Explore:

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Top Ten Tuesday - Books That Make You Think


Future TTT topics can be found here

This week's topic is
Top Ten Books That Make You Think
(About the World, Life, People, etc):
  1. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks:  One of the ultimate make-you-think books.  A woman who has practically revolutionized science and modern medicine yet recieves no credit for it.
  2. Fahrenheit 451: Scary to think about a world where owning and reading books is illegal and if you get caught they'll burn your house down.
  3. A Long Way Gone:  This book made my heart heavy. It's an eye opening memoir about a former child soldier.
  4. The Handmaid's Tale:  It's been awhile since I read so I'm a little fuzzy on the details but I would never, ever want to live in a society like Gilead. 
  5. The Book Thief: Even though it's been a couple years since I read this book (I think a reread is in order!) I still can't put my thoughts in order.  But the book makes you think about how life really isn't always fair.
  6. The Hunger Games:  I can't imagine my middle school/high school years being terrified that my name would be drawn as a tribute. 
  7. Trafficked:  Until I read this book I wasn't aware that human trafficking was an epidemic in the United States. The book really makes think about what really goes on behind closed doors in other people's houses.
  8. Thirteen Reasons Why:  Really, really makes you sit back and think about your actions (even the smallest ones) may have a huge impact on other people. 
  9. If I Stay:  Without giving anything anyway, if you were in Mia's situation do you think you would stay? 
     Tell us yours!



69 comments:

  1. I am the worst ever, out of all of these I've only read The Hunger Games! Yikes. I need to get on this, haha!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Don't feel bad. There's always going to be books that everyone should read that you haven't read. There simply isn't enough time for every author and every book. That's why it's the nature of To-Be-Read piles to increase and never decrease; we keep adding on faster than we can read through them! :)

      Delete
  2. Hunger Games! How did I forget that!?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oooh, The Book Thief is a good one. I'm sad I missed that on my list!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thirteen Reasons Why and If I Stay have me intrigued... I love some of the other ones you included - dystopian novels always make me think, usually about how possible it is that we will one day end up like one of those societies. Scary.

    ReplyDelete
  5. The Handmaid's Tale, that is a good pick ~ too true, I would not want to live in that society either.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh, the Book Thief... It's been a good while since I read it and it's STILL making me think! Great list!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I feel certain that Thirteen Reasons and If I Stay would both be thoughtful reads, but I'm afraid I'd find them too depressing.

    Here's my list of top ten books that made me think. I hope you will stop by!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Farenheit 451 and Handmaid's Tale are great picks. Found this week to be a bit of a challenge.

    ReplyDelete
  9. A pretty good in one of this week. You can see my list here: http://laesehestendks.wordpress.com/

    ReplyDelete
  10. I've heard so many things about The Book Thief! But I still haven't read it yet. And I almost wanted to put 'ALL DYSTOPIANS' on my list. lol The Hunger Games is definitely one that makes you thankful for your own MS/HS life over how it was in Panem world. Great list! :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Great list! The Handmaid's Tale and Thirteen Reasons Why made my list too. Those books stuck with me for a long time after I turned the last page.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love this topic, it was so fun coming up with my list! And crap, I knew I would forget something, but how could I forget Fahrenheit 451??

    ReplyDelete
  13. Handmaid's Tale absolutely haunted me... It's always the dark ones that stick in your mind.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I have been literally waiting for years until I am ready to read The Handmaid's Tale. I've tried to start it a few times but I'm just not ready to face it, even though I really want it. The Hunger Games is just fantastic, although I did feel kind of 'meh' about If I Stay.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Great picks! I had Fahrenheit 451 and The Book Thief on my list as well!

    ReplyDelete
  16. So many good books on your list! I loved Fahrenheit 451!

