Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Top Ten Tuesday: R's Top Ten Books I'm Dying to Read



Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers answers. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND sign Mister Linky at the bottom to share with us and all those who are participating. If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Don't worry if you can't come up with ten every time..just post what you can!



My current TBR list is a 13-page Word document in font size 10, arranged in a terrifyingly haphazard manner, so I have to admit that it's pretty difficult for me to narrow down the books I want to devour to just ten. But I finally managed to summon up my organizational abilities, so here are the

TOP TEN BOOKS I’M DYING TO READ


1.The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Muriel Spark
There are certain themes whose presence in a book generally means that I will instantly develop an interest in reading it. In this case, the applicable theme is that of idealistic teachers pioneering novel forms of education on their hapless students. As far as I can tell, this book definitely has that covered.

2. English, August: An Indian Story
Upamanyu Chatterjee
Based on the reviews I’ve read, this book looks like something that I might be able to identify with. For the record, it’s not a direct parallel between his life and mine (I thought it might be a good idea to put that on the table considering the descriptions of his vices in the synopses floating around the Internet). But it's the whole confluence of cultures in a post-colonial world thing that makes me think I'll enjoy this one.

3. Wanderlust: A History of Walking
Rebecca Solnit
I enjoy walking. I really enjoy walking. In fact, I enjoy walking to the extent of wanting to read books about walking… instead of actually walking. Yeah. That must make some sense, in some way or another.

4. Meetings with Remarkable Trees
Thomas Pakenham
I must be going through some kind of outdoorsy phase, which is just as well. Trees are our friends, not just potential books that have yet to be called to service. Anyway, this book is about old trees that have been witness to various historical events – so it’ll be a combination of pretty pictures and history lessons all in one go.

5. Wise Blood
Flannery O’Connor
It’s about some guy who was raised in fire-and-brimstone Pentecostalism, fought in the Korean War, came back to find his family have disappeared, and starts preaching a strange brand of Christianity of his own creation. I don’t know about you, but I like the sound of that. Also, it’s the only Flannery O’Connor book I can find in the library, which is a shame because I think I’m really going to like her.

6. Samarkand
Amin Maalouf
I like fiction based on people who really existed and events that really happened, and in this book we get both of these together in one neat little package. It manages to be about both the pre-Renaissance Renaissance man Omar Khayyam and the sinking of the Titanic at the same time. Which is awesome.

Janna Levin
Another book about real people and real events. This one is about the mathematicians Gödel and Turing, both of whom I feel vaguely fond of (especially Alan Turing, poor dear Turing). I'm not sure how it manages to be about both of them at the same time considering that they never knew each other, but I look forward to finding out.

Ann Patchett
So this one isn't technically about real people and real events, but it kind of is inspired by a real event. Hence my interest... Well, no, not exactly. It's difficult to explain why one would want to read a book based on true crime or, in this case, a prolonged hostage situation. But there it is. It just sounds really interesting.

Richard Hughes
The Wikipedia page for this book describes it as having paved the way for books like The Lord of the Flies, so I figure it's worth a shot. Plus I'm very happy to look for new opportunities to read about pirates and be freaked out by creepy children.

Kobo Abe
I've heard so much about how great Kobo Abe supposedly is, but I have to admit that I've been putting off reading it because it just feels like one of those surreal, weirdly mind-blowing books that you just have to be in the right state of mind to appreciate. And right now I suspect my head might be too full of college stuff to fully appreciate existential stories about digging a useless hole. But one day soon.

So what books are you dying to read?

Next week the topic is: Top Ten Favorite Book Quotes

21 comments:

  1. R-- I've only heard of 2 of these books! Time to look at them on Goodreads! lol

    I'll be posting mine later on my lunch break!

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  2. I tried to read Bel Canto. I was really exciting about it from the summaries that I had read. But I just couldn't get into it. I think it was more my mindset then the book though. If you do read it I hope you review it so I can see what you think :)

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  3. I've read two on your list. Wise Blood is bizarre in a good, Flannery O'Connor way. Bel Canto was book that I enjoyed early one, but sort of lost its luster as I read on.

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  4. AWESOME list, though I haven't read any of them. That Wanderlust book looks really good.

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  5. wow, I apologize for all the typos in my post.

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  6. This is an interesting mix. I'm particularly intrigued by the idea behind Meetings with Remarkable Trees...could be fascinating.

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  7. Wow, I haven't read any of these books and they sound quite interesting!
    Thanks for another great top 10 list tuesday!

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  8. Love the theme this week, I've already found quite a few books to add to my wish list (fortunately...and unfortunately) :)

    Thanks for hosting!

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  9. I am sad to say that I've never read or heard of most of these books! I will definitely check into some of them though!

    I added my top ten list to my blog!

    Stephany @ http://stephanysbookreviews.blogspot.com

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  10. "Trees are our friends, not just potential books that have yet to be called to service."

    I love it! And I would totally read a book about trees too. Trees are awesome!

    The Prime of Miss Jean Brody is on my TBR list too.

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  11. Interesting list--even though I haven't heard of most of them. Hope you get to them soon! I've posted mine.

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  12. Miss Jean Brodie was quite unexpected for me. I think I'd been anticipating a different sort of read. Thoughtful.

    Here's my list:
    www.readerbuzz.blogspot.com

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  13. This is my first time joining this, thanks for hosting!

    Ava

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  14. I'm going to need to do some research on your list.

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  15. Interesting book list. Sorry my addition is so late in the day. The forests into books line reminds me of a Doctor Who episode in the fouth season of the latest series when he realizes what the forest has become.

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  16. I finally managed to finish one of these lists! Sure, I missed Tuesday by a whole half-hour, but I did finish! :)

    http://thisweekatthelibrary.blogspot.com/2010/09/top-ten-books-im-dying-to-read.html

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  17. In a follow up comment, I'm going to mention that I too have a fondness for Turing. Being a computer science major, I wrote a paper on him (once upon a time). A very interesting, smart man.

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  18. This is a great list. I have read books #1 and #9, both reviewed on my blog, and both were really good. :)

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  19. Haha, I didn't realize last time I commented that I actually own Meetings With Remarkable Trees. It's an awesome book. It's so interesting to look at history through the subject of trees, and the pictures are great. I definitely recommend it.

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  20. Great theme! This is my first time participating, so I hope I'm doing everything right. I have stuck with books by authors that I already appreciate, so my list might be a little boring. My actual TBR list with books released in 2013 is already very long.

    Thanks for a great meme. My top 2013 releases post

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