Today's Top Ten Tuesday deals with my changing opinion about books over time.
↑1. Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James...I initially gave the book a 3 rating. I am such a huge Jane Austen fan and I didn't think the book lived up to the her standards. I have since seen the movie and I liked it a lot. I have reassembled my thinking on the book based on the movie.
↑2. The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin...We read this book for book club. I was so put off because the author didn't use traditional punctuation such as quotation marks. I rated the book a 3 at the time. Everyone else in the club really liked the book and we had a fabulous discussion. By the end of the club, I had already upgraded my rating.
↑3. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh...this was also a book club selection and I was so irritated by the main character I gave the book a 3 rating. Since that time the book is often on my mind especially when I am in the mood for flowers.
↑4. The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown...I can't believe I initially gave this book only a rating of 4. After the reread and meeting the author, it is certainly a 5+.
↓5. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikrey by Gabrielle Zevin...I loved this book, gave it a 5 star rating. Months later I could barely remember the plot. I think 5 star books shouldn't be so easily forgettable.
↓6. Glory O'Brien's History of the World by A.S. King...see the above comment. Same for this book.
↑7. The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings...This classic novel has simmered very well. I rated it initially at a four but it deserves higher than that. All my memories of the book are positive.
↓8. Me Before You by JoJo Moyes...I like this book fine but actually not as much as I initially thought.
I always wonder if I'd like Me Before You as much if I reread it! :-) Great list. :-)
ReplyDeleteI haven't yet seen the TV production but I couldn't even get through Death Comes to Pemberley! I like P.D. James but thought she really struggled bring Austen's characters to life. I have heard that the mini-series is great though and I love the idea behind the book.
ReplyDeleteGood point, that 5 star books really should be memorable. I think sometimes books hit you at just the right time and work perfectly. I give those books 5 stars with the understanding that it may not be reflection of the book's quality but on my it was the right book at the right time. Finally, I really enjoy when discussion makes me see a book in a new light!
I have seen The Storied Life of AJ Fikry around for a while, but never picked it up. I agree with you though that 5 stars should be memorable. I like how you used the arrows. :)
ReplyDeleteMaybe we should go back and re-rate our books a year, two years, ten years later.
ReplyDeletehttp://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2016/05/funny-how-time-changes-things_24.html
You've highlighted the reasons why it's so wonderful to reread books - we bring different experiences to each reread it can be like reading a completely new story!
ReplyDeleteI still want to see the adaptation of Death Comes to Pemberly, but I actually dnf'd the book.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog earlier.
The only title I'm familiar with is Me Before You though I haven't read it I've been going back and forth when I see the movie trailer.
ReplyDeleteI have not read Death Comes to Pemberley, even though I'm a huge Austen fan, because I have heard such mixed reviews. I think I can definitely take the time to watch the film, though!
ReplyDeleteI sometimes also read books that I really like at the time, but cannot remember that well later--one of the benefits of reviewing books is that it instantly refreshes the memory!
I'd really like to read Me Before You because the movie looks beautiful. But first I have to actually take the time to READ it! :)
ReplyDeleteI need to see Death Comes to Pemberley, as it's been on my list of things to watch.;)
ReplyDeleteI haven't read The Yearling yet.. I need to add it to my TBR list!
Ooh, I loved your idea with the up/down arrows! I probably should've done something like that, but this week's TTT theme was hard for me to begin with. Me Before You has been on my radar for a while, even before the movie trailer and stuff. I've been on the fence about reading it. I'm sure it's good, but I just don't know if I have the emotional capacity to deal with a punch to the gut, lol.
ReplyDeleteBrittany @ Space Between the Spines