Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Top Ten Books We'd Recommend To X Person

To learn more about Top Ten Tuesday or see the future topics, click here!

We decided to tackle this topic by making each recommendation to a different person but you could do it that way or by making the 10 recommendations for one person. However you choose to interpret it!

Lori's picks


1.  For a smart, sassy gal in her mid-twenties (or older) who needs to know she's not totally crazy--Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding.  I read this book when I was nineteen and I didn't really "get" it, but I reread it this past summer at the ripe age of twenty-five and it made so much more sense!  And was so much funnier!  I may have done some ridiculously stupid things around guys, but nothing ever was quite as bad as what Bridget got herself into.  Also, she always got out of the messes--that's important to remember too.  (Note:  I have not read the third book in the series)





2.  For someone who loves language--The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.  I loved this book as a kid and I still love thinking about it (which means I need to reread it soon).  I love all of the messages of this book--say what you mean and mean what you say, there is no reason to ever be bored, words are extremely important, and so on.  It's just a fabulous exploration of the many nuances of the English language (my memory prohibits me from commenting on how this book my translate to another language).








3.  For someone who needs or wants to remember what bravery really is--To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  I adore this book.  There is so much I want to say about it, but it all seems so inadequate.  Just read it and cry at the end like I always do.









4.  For someone who wants to try to get their...stuff together--The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  I might not be able to get myself to carry out a project on this type of scale, but I can still think about it and I can ponder what makes me happy.  I think that Rubin does a great job of presenting her research and engaging the reader in that presentation because you really do start to think about what would be in your personal happiness project as you read the book.  Her website has a lot of fantastic tools to help you get started, if you do want to conduct a happiness project of your own.




5.  For someone who finds themselves getting inexplicably cynical and hostile around the holidays despite promising themselves that they will enjoy it this year--Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris.  This is a short collection of essays that is just absolutely hilarious.  David Sedaris is definitely part Grumpy Cat, just like I am, so he always has something interesting to say.  I think I'm going to need a get a new copy because, though the holidays haven't really even started yet and I am already feeling my holiday cheer becoming more akin to:

Julia's Picks:


6. For my bestie who loves Ender's Game --  Ready Player One by Earnest Cline. I am actually pretty sure I did recommend this to my friend and she did like it. This book is amazing and amazingly narrated in the audio version. It is set in a dystopian world like Ender's Game, but also has enough philisophical ramifications to the world, that I thought she would enjoy it.

7. For my colleague who loved Fifty Shades of Gray -- Bared to You by Sylvia Day. I can't say that I have read either of these books, but I have heard that those who liked 50 Shades, also enjoyed Bared to You. I actually was the one who rec'd her 50 Shades after she told me how much she loved Twilight. Insane how that worked out so well (50 Shades started off as Twilight fan fic in case someone was wondering.)

Jamie's Picks



 8. For my friend who just read and loved If I Stay by Gayle Forman (obviously I gave her Where She Went) - The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson: Like If I Stay, it's emotional, beautiful and poignant.













9. For anyone who feels like they need an adventure of the armchair variety -- Wanderlove by Kristen Hubbard: Travel through South America with a girl trying to find herself a bit -- loved the adventure, the soul searching and the romance.




Bridget's Pick




10. For anyone who appreciates stark beauty in literature -- Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. It's funny, sad, thought-provoking, and devastating. My friend recommended it to me a while ago and I finally got around to reading it a few months ago. It's wonderful.



41 comments:

  1. Surprisingly I've only read To Kill a Mockingbird off this list! Oh wait - and The Phantom Tollbooth, which I remember absolutely adoring!

    Aghhhhh I want to read Never Let Me Go so badly I FINALLY got my hands on a copy....and promptly left it at home in SC. The upside is I'll be there for a few hours next month so hopefully I can refind it and read it!

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  2. I've been wanting to read Wanderlove and The Sky is Everywhere for a while now. I must get to them soon!

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  3. Loved To Kill a Mockingbird, it really is a book to not forget to be brave. Also loved Wanderlove, it does take you on an adventure.

    Great picks :)

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  4. I read about half of these books! I love the fact that I am so many different people. :)

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  5. Ohh... what an interesting way of tackling this theme!

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  6. Never Let Me Go was indeed completely devastating and horrifying, because it's not completely of the realm of possibility that something like this could happen. (The movie version was decent, too.)

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  7. I liked your spin on recommending books to a general someone rather than a specific someone. Very cool.

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  8. Great choices, all. I loved Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day, so I really should read Never Let Me Go. Oh Holidays on Ice, I love the story about Sedaris's time as an elf. Too funny.

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  9. Great choices, all. I loved Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day, so I really should read Never Let Me Go. Oh Holidays on Ice, I love the story about Sedaris's time as an elf. Too funny.

