Thanks to the folks at The Broke And The Bookish who are giving bloggers a second chance! Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is a look at past topics. to find out what subjects bloggers are revisiting today, click HERE.
This week I am featuring books I just had to buy. You know, those books that chanted Pick Me as I stood in front of their shelves. Oh I can’t resist a better-than-the-movie novel or a big, fat historical or a quirky title. So here are the books I just had to have. They are still chanting!
Top 10 Books I Just Had to Buy
I Like Big Books . . .
In high school I read every James Michener novel I could get my hands on. I love big, sweeping sagas. Thick books that are filled with history. Here are four languishing on my shelves.
Andersonville by MacKinlay Kantor
Oh, Kentucky by Betty Layman Receveur
The Princes of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd
Sacajawea by Anna L. Waldo
Because I Missed The Mini-Series
I don’t watch much TV, mostly because I read in my down time, but also because the TV is most often tuned into ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC . . . . You get the picture. So I have to buy the books! And of course they are always better, right? Here are two that I am looking forward to.
Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson
Ross Poldark by Winston Graham
Because I’m A Sucker for A Quirky Title
Most people are attracted by the cover art, and I really like pretty books too. But give me a great title — funny, quirky, mysterious, or intriguing. BTW, these books also have fabulous covers!
Miss Buncle’s Book by D. E. Stevenson
Miss Hazel And The Rosa Parks League by Jonathan Odell
Sidney Chambers And The Shadow of Death by James Runcie
Sweetness at The Bottom of The Pie by Alan Bradley
Which book should I pick?
Of the titles you’ve listed, I’d first read “Miss Hazel And The Rosa Parks League” by Jonathan Odell – I’ve heard many positive comments about it. I’ve also heard that the PBS series of Lark Rise, Poldark, and Grantchester are better than the books.
Well bummer! I always think the book is better. But Masterpiece does really good work. Thanks for the comments! 🙂
The only one of those I’ve read was The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. It was quite clever but the main character was too precocious for me (my review is here: https://barbarah.wordpress.com/2015/08/17/book-review-the-sweetness-at-the-bottom-of-the-pie/).
I have Lark Rise to Candleford and am so looking forward to it, but it’s pretty thick – I keep putting off until I have finished books from other challenges. I haven’t seen any of the TV productions of it but hope I can find it after reading the book.
I think I remember your thoughts on Sweetness. I had already bought the book though! And you are right. Lark Rise is very thick. I am going to have to say no to some reviews to get it read. Thanks for commenting! 🙂
Ross Poldark looks like a vampire. Is it bad that that is my first thought when I see that book cover?
I love buying big books. But they also intimidate me slightly.
He does a bit! Kind of s Dark Shadows vibe going on. Bleak House was intimidating, but I’m so glad I read it. An excellent big book! Thanks for stopping by!
I have to admit that I have done the same thing- buy books that call my name, and then never get around to reading them. I also make lengthy (and I mean lengthy) lists of books to read next, which promptly get shoved into the desk or folder and I never start on the list. As for advice for you, when we visited London back in the 90’s to see my brother in law, who was working at our embassy there, he recommended Rutherfurd. Being that I, too, once had a “huge” book phase I bought a couple of his novels, including LONDON. Sadly I never got around to reading it, and I think it made an exit when we moved. So please read the Irish saga and let me know how it is. I may put Rutherfurd back on my next list.
I have read 2 of Rutherford’s books — his first, Sarum and Russka — and they were excellent. I didn’t realize he had so many books out including New York! If I could stay off the internet, I could 1) have more time to read, and 2) not find out about so many awesome books. LOL! Thanks so much, Sue, for commenting.