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Jamie's picks
1. Liar by Justine Labarestier: OMG this book. I didn't really LOVE it but it was definitely one of the most unique (and frustrating for ME) books I've ever read. I don't know that I'll ever read something quite like it again.2. Every Day by David Levithan: I have his other two books on my own personal TTT for today but I wanted to add this one in as well. I don't know that I've ever read a book where the MC whose gender was ambiguous. The story was amazing and unique but it also challenged me because the whole time I wanted to call the MC a he or a she. I had a hard time talking about the book without trying to attach a he/she to A. Also, hard to pin a genre to it which I love! It was just different and beautiful and a fave!
3. Picture Me Gone by Meg Rosoff: This one isn't unique in a WOW kind of way but it just FELT different? The MC is younger but it's not middle grade but it was just really quiet and reflective and smart. The plot wasn't anything unique but it just felt different to me if that makes sense...
Julia's Picks
4. The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran - This is a historical romance (if you couldn't tell by the word Duke in the title), and a lot of those are pretty similar. But Duran sets part of this book in India during the British occupation. The main character (said Duke) is half white half indian and it is so interesting to read about him and his thoughts. The romance is great, too! This book has inspired me to read more unique settings in my historical romances.
5. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak - This one wins for most unique narrator and story telling method with Death. The reason I read this book (outside of the glowing reviews at the time) was it intrigued me so much that the narrator was Death. It's also used as a story element that ties everything together. Great book. One of my all time favorites. It does bring the feels though.
6. The Bridge by Rebecca Rogers Maher - This short story I stumbled into. It's a romance in the textbook sense, but it has some pretty deep underlying threads. You see the hero and heroine meet as they are about to commit suicide by jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge. They decide that they cannot kill themselves while the other is there because they could save the other person. They decide to spend the next 24 hrs together where each tries to convince the other what they have to live for. It's a heart wrenching novella but one that fully engrossed me in its unique charm.
Bridget's Pick
7. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. I didn't know much about this book before picking it up, but it was thrilling, surreal, enchanting, and humbling all at once. It was, in a word, beautiful. You should read it if you haven't yet.
Tahleen's Picks
8. Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick. This was the Printz winner this year. There really is no telling what you're going to get when you jump in here, unless you've read a lot about it beforehand in reviews. I don't want to say too much for fear of spoiling it, but I will say there are seven tales contained in here, and they all come together beautiufully.
9. Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner. Another Printz book, this time an honor. Set in what seems to be an alternate history in the 1940s, we read about many terrible things. That it's narrated by Standish Treadwell in dialect just adds to the strangeness and surreality of this nightmare world. I would definitely recommend this one to fans of George Orwell.
10. Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan. This might be THE weirdest and most disturbing books I've ever read. Rape, incest, bestiality, magic, and individual heavens all rolled up in a young adult novel. Of course, this is another Printz honor. The writing is beautiful, though.
Bridget's Pick
7. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. I didn't know much about this book before picking it up, but it was thrilling, surreal, enchanting, and humbling all at once. It was, in a word, beautiful. You should read it if you haven't yet.
Tahleen's Picks
8. Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick. This was the Printz winner this year. There really is no telling what you're going to get when you jump in here, unless you've read a lot about it beforehand in reviews. I don't want to say too much for fear of spoiling it, but I will say there are seven tales contained in here, and they all come together beautiufully.
9. Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner. Another Printz book, this time an honor. Set in what seems to be an alternate history in the 1940s, we read about many terrible things. That it's narrated by Standish Treadwell in dialect just adds to the strangeness and surreality of this nightmare world. I would definitely recommend this one to fans of George Orwell.
10. Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan. This might be THE weirdest and most disturbing books I've ever read. Rape, incest, bestiality, magic, and individual heavens all rolled up in a young adult novel. Of course, this is another Printz honor. The writing is beautiful, though.
Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly link-up in the community where we provide a prompt and other lovers of listmaking join in on it with their own top ten list. Feel free to have less than 10 or more if you need to at times and put a spin on the topic if you need to! Just please link back to us if you are participating :)
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Everyday is on my list as well. I haven't heard of most of the others though. Great topic this week!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about Liar, Every Day, Book Thief, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Maggot Moon, and Tender Morsels. I even had Midwinterblood on my list. Wow. What a fun list.
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time joining in on one of your linky posts -- great topic!
ReplyDeleteI have only read Every Day from your list but I completely agree!
ReplyDeleteWonderful list. Of the ones here I've read, I especially love Midwinterblood, which is so hard to describe and yet so beautiful and perfect. Every Day made my list as well -- and now that I've been reminded of it, I realize I really should have included some Margo Lanagan too!
ReplyDeleteFantastic choices! A lot of the books on your list are on my wishlist! :-)
ReplyDeleteI had The Book Thief on my list, it was so amazing that it couldn't NOT be on there! I bought Midwinterblood recently, I can't wait to read it!
ReplyDeleteMy Top Ten Picks!
Katrina @ Chased By My Imagination
:O!!!! I cannot believe that I forgot to add the Book Thief onto my list -.- The book was next to me while I was writing my post. :(
ReplyDeleteGreat picks guys!
Paulina @ Tangled In Pages
I love the Book Thief
ReplyDeletekisseeessss
Interesting choices and there are a fair few that I haven't heard of so I need to look them up!
ReplyDeleteThea @ Gizzimomo's Book Shelf
I can't believe I didn't have Every Day on mine! And The Book Thief! Also, I think I'd add Code Name Verity!
ReplyDeleteWow...haven't read ANY of the ten books you ladies list! This was a neat topic. Really made me think about how similar a lot of the books are that I read!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on The Book Thief. How often do you have a book narrated by death.
ReplyDeleteOh, my gosh, yes! Tender Morsels is such a bizarre but beautiful book! I'm about halfway through it.
ReplyDeleteThis is the second time I've seen The Book Thief on a list. So many people recommend it, yet I still haven't finished it after a year.
ReplyDeleteGreat topic for this week's list. The Book Thief is on my list too.
ReplyDeleteThis list definitely increased my TBR!
ReplyDeleteGreat topic - I've interpreted it as books that are written in an unusual way (as opposed to having an unusual plot) which is something I love.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm intrigued about Midwinterblood. Sounds like just the sort of non-linear time jumping narrative I adore. Thanks for the recommendation. Some of the others sound interesting too, but that one really caught my eye.
Sorry for being late this week. I loved this topic so much, what a wonderful idea. The hardest part was picking only ten. But I found them.
ReplyDeleteMarianne from Let's Read
I'm definitely reading The Book Thief soon!
ReplyDeleteThe most unusual book I have ever read was House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. Not only is the plot very unusual, you don't read it in order. You may be on page one then have to go to page 217 then page 93. At times, you have to flip the book upside down to read it, or get a mirror, or have scratch paper nearby so you can decode a passage. It was a completely bizarre and engaging book. And now that you have me thinking about it, I wonder whatever happened to my copy of it...
ReplyDelete