    ReplyDelete
  17. The Hunger Games and 13 Reasons Why ended up on my list too! I'm really thinking I need to The Book Thief. Great list!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Great list! SOme of these Im not familiar with. Will look into them.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I have wanted to read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks for a long time. I hear it is amazing. And Mockingjay made our list too. We realllly had to talk out the meanings of war and violence at the end of that series.

    ReplyDelete
  20. We both have "The Book Thief" on our lists! I've read "The Handmaid's Tale" back in Graduate School and my Master's Thesis was actually on the Marxist dystopian themes in "The Hunger Games" trilogy. However, the rest of your list is new to me! Will have to check them out.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Great list of books. I've never read The Book Thief and I need to get on that.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I would also like to suggest "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" by Mark Twain, "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville, and "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card.

    I've read some of the books in your list, but the others that I haven't seem really interesting. I'm bookmarking this page for my ever-growing TBR file. :D

    ReplyDelete
  23. Great list! I too have no 4 and 8 on my list!

    Here is my Top Ten post!


    ReplyDelete
  24. I have been meaning to read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Slacks! I'm sure it is very thought-provoking. Same for Fahrenheit 451. Thirteen Reasons Why definitely also made me think...

    ReplyDelete
  25. Looking forward to reading many of these. This week really stretched my brain, but it was good to revisit so many favorites from the past that made me think! That's probably why I return to them!

    ReplyDelete
  26. The Hunger Games was one of the first books I thought of. I couldn't imagine it either. And if you're name was drawn and you knew you weren't physically or mentally strong for this I couldn't imagine how you must feel. To know that you're going to die must be horrific.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I cannot believe I forgot Farenheit 451! That definitely would have made my list.

    ReplyDelete
  28. The Handmaid's Tale is on my list, too. That one still keeps me up at night wondering if that's the path we're headed down. The Book Thief was also a great choice, and if we'd only been allowed our top 25, lol, I't be on mine too.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I forgot all about Fahrenheit 451, great list! Henrietta Lacks has been on my to-read list for a while, now. I need to get on that!

    ReplyDelete
  30. I loved how you included the reasons these books affected you--nicely done today. kaye—the road goes ever ever on

    ReplyDelete
  31. I hated the Handmaid's Tale! There was something so hopeless about that book. It really bothered me. I have yet to read The Book Thief but I think I might. And If I Stay kept me up all night when I finished it. Great list. This is the first time I am taking part in TTT and I really liked the topic.

    Here's My Top Ten Tuesday

    ReplyDelete
  32. A Handmaid's Tale - wow, I read that in high school for English - yeah, that one definitely made me think! It terrified me. I put Hunger Games on my list too - I just can't imagine a world like that. I hope it never happens...

    ReplyDelete
  33. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Great list! Reinforced some books I want to read. I thought about putting The Hunger Games too, it's a much more thoughtful book than it gets credit for.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Wow, you guys have a great list going there. I just finished re-reading Fahrenheit 451 and forgot how amazing (and relevant) that book is! The Book Thief is on my TBR list as we speak and I've heard nothing but great things. I'm also interested in Trafficked. I did a lot of studies in to Human Rights when I was in college and this is an issue that profoundly affects me to the core. It breaks my heart, actually. And I have to say, I'm really happy to see that The Hunger Games trilogy made your list. Amazing picks!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Great Choices, Some of these I debated to out on my list as well.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Not sure why I haven't read Thirteen Reasons Why, yet, but I totally agree about the Hunger Games.

    ReplyDelete
  38. I chose two of the same books you did! If I Stay and Thirteen Reasons Why had to make my list. They were musts. A lot of the books you have I haven't read.

    ReplyDelete
  39. I love this meme! If I Stay is definitely a thought-provoking novel.

    ReplyDelete
  40. The Hunger Games and the Book Thief were on my list, as well! I have Henrietta Lacks on my shelf. I need to read it!

    ReplyDelete
  41. yay , this is great, i just started book blogging, and this is my first top ten tuesday! i love it!! and you have some great picts, we both picked hunger games and thirteen reasons why, you have alot of other ones that look great, i will have to check them out! thanks!

