"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=========

Monday, January 29, 2018

TTT: I Can't Believe I Read These Books


Top Ten Tuesday: I Can't Believe I Read (or Finished) These Books (for a variety of reasons)

Freewill by Chris Lynch
I hated this book from start to finish, but I did, I finished it. It earned a 1 star rating on Goodreads from me. The only 1 star rating on my whole page.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: A Graphic Novel by Seth Grahame-Smith and Jane Austen
Defamation of my favorite novel and a graphic novel to boot. But it was short and I enjoyed it, sort of.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
I loved the book but before I read it, I was terrified of it. I didn't think I could understand it, so I shunned it for years and years. When I finally read it I was blown away.

At Home in Her Tomb: Lady Dai and the Ancient Chinese Treasures of Mawandui by Christine Liu-Perkins
This is one of those little nonfiction books that sometimes end up in libraries to languish on the shelves. Well, I read it and found it fascinating. Then this year, when we were in China, I was able to wow our Chinese guide since I knew about Ladi Dai and her tomb. He was clearly blown away. When he recovered, he asked how I knew about her.  I told him I was a librarian and I read a book about her!

The Goldfinch by Donna Tart.
I LOVED THIS BOOK. But the Goldfinch audiobook was over 30 hours long! Can you believe it? I finished it and loved it. 30+ hours!!!

Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen
This book was on my must-read list since I saw the movie named for it. I was so-o-o disappointed. It wasn't the main source of information for the movie, after all. Plus, it took me a LONG time to read, prolonging the torture. But I finished it. Check. Done with that one!

The Art of Barbie by Craig Yoe
I know. I can't believe I read it, either. And more unbelievably I enjoyed it.

The Singer by Calvin Miller
This one should read, "I can't believe that I finally read this book." It was given to me as a graduation or birthday gift in 1975. I told her I wanted it and then I never read it. I've carted it around with me for 40+ years. This past year that friend past away. My sorrow led me back to this book that she gave me so many years before. And I read it. I can't believe it took me so long.

The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
My family and I watched the mini-series based on this book. We were enthralled and would binge watch episode after episode. The book was not nearly as exciting as the TV show. It was so different, in fact, that I really didn't like it and I can't believe I finished the whole book.

How to Tell If Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You by Matthew Inman
I can't believe I actually read this whole silly, humorous book. No, check that, I can believe I read it. I just can't believe I told anyone that I read it.




Truck: A Love Story by Michael Perry
A memoir about a man and his truck. Doesn't seem like my kind of book, but I really liked it.




13 comments:

  1. Ashley loved the Marquez book, but I've never read it. The Goldfinch was quite an experience. I enjoyed most of it, although the Las Vegas part went on FOREVER.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I remember the first time I saw Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, I was like seriously?? :)

    Truck: A Love Story has me really curious, I think I've seen that one around before. It looks familiar!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm a big fan of The Man in the High Castle as a TV show. It's too bad the book didn't live up to your expectations of it.

    Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I liked the first season of The Man In The High Castle (though I never caught up with the rest), it's a shame to hear the book didn't live up to your expectations.
    My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2018/01/30/top-ten-tuesday-144/

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm not familiar with many of these books. I don't think Freewill would be my sort of book either.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm glad you told me The Man in the High Castle isn't as exciting as the series. I wanted to read it and now I'm not so sure, lol. And, lol about the How to Tell if your Cat is Plotting to Kill You. It'd totally read that book and telling people I read it. :D

    My TTT Post

    ReplyDelete
  7. I really want to pick up One Hundred Years of Solitude this year. I'm glad it was a hit despite you being worried.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love Isak Dinesen, but I did read it before seeing the movie. But Garcia Marquez is too much for me.

    My overall impression is that Philip K. Dick books are weird and difficult, but the core ideas get adapted into really fun sci fi movies.

    I love that you read some random nonfiction about China and enjoyed it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. It is funny to think about books we read that we're embarrassed to admit to and those that we're proud of ourselves for reading.

    ReplyDelete
  10. A 30+ hour audiobook!?! I don't think I could do it - it would take me weeks to get through :) I love that you read "How to Know if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill you" ... any survival skills you'd like to pass along?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh this is such a great list! You had me chuckling about the cat book, so funny! And the Truck one is definitely strange, but now I am curious! Also, 30 HOURS?! Wow, I am impressed that you finished that one too! I had to look up Freewill, because wow, your only one-star? Apparently you are NOT the only one who hated it though, it's Goodreads rating is downright terrifying!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I didn't read the graphic novel version but did read P&P&Z. In fact that SHOULD have been one of the books on my list this past week. It'd have fit perfectly since the fact that I actually read it amazes me - I'm SO NOT a zombie girl. In the end, I did enjoy it and the movie is so much fun. :)

    Thanks so much for visiting Finding Wonderland.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Yeah, I can't decide if I want to see Pride and Prejudice and the Zombies...;)

    ReplyDelete

I look forward to your comments and interactions! Join in the conversation.