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  10. Great picks! I've been meaning to read Never Let Me Go for so long.

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  11. Some great picks, a clue of these are on my list, I went for recommending to my boyfriend because he doesn't read a lot of fiction, wishing I had done each one to a different person now though...

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  12. Good stuff - and another reminder to read Bridget Jones's Diary! Some of the X people's nicknames are funny, such as "For someone who finds themselves getting inexplicably cynical and hostile around the holidays despite promising themselves that they will enjoy it this year." This may be me in ten years, but I'm going to enjoy the holidays while I'm still young, before Christmas gets old. :P Thanks for sharing!

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  13. Hmm, it looks like I have some new books to add to my TBR pile. :) This is fun! It's been months since last I did a TTT post, and I hadn't realized until now how much I missed it. :)

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  14. Great picks! The Sky is Everywhere made my list too, such a beautiful book!

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  15. The Phantom Tollbooth is definitely one I recommend to people of any age. It's more of a kid-like book but I think it can be enjoyable for everyone. And I really need to read Never Let Me Go!

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  16. Oohhh, such good choices! I love Never Let Me Go - it's probably one of my favorite books of all time. I tried The Happiness Project this year, although I never made it past March. Still love the book though - there are lots of good ideas in there to help get you going.

    And ah, yes, David Sedaris. Every year, my husband and I have to read The Santaland Diaries. It is one of the funniest things I've ever read. If you can find it, David Sedaris did a reading of that story (abridged, of course) for the radio program "This American Life." There's something about the way he says it, since he lived it of course, that makes it even funnier. Do yourself a favor and do a search for it. You won't be sorry. It's hilarious.

    Denise @ Life With No Plot

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  17. I think I did it wrong. I just chose one "x" person and recommended 10 books! :o

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  18. I like your recommendations and approach to the top ten. Nice list this week. kelley—the road goes ever ever on

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  19. I've been meaning to read quite a few of these! And The Sky Is Everywhere is such a good recommendation for people who liked If I Stay! Great choices this week!

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  20. I FREAKING LOVE THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE!!!!

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  21. Wow, I haven't read any of these! Thanks for the recommendations.

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  22. Lots of these are so apt (esp. Bridget Jones and Bared to You). So Funny!

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  23. To Kill a Mockingbird! Totally left that off my list, but it should have been there. Great list! So many great titles here. :D

    My TTT

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  24. Looove To Kill a Mockingbird! Great pick! I really have an urge to read The Phantom Tollbooth, now. :) Haven't heard of any of the others before, thanks!

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  25. Great list. I loved The Phantom Tollbooth when my son and I read it together many years ago. I've never read To Kill a Mockingbird, but it's one I truly wish to read one day.

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  26. Nice list!

    The Sky is Everywhere is also on my list, I love it so much! Really want to read Wanderlove as well :)

    Kyra @ Blog of a Bookaholic
    My TTT Post! :)

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  27. I love The Sky is Everywhere, but didn't put it on my list (because I put it on EVERY list I make) and I figured it was time to give another book the spotlight! :)

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  28. I love To Kill A Mockingbird. Such an awesome classic. And a movie from a book done right. Oh Gregory Peck.

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  29. Love The Happiness Project! Recommended it to a ton of people who all loved it too. Not sure any of us ever actually completed a project but still! :-)

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  30. I've enjoyed many off this list - but the Phantom Tollbooth is one I read over and over again as a child, while Ready Player One is the audio book I find myself recommending more than any other recently. My love and I have each listened to it more than three times each.

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  31. I don't think I've read most of these.

    http://innerworkingsofthefemalemind.wordpress.com/2013/11/19/top-ten-tuesday-books-id-recommend-to-x-person/

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  32. Nice list!, and a very cool way of doing this theme!

    this is my list - http://nenaath.blogspot.no/2013/11/top-ten-tuesday-3.html

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  33. The Phantom Tollbooth sounds really good! I just made my list for a middle school reader on my blog!

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  34. The Sky is Everywhere! I love Gayle Forman, I totally want to read that:D

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  35. Difficult. I have twenty other books I could have listed. Thanks. This is a lot of fun.

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  36. Is "Never Let Me Go" still good if you've seen the movie? I liked the movie's style, but I don't know if that would come across well in a book. As a point of comparison, I found "Delirium" way too flowery.

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  37. I don't do top ten tuesdays very often, but this one caught my attention because I have been in a reading slump and when I am my go-to books are romances. Great Top Ten Tuesday! Thank you!

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  38. I like that each book was recommended to a different person, great Top Ten!

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  39. This is such an amazing post, thank you for the idea! It reminds me to be thankful for the things in my life when I read everyone's lists. :)

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