Top Ten Tuesday

That Artsy Reader Girl hosts a weekly meme in which we respond to a pre-determined prompt. As the prompts seem interesting, I thought I’d give it a whirl. This week’s prompt is books that surprised me. My top 10 in no particular order are:

I usually don’t like celebrity memoirs because they are so full of boring drugs and sex. They all kind of blur in together to me. But this one really stood out for me. Trevor Noah is so funny and honest. And his anecdotes are so interesting. Definitely a must read.

 

 

 

 

I hated The Golden Notebook. I do not understand what that book was about. Of course, I didn’t finish it. So imagine my surprise that despite hating Lessing’s seminal work, I’d love some of her other books so well. The Fifth Child was so haunting that I will never forget it. Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don’t read a lot of romances. Granted, I love Austen, but I see her more as a satirist than a romance writer. I wanted to try out some Heyer because I’ve heard that lovers of Austen are also lovers of Heyer, and I was pleasantly surprised by what I read. This book was awesome. Loved it. Review

 

 

 

 

It’s rare for a teen book to make me cry these days. Especially since the popular teen books seem to be fantasies and dystopias with silly love triangles. But The Serpent King was a very serious book, with a light enough edge that it would be interesting to a good number of well-read teens. And this is one of those books that I think make the person who reads it a better person. Review

 

 

 

 

 

Most atheists I know are not able to keep an open mind about religion. Yes, there are a few I know who are, but most of the open minded people call themselves agnostics. This book is an excellent example of an atheist trying to keep an open mind. I mean, I’d have a hard time keeping an open mind being surrounded by creationists, and I believe in God, so I can only imagine what it must have been like for Rosenhouse, who’s an atheist. Review

 

Love Dickens. Hated Chimes. What was the point of that story? Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who would have expected a book about severed heads to be so interesting? Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

This book was surprising in its thesis. Lewis argued that addiction is not a disease (as the addiction experts would like us to believe these days). He made some very interesting points, and I see where he’s coming from. But I still tend to think of addiction as a disease. Review

 

 

 

 

Here’s a fantastic book where I was surprised by the end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here’s another book that made me cry. How sad can you be Mr. Silverstein?! Why do this to me?