What'cha Readin'?
06/21/2011
Oh, Carole. You're killing me here. First, the Ten Best Love Songs . . . and now, this. Ten Books to Recommend to a Friend? Ten??? Shoot me now.
Man, oh man! Among all my other "hobbies" . . . I am a Reader, first and foremost. Ten? Only Ten? I'm in agony. . .
So. . .
- If I were recommending books to a friend who loves to Read like I love to Read. . . I would recommend my favorite novels. Books like Three Junes by Julia Glass; A Yellow Raft in Blue Water by Michael Dorris; or The History of Love by Nicole Krauss.
- If I were recommending books to a friend who is in a self-reflective phase . . . I would recommend Composing a Life by Mary Catherine Bateson, Circle of Stones by Judith Duerk, or life is a verb by Patti Digh.
- If I were recommending books to a friend who wants to start reading classics . . . I would recommend Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, or The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton.
- If I were recommending books to a child . . . I would recommend From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Koningsburg, Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry, or A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle.
- If I were recommending books to a friend who is interested in reading non-fiction. . . I would recommend Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, or The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman.
- If I were recommending books to a friend who likes biographies . . . I would recommend Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, or First Family: John & Abigail Adams by Joseph J. Ellis.
- If I were recommending books for friends in my old book club (the group that I still miss deeply - even though it's been 8 years since I moved away!). . . I would recommend All the Little Live Things by Wallace Stegner, A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, or The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
- If I were recommending books for a friend who just wanted fun, entertaining "beach reads" . . . I would recommend Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver, Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi, or The Stand by Stephen King.
- If I were recommending books for a friend who was working along the cancer-continuum (diagnosis - treatment - survivorship) . . . I would recommend Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips by Kris Carr, It's Not About the Bike by Lance Armstrong, and Picking Up the Pieces by Sherri McGee and Kathy Scalzo.
- If I were recommending books for a friend who liked mysteries with a little something extra. . . I would recommend The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (and the other two books in the series) by Stieg Larsson, In the Woods by Tana French, or the Three Pines mystery series by Louise Penny.
That's ten. Isn't it?
Hi Kym!
I read the Book Thief this year and it was awesome! I actually see a few of my faves in your list. If only I had time to read more... but might see what else is on your list for this summer :-)
Posted by: thea | 06/21/2011 at 09:07 AM
Oh...love...From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler...one of my favorites as a kid...I so wanted to live in a museum after reading this!
Great List!
Posted by: karen | 06/21/2011 at 09:09 AM
Haha!! Very, very clever!! And a great list.
; )
Posted by: Vicki | 06/21/2011 at 09:17 AM
You found a very clever way of expanding your list. Great job and I love that your first one includes one from my list, too.
Posted by: Carole | 06/21/2011 at 09:21 AM
Fantastic! I love how you did your list. It is hard to narrow it down to 10 when you love to read!
Posted by: woohoogirl | 06/21/2011 at 09:35 AM
Yup, you got 10 and then some! Super list....I'll be looking into some of them. :)
Posted by: Marilyn | 06/21/2011 at 09:36 AM
As ususal - wonderful post Kym! And...more titles to explore. Thanks!!
Posted by: Patty | 06/21/2011 at 10:17 AM
We read so many of the same books (as you know). If a book is on my 'to read' list and it turns up on your sidebar I wait to see how many stars you give it. I love how you categorized your choices. The few books I haven't read are now on my list.
Posted by: margene | 06/21/2011 at 10:35 AM
I love how you broke the books out into categories. I will certainly be adding some of yours to my list of books to read. I loved the book The Stand. It really stays with you.
Posted by: kathy | 06/21/2011 at 12:51 PM
i love how you "snuck" a few more in there! i consider myself an avid reader, but i have not read several that you mentioned. thanks for the recommendations!
Posted by: vanessa | 06/21/2011 at 03:25 PM
What a wonderful way to recommend 10(+) books. Thank you for categorizing them. There will be a few I need to add to my list.
Posted by: Susanne | 06/21/2011 at 04:29 PM
Tana French! Yes! I discovered her a couple years ago. I shall add some of your others to my TBR list.
Posted by: kmkat | 06/21/2011 at 06:52 PM
Excellent list! Just wonderful and well done. I'm always on the look out for how to structure something when I have way more than 10 ;)
Also - you are the second person to recommend The Stand, and why have I not read it???
Posted by: bullwinkle | 06/21/2011 at 06:55 PM
Good list - and I like how you arranged it. You know I have never read Stephen King - maybe I'll read The Stand!
Posted by: Sara | 06/21/2011 at 11:20 PM