    Katie @ Inkk Reviews

    http://www.inkkreviews.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  42. The Hunger Games is on my list too! If I Stay was a fantastic and deep book as well.

    Great list!

    ReplyDelete
  43. Great picks! I love The Handmaid's Tale. I've read it a few times and should read it again soon. It's one of my favourite dystopians!

    And 13 Reasons Why -- another great book! I listened to the audio version and it was very moving.

    Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  44. I almost put 13 reasons why on my list and I haven't even read yet. Just the concept makes me think

    ReplyDelete
  45. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Oh my goodness. Especially in these days when so much suing happens because someone is responsible for this and someone else is responsible for this too, it was so interesting to see a person who doesn't know they're responsible for so many momentous, medical advancements.

    PS: Please don't be timid about checking out my Totally Top Ten Tuesday! post here.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Sounds like I need to add a few more books to my TBR pile. I love books that make me think!

    ReplyDelete
  47. I've only read The Hunger Games and The Book Thief but your reasons for the other books makes me really want to read them too. Thanks for sharing! :)

    ~Allison @ Good Books and Good Wine

    ReplyDelete
  48. Many of the books on your list are my favorites also. I haven't read the Handmaids tale, but I do have it on the shelf,.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Hi everyone! I'm new here, but I really loved today's topic, so I wanted to contribute. I can't wait to read more of everyone's lists! I can already tell that a few books sitting on my shelves are going to move to the top of my "to-read" pile based on the reviews here!

    ReplyDelete
  50. What a great topic! I concur about Handmaid's Tale. I've read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, too, but it didn't quite make my list. It didn't make me think so much as it downloaded new information I hadn't known a thing about into my brain.

    ReplyDelete
  51. I've read all but Trafficked on your list and agree that these books do make you think.

    ReplyDelete
  52. Ahhh, I can't believe I didn't think to put any dystopians on my list! I completely agree about If I Stay though - and I think if I was in Mia's place, I would stay, but it would be so, so hard.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Ack! Fahrenheit 451, If I Stay, and Thirteen Reasons Why all deserve a spot on my list - as well as Hold Still and Speak! I guess it's good that so many books make me think - now to get my students to do the same...

    ReplyDelete
  54. I saw Rebecca Skloot (Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks) give a speech and she makes you think just as much in person as she does in the book! Great list!

    ReplyDelete
  55. This is prompting lots of thinking... not good when grad school is starting up ;). Enjoyed everyone's lists! I think it's really wonderful how many of these books were read in our middle school/high school years. Isn't it great to think that we can be influenced so much in a time where our minds are still so open to formation?

    ReplyDelete
  56. Oh, this was a tough one! We only got up to #6 this week.

    ReplyDelete
  57. My list wound-up a bit dystopia-heavy. No surprise there! I like to think and a good dystopia always makes me do just that.

    ReplyDelete
  58. I have The Handmaids Tale and Thirteen Reasons Why on my list too! They're both so awesome fore so many reasons!

    ReplyDelete
  59. Great list! The Handmaid's Tale is on my list as well.

    ReplyDelete
  60. I shared my link last night for the list I wrote on my Book blog, but I also decided to write a list on my cooking blog focusing on food books that made me think, if anyone here likes those kinds of books as well!

    ReplyDelete
  61. LoveAtFirstBook.com will be joining in on the Top 10 Tuesday madness starting next Tuesday!!!

    ReplyDelete
  62. Oooh I should've added Thirteen Reasons Why to mine.

    So many of these books are ones I haven't read! I'm definitely going to check them out.

    I love this meme! I'm so excited to be participating in it!

    ReplyDelete
  63. I'm paritcipating starting tomorrow! What a wonderful meme!

    ReplyDelete
  64. This topic was harder than I thought but I loved it!

    ReplyDelete