Groucho Marx========="The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen========="I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."-JK Rowling========"I spend a lot of time reading." -Bill Gates=========“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.” -Jacqueline Kelly=========

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Top ten books I've read since the beginning of this blog

Broke and Bookish
Top books I've read since the beginning of this blog in July 2009. (Review date in parentheses.)


  1. The Things They Carried by Timothy O'Brien---(7-26-09) Written in the 1980s I'd been encouraged to read this book for many years before I actually did so.  This book, about the Vietnam War and healing oneself, is very powerful. It is possible that I started blogging because of this book.
  2. Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins---(10-4-09) I read Hunger Games in April and Catching Fire as soon as it came out in October, but I blogged about them together. I remember asking my library assistant to read Hunger Games when I first got it in the library so she could tell me what it was about. When she returned it she said it was "pretty good." When I finally read it I wondered at her understatement.  It knocked my socks off. 
  3. The Book of Lost Things by John Connelly---(10-15-09) This book is one of my all-time favorites. It is about a boy who is trying to find his way home but keeps encountering fairy tales with a twist.  Magical.
  4. Going Bovine by Libba Bray---(1-3-10) This book defies categorization. It is about a kid who is on a heroes journey to save the world or is dying from Mad Cow Disease. You be the judge.  Love it and love Ms. Bray.
  5. The Plot Against America by Philip Roth---(9-8-10) This book to be a fractured history. It takes an actual historical event, WWII, but changes one thing. In this case FDR is defeated by Charles Lindbergh, a known antisemitic, in the 1940 election.  Things go badly for Jews in America and fast.  I often think about this book and its message when I watch politics today.
  6. Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann---(11-14-10) Interconnected stories that all revolve, in some way, around the World Trade Center Towers and the man who walked between the two towers on a tightrope when they were being built.
  7. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams---(4-5-11) Can you believe that I didn't read this famous book until I was well into my 50s? This is a not-to-be-missed book.  It is simply laugh-aloud hilarious!
  8. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green---(1-18-12) As a John Green fan I was holding my breath in anticipation of this book's launch.  I loved every moment of it, even those requiring hankies.
  9. Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater---(2-25-12) A Printz Honor Award Book for 2012, this book was by far my favorite of all the winners.  I'm at a loss for words how to describe this magical book.
  10. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline---(7-28-12) Anyone who sorta likes video games or grew up in the 1980s or is into computers and technology MUST read this book.  I'm not into any of those things and I still loved it.  Go get it now!
Honorable Mention:
  • Tales of the Madman Underground by John Barnes
  • The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan
  • Stolen by Lucy Christopher
  • A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett
  • Roger and Amy's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
  • Tales From Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan


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