Over at The Broke and the Bookish, they have this thing called Top Ten Tuesday. Each Tuesday they give other bloggers a chance to participate in making a top ten list with them. This week's topic is the top ten books you've read since starting your blog.
This one's going to be fun. Difficult, but fun.
1) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
This book lived up to every raving review I heard about it. Zusak did a wonderful job writing a compelling story from an original perspective. That, and he has such a way with words that I could read a book covering just about anything if it was written by him and still be enthralled.
2) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
At first, I just wanted to put the whole series on here, but thought it would only be fair if I did my favorite of the series. This book was my all-time favorite of the Harry Potter books (its movie was my favorite as well). I love the story, the villain (Umbridge), and basically everything about it.
3) The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
I pre-ordered this one and my dad ended up reading it before I did. He adored it as much as I did. The book was a work of pure genius. It will make you laugh and cry, all while filling your desire for witty commentary and great characters. Definitely a must-read.
4) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Upon finishing this book, I immediately added it to the ranks of my absolute favorite books. It was well-written and interesting--an all-around joy to read. I cannot wait for the movie this fall and look forward to lending it out even more than I already have in anticipation of the feature film.
5) Hold Still by Nina LaCour
This book was an emotionally driven book that drew me in from the beginning and left me happily sated at the end. LaCour's understanding of brokenness and her ability to make you feel as if you're not only walking alongside the character, but feeling the same way she does, is beautiful and spellbinding.
6) Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
It is considered a classic and for good reason. Bradbury paints a terrifying yet distinctly plausible world that makes you think and gives you the desire to do anything possible to prevent this fiction from becoming reality.
7) Crusade in Jeans by Thea Beckman
The only book by this Dutch author that I can find that's translated into English, I had to search to find this book, but it was entirely worth it. Beckman proves herself a fantastic storyteller and I would love to read more from her in the future. Hopefully, more of her works will be translated in the future.
8) Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
In this story, Anderson created a truly believable character that has had tragedy impact her in the most damaging of ways who still manages to pick herself up and heal. An entirely inspiring character, a seamless plot, and narrative that is both beautiful and compelling work together to make this book also reach my favorites shelf.
9) The Space Between Trees by Katie Williams
If any word can describe this book in its entirely it's "unexpected". Its plot draws the readers in, but the way the author uses it to deal with the nuances of human nature and to explore the way tragedy affects people was truly wonderful. I eagerly look forward to rereading this one.
10) Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Fantasy is almost always going to be quite an intriguing read, but Jones definitely nails it in her creation of this book. everything about it was delightful and interesting. I really enjoyed exploring the worlds she created, as well as meeting the lovely characters and creatures that fill the pages.
