Skip to main content

Top Ten Books I Was "Forced" to Read

Happy Top Ten Tuesday!

Top Ten Books I Was "Forced" to Read

1. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

I must confess, it wasn't my idea to read these books; it was my dad's. He went on so much about how they were his favorite books as a kid and made such a point of telling me that he had his own copies available for me that I finally went ahead and read them. And now, his copies sit coolly on my shelves. For safekeeping.

2. The Source by James Michener

My grandfather took me to a bookstore once and told me I could have any book I wanted. Then he proceeded to steer me toward this one. He told me all about how much he had enjoyed it, and was so full of enthusiasm that I couldn't resist "choosing" it. I'm very glad I did, it remains one of the most interesting books I've ever read and I'm so glad I had the chance to talk with my grandfather about it.

3. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

My good friend got quite enthusiastic about this book and kept telling me to read it. Finally, she bought it for me for my birthday and I took the hint! Another one that I'm glad I read.

4. The Trixie Belden books

These books had belonged to my grandmother, and my mother hoped that I would enjoy them, as she did as a child. How could I refuse?

5. Dune by Frank Herbert

My friend at camp was reading this book and when she had finished, I was finished with all the books I could stuff into a sleeping bag (and still carry it), so we traded. I really have to thank her for starting me on this incredible journey, all thanks to the limited reading resources at our sleepaway camp!

6. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

I heard that Moby-Dick was the most boring book in the English language. That's a lie, from my perspective anyway. I was "forced" to read it for a twelfth grade English class, but I really ended up appreciating it and still think about it often.

7. Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce

So I was pretty terrified of Joyce, but I had to read this for class, and, thanks to my professor, I got through it all right!

8. Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality by Sigmund Freud

I wasn't too fond of what I'd heard about Freud's work, it took a graduate level colloquium to get me to read him, and I'm glad I did. Whatever else, he is a remarkable thinker and writer.

Annnnd...that's all I can think of. The ones that went well, anyway.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Books with Single-Word Titles

Happy Top Ten Tuesday over at That Artsy Reader Girl! Books with Single-Word Titles These are all my favorite books that I could think of with one-word titles. A lot of fantasy, a few nonfiction (minus subtitles) and Kindred , whether you consider it scifi or historical fiction. Also two portmanteaus using the word "bitter." I suppose it's a word that lends itself to amelioration. 1. Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler 2. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore 3. Fire by Kristin Cashore 4. Heartless by Marissa Meyer 5. Inheritance by Christopher Paolini 6. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius 7. Stoned by Aja Raden (has a subtitle) 8. Educated by Tara Westover 9. Fledgling by Octavia Butler 10. Kindred by Octavia Butler

Book Review: The Speed of Clouds by Miriam Seidel

Book Review: The Speed of Clouds by Miriam Seidel *To Be Released from New Door Books on April 10, 2018* Mindy Vogel is haunted by the future. In frequent daydreams, she toggles between her real, wheelchair-bound life and the adventurous life of her fanfic alter ego, SkyLog officer Kat Wanderer. She's haunted by all that Kat can do which she cannot---belong to an organization of comrades, walk, and fall in love---yet. Because at twenty-four, Mindy's future is very much ahead of her, wheelchair notwithstanding. Through Mindy's "SkyLog" fanzine and related emails, Seidel evokes Star Trek fandom around the turn of the millenium, but also creates a new and compelling science fictional universe, similar to what Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl  does for the Harry Potter fandom with "Simon Snow." Mindy is among the pioneers transitioning fandom from print to digital, boldly encountering like-minded individuals from the comfort of her chair behind the monito

Books On My Summer 2024 TBR

 I've been fairly successful with my reading goals so far this year (40 out of 42 read!), but I still have some goals to catch up on or exceed (books by authors of color and women in translation). I've also got my book club books, and I'll throw a few new and/or summery titles into the mix for inspiration. Hoping to read many of these outside, basking in beautiful weather! Happy Top Ten Tuesday! Books On My Summer 2024 TBR She's Up to No Good by Sara Goodman Confino--This is technically for a book club, although I probably won't be able to attend the meeting.  I've heard so many good things about this one, and it looks like a good summer read, so I'm planning to read it anyway. Midnight in Siberia: A Train Journey into the Heart of Russia by David Greene (Book club read)--I already have it out of the library, but have to get on this one! It sounds very interesting but nonfiction usually takes me a little longer. The Edge of Lost by Kristina McMorris (Book cl