Showing posts with label 12 years a slave. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 12 years a slave. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Titles with Numbers In Them

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly linkup of book bloggers hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl! This week, we're looking at books, and numbers. Specifically, at books with numbers in their titles. Here are ten of my favorite numerically-titled books.



Hyperbole and a Half: About half the content of this book was already freely available on Allie Brosh's blog of the same name, but it's hysterically funny and I highly recommend it. I think of her often and hope she is well.

The Last One: I absolutely loved this book from a couple years ago that tells the story of a woman trying to survive an apocalypse that she thinks is just a part of an elaborately staged reality survival show she's filming when a virus devastates the world.

The Two Towers: This does suffer a bit from "middle book" syndrome, but honestly all three of the books in The Lord of the Rings are great.

Three and Out: The issues that have plagued the Michigan football program over the past decade or so have been agonizing as a longtime fan, but John U Bacon's book about the Rich Rodriguez years is fascinating.

Daisy Jones and the Six: This "Behind the Music" style book about a Fleetwood Mac-esque band's rise and fall just completely captivated me.

The Nine: This look at the Supreme Court in the last years of the Rehnquist Court is a fascinating peek behind the scenes.

Station Eleven: This has become a go-to recommendation, the end of the world book for people who don't like end of the world books. Haunting and elegant, this is a modern classic.

12 Years A Slave: An absolutely searing account of becoming a slave, written by a free black man who was kidnapped and sold. The movie is just as good.

Child 44: I'm not always super into fast-paced thrillers, but this one scooped me up and took me for a wild ride through Soviet Russia.

1984: An all-time favorite, I've been re-reading this one since I was 12 and it still holds up.

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Short Story Collections/Short Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly linkup of book bloggers hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl! This week's topic is meant to highlight short stories, but here's the problem...I don't actually read much in the way of short stories. I have included one collection I enjoyed, but I chose to highlight mostly quite short books I've read that have packed a punch.



What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours: My token short story collection...I don't usually read short stories because I tend to find them uneven and this book was no different, but these stories centering on keys and possession were powerful and still pop back up in my head sometimes when I least expect it.

Animal Farm: Absolute classic based on the Russian Revolution, except with barnyard animals. I reference that "some are more equal than others" line at least once a month.

Anthem: This is a solid little dystopian novella about a world in which individuality itself has been stamped out. Yes, it's Ayn Rand so you've got that whole thing going on but it's a good book.

12 Years A Slave: The memoir from a free black man in the antebellum north who's kidnapped and sold into slavery and held for over a decade is very eye-opening and very good.

Siddhartha: This book is quite short but I found it profoundly moving, both in message and in style.

The Alchemist: I loved this book when I read it in high school and am honestly a little bit afraid to re-read it because I'm worried it will have lost some of the magic.

The Stepford Wives: If you've ever used the phrase but haven't read the book, it's a very quick read and very good.

Between the World and Me: What this book lacks in page count, it makes up for in power. As a white lady, I sometimes felt uncomfortable reading this...which was the entire point.

The Prince: I work in politics, of course I've read this. If all you know about it is a general idea of what people mean when they say "Machiavellian", it's worth it to read it for yourself. Very interesting insights into leadership.

I Am Legend: The Will Smith movie they made out of this completely changes the ending of the book and therefore completely subverts its very real message. Read the book instead!