Top Ten Tuesday: My gratefulness extends to books this week. Here is a list of books I am thankful for:
REPRISE from November 2017...1. The Bible. I thought I'd get that out of the way "in the beginning" (yes, that is a pun!) This book is a life-changer.
2. Pride and Prejudice. I know. Everyone loves this book (and movie) but honestly this book and all of Austen's novels have really helped me as a reader...to not be afraid of reading classics; to understand that there is a good feeling of accomplishment when one finishes a challenging book; and recognizing that it is OK to love a book and reread it when I need it.
3. Ten Poems to Change Your Life by Roger Housden. When I discovered the Ten Poems series by Housden suddenly poetry was revealed to me. In his books Housden highlights ten poems and explains aspects in each against modern life. I read and reread these books for inspiration and I am no longer afraid to read poetry, in fact I crave it.
4. To Kill a Mockingbird. No book speaks to me more about being an ethical person than TKAM. Atticus Finch is not only a good lawyer but an excellent parent, someone I try to emulate in my life. Plus, I love Scout and Jem.
5. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds, Western Edition. Bet you weren't expecting this, huh? I consult my bird book often as I sit and look out at the backyard when birds visit it. I love identifying a bird I haven't seen before.
6. The Chronicles of Narnia. I loved this series as a child. I read them to my children when they were little. We read them together after they grew up. I am grateful for all the positive moments spent with these books.
7. The
8. Looking for Alaska. Before I became a teen librarian I hadn't been reading YA lit as a practice. I remember my first year of torturous book talks since I basically had no books to talk about. Then I read LFA by John Green. I was blown away by it and realized that YA lit had a lot to offer. The book also won the Printz Award that year, so I became aware of other fantastic books through that gateway.
9. Cold Sassy Tree. If you have read my blog for years, you will notice that I list this book often because it is the book which brought me back to reading. I read a lot as a child and a young teen then basically abandoned reading (except books for classes) until I was around 30. Then I read this book. It blew me away and whet my appetite for reading good books.
10. Burial Rites, or my current read. This book represents my gratefulness for the book I am currently reading. There are so many great books and when I start a new one, I am always grateful for authors who think up the stories and write them down, for publishers who make them available for readers, and for libraries where I can get them for free.
What books are you grateful for?
I'm thankful for To Kill A Mockingbird as well. Such an incredible book.
ReplyDeleteI read the 'Narnia' (first book) novel when I was teen (when the first box office film released), but oh my! Was I ever transported to a world I so wanted to be a part of. Needless to say, at some point I need to read the rest - I read three in coloration with the films. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving, Anne - and thanks for the visit.
I hope you do read on the Narnia series. Read them in the "correct order": 1. Lion, Witch, Wardrobe 2. Prince Caspian 3. Voyage of the Dawn Treader 4. The Silver Chair 5. The Horse and His Boy 6. The Magician's Nephew 7. The Last Battle
DeleteHooray for Cold Sassy Tree! The book I've enjoyed that was most similar was The Homecoming of Samuel Lake.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to look for that book.
DeleteThis is a great list Anne and I'm particularly happy to see the Bible on your list, first because its brave and second because its a book to def be thankful for!!
ReplyDeleteI love top 10 Tuesday... Here is my post if you're interested in my choices <3 https://perspectiveofawriter.wordpress.com/2017/11/21/top-10-tuesday-bookish-things-to-be-thankful-for/
It's a life-changer!
DeleteYes! I'm so glad to see Pride and Prejudice on your list too! I totally understand what you mean when you said it helped you to not be afraid of the classics. I'm the same way. You have a great list here!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by The Novelistics,
Elena @ The Novelistics
I'm thankful for The Chronicles of Narnia as well. What a wonderful series.
ReplyDeleteHere is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thanks!
Pride and Prejudice and To Kill A Mockingbird should be read by everyone, in my opinion - the latter is because of its relevance to this day, P&P because I feel like it can should people who dislike classics that classics can be fun and even light. Great list!
ReplyDeleteVeronika @ The Regal Critiques
I see some great classics here! :-)
ReplyDeleteCold Sassy Tree. We read that for my book club so long ago that I don't remember the details, but I remember that I loved it at the time.
ReplyDeleteGreat addition with The Chronicles of Narnia! I almost put that on my list, too. It was one of my favorite series as a kid.
ReplyDeletePride and Prejudice was one of those classics I had wanted to read for a while but never picked up because classic. But it was actually so easy to read for me. So it is great that the book did something similar to you.
ReplyDeleteGreat list! Definitely agree with Pride and Prejudice, Chronicles of Narnia and To Kill A Mockingbird.
ReplyDeleteI just read La Belle Sauvage a few weeks ago and hope you love it as much as I did! And I love that you included your Audubon guide :)
ReplyDeleteYou've got some great books on your list! I'm super grateful for The Bible, too! :)
ReplyDeleteI think the Bible is perfect.
ReplyDeletehttp://thebestbasicblogger.blogspot.com/2017/11/top-ten-tuesday-favorite-authors.html
I'm thankful for all books. I never know when I'll fall in love with another one. There are so many possibilities.
ReplyDeleteShame on me! I failed to mention the bible, and it is the most important book I own, although I haven't read all of it. I plan on getting the chronological bible and a journaling bible (both on amazon) for the new year! Happy holidays and have a great week!
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely going to have to try Pullman - I don't know where I've been...
ReplyDeleteIs it horrible that I was so focused on books I have read this year that I am thankful for that I didn't even think to include the Bible? Shame on me.;)
ReplyDeleteI didn't include classics like P&P or To Kill a Mockingbird, both of which would be on my extended list.
The Bible and Narnia- so true! And I love watching the birds too- I never thought about getting a book like the National audubon one, but that's a great idea to have something like that handy.
ReplyDeleteI'm thankful for the Bible too. And I LOVE The Best Christmas Pageant Ever! I was in the play twice.
ReplyDeleteI've read Burial Rites and it didn't affect me as much as I expected it to, but I hope you like it! It's a good book nevertheless.
ReplyDeleteRonnie @ Paradise Found
To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favourite books I've ever read, so it's definitely one that I'm thankful for too :)
ReplyDeleteBurial Rituals does sound like an interesting read.
ReplyDeleteHere is our Top Ten Tuesday.
Each of these books has brought you great joy. I loved hearing the stories that each of these books reminds you of.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving! To Kill a Mockingbird is an amazing book.
ReplyDeleteMy TTT.
TKAM is my favorite book of all time, so I wholeheartedly agree with that one! THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER is a hilarious book. I remember when my stern, unsmiling third grade teacher read it aloud to us. She laughed so hard while reading that she had to hand off the book to a student so we could finish the chapter! We were all shocked :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving!
Today is a great day to be thankful for. (I did this topic, too!) I loved Looking for Alaska when I read it. It's a great book to be thankful for.
ReplyDeleteI love P&P so much. I'm so glad I took a chance on that one way back when.
ReplyDeleteSo many transformative books. Nice list
ReplyDeleteI'm grateful for all of them! :D
ReplyDeleteAll of these are so wonderful. And said wonder is, of course, a great thing to be thankful for. Also, ah! I love Burial Rites.
ReplyDeleteI loved Burial Rites! I hope you’re enjoying it.
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!