Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Loved but Never Reviewed

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly linkup of book bloggers hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl! This week's subject is books we love but have never reviewed. I've only really reviewed the books I've read in the last couple years, so this is basically a list of my all-time favorites.




Lolita: The most incredible writing, the fact that it was written in Nabokov's third language makes me want to weep for my insufficiency with just the one. I have so many thoughts about this book and why it is brilliant.

The Secret History: I genuinely believe that this is a book that everyone could enjoy. It has rich characters and an intriguing plot. It begins with a crime and then winds back in time to show you how it happened, and then what happened after, which keeps the suspense up. I have re-read it so many times since I was introduced to it in AP English!

Catherine, Called Birdy: A childhood favorite, mostly for the decidedly un-ladylike heroine at its center.

The Virgin Suicides: I love this book so much, it's so beautiful and such a well-realized portrait of a time and place. As a native metro Detroiter, I am especially invested in the story.

The Golden Compass: Another one that deeply appealed to childhood me in part because of the female hero who refused to be docile and compliant and what a girl "should" be. The sequels are also great, but the original volume is where my heart really lies.

1984: I first read this in 7th or 8th grade, I think, and I believe it influenced my early interest in politics...and my sometimes-cynical perspective on it.

In Cold Blood: This is not just my favorite work of nonfiction by a country mile, it's one of my all-time favorite books. I know there are concerns with Capote's reporting, but anyone expecting 100% accuracy out of any nonfiction book outside of an academic history is naive (and even then, decisions about information to include v. what to leave out can influence the perspective of the reader).

The God of Small Things: Another book where the luminous writing is what drew me in, and then the heartbreaking story and richly drawn rendering of a family and their relationships elevated it to my top tier.

Anna Karenina: This is half here because I thought War & Peace would be too pretentious, half because it's an incredible book in its own right. Such incredible depth of characters, and the story is actually pretty straightforward but really beautifully told.

The Remains of the Day: This book is just...exquisite. It's elegant and reveals itself with such heartbreaking steadiness. I was a wreck by the end in the best possible way.

11 comments:

  1. Catherine, Called Birdy was such a good read.

    My TTT .

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  2. In Cold Blood is soooooo good!

    Here is my TTT: https://ichlese.blog/2020/08/11/top-ten-tuesday-books-i-loved-but-never-reviewed/.

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    1. It's one of my favorite nonfiction books to recommend!

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  3. You have some of my all time favorites on this list - The Secret History, The Golden Compass, In Cold Blood, 1984. These would all be tough to review, they are so good.

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    1. I would have reviewed them, but I read them long before I started the blog!

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  4. Great list! I've always wanted to read 1984.

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  5. This is a great list. I read many of these way before I started my blog so I've never reviewed them. Anna Karenina is a favorite of mine.

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    1. I read that one just a year or two before I started the blog! It's wonderful, I definitely want to get to it again!

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  6. Great list :) I read Brave New World in high school and it spurred my love of dystopian fiction. It's also one I've never reviewed.

    Here's my TTT

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