Top Ten Tuesday – October 11, 2016

[Top 10 Tuesday is a book blog meme hosted by the wonderful The Broke and the Bookish because who doesn’t love top 10 lists!]

It’s time for another Top Ten! This week’s topic is Top Ten Book Recommendations I’ve Read.

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

Recommended by: Brittany, teaching colleague in Korea

When I met Brittany, I was reading romance novels almost exclusively. I’d graduated from university two years earlier and tired of “serious” books. Maybe my brain was turning to mush or I was getting bored by the same old romances, but I needed a change. Brittany suggested a graphic novel she had finished recently. I trusted her judgement because she was one of my only friends at the time who read on a consistent basis. So on my next trip to Seoul, I picked it up and wasn’t disappointed. It’s about a young women’s complicated relationship with her father, an interesting revelation about his life, and coming to terms with his death.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Recommended by: Mom

This is probably the strangest recommendation on this list. Not because the book wasn’t interesting, well-written, or well-paced, but because my mom told me I should read it. Well, she told me to read the entire series after we saw the original film together (awkward) but I was too creeped out then and have been putting them off ever since. They are still on my TBR though.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Recommended by: Booktubers

Not sure which Booktuber convinced me to read this before seeing the film, but glad I did. The book was excellent – entertaining, well-developed, and undeniably sad. Unfortunately, the follow-up wasn’t as compelling.

Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery

Recommended by: Sonja, my best friend from childhood

Sonja’s mom was a university librarian, so she had gave excellent recommendations.  Anne became my childhood hero. I mean, she slammed a slate over Gilbert Blythe’s head when he called her carrots and he’s still in love with her. I devoured (almost) the entire series 🙂

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Recommended by: Leah, my sister

I couldn’t put The Hunger Games down.

Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Recommended by: Sonja, my best friend from childhood

For some reason, following Laura and her family move around the prairies was fascinating to me as a child.

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter

Recommended by: Read for undergrad course

This compilation of dark versions of famous fairy tales and legends is great for Halloween. I couldn’t read this at night because it would freak me out too much.

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Recommended by: Leah, my sister

It’s a gripping tale of how and why Lydia died and her family’s struggles as Chinese-Americans.

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh

Recommended by: Allie, a friend from Ryerson

 One of the funniest, relatable graphic memoirs I’ve ever read.

A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout

Recommended by: Joanne, my godmother

This is a memoir that will make you teary-eyed and questioning some people’s humanity.

Have you read any of these? What is a book you’ve read and would recommend?