It's been a number of weeks since I have participated in a Top Ten Tuesday, but today's topic seems lighthearted, andoff the bat at least it seems like it won't take long to compile. Plus, I just got a sassy new 'do and I'm feeling up for some belated blogging fun. This week's topic, sponsored by The Broke and the Bookish, asks what are the top ten books I feel everybody else has read but me...For my purposes, I will take "everybody else" as either the book blogging community or the bookselling community. Or possibly the English major community. Or sometimes the New York Times Bestseller List community. You know, whatever works.
1. The Kite Runner. I may be the only registered bookseller in America not to have read this book. I saw the movie. And I know that it doesn't count. But my friend Robyn, over at You Think Too Much, has some pretty strong things to say about this book, and though I've not read it, I entirely agree with her! Oops--upon looking up the link for her review, it turns out that she was referring to Hosseini's second book, but I'm pretty sure the reasoning still stands.
2. Anything by James Patterson. Considering that he writes about 237 books every year, that's sayin' something. And yet he's always on the bestseller list.
3. Hamlet. It even made the #1 position on a previous Top Ten Tuesday list.
4. Sarah's Key. Bestseller list, bookseller list. Not sure about blogger list. Never read it.
5. Three Cups of Tea. Bestseller list, bookseller list.
6. Eat, Pray Love. This one seems to be on a lot of lists today, and with a lot of animosity behind the not-reading-thereof. I just haven't read it. No agenda here. Saw the movie. While I can handle sentimental and insipid movies, similar books don't earn lots of points for me.
7. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo et al. Yeah, I don't really do scary all that well. Will never, ever read these because scary books haunt me far more than scary movies. (Okay, fine. I saw this film version, too. And I thought it was good. So there.)
8. The Art of Racing in the Rain. I won't say why right here, but I'll coyly leave you a link if you're inclined to follow it.
9. The Alchemist. Apparently I didn't get the memo in high school/college that this was a must-read for sensitive, intelligent young women.
10. Anything by Jonathan Franzen. Yes, I duck my head in shame.
What about y'all? What was your top pick?
2. Anything by James Patterson. Considering that he writes about 237 books every year, that's sayin' something. And yet he's always on the bestseller list.
3. Hamlet. It even made the #1 position on a previous Top Ten Tuesday list.
4. Sarah's Key. Bestseller list, bookseller list. Not sure about blogger list. Never read it.
5. Three Cups of Tea. Bestseller list, bookseller list.
6. Eat, Pray Love. This one seems to be on a lot of lists today, and with a lot of animosity behind the not-reading-thereof. I just haven't read it. No agenda here. Saw the movie. While I can handle sentimental and insipid movies, similar books don't earn lots of points for me.
7. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo et al. Yeah, I don't really do scary all that well. Will never, ever read these because scary books haunt me far more than scary movies. (Okay, fine. I saw this film version, too. And I thought it was good. So there.)
9. The Alchemist. Apparently I didn't get the memo in high school/college that this was a must-read for sensitive, intelligent young women.
10. Anything by Jonathan Franzen. Yes, I duck my head in shame.
What about y'all? What was your top pick?
I've yet to read any Franzen either. I bought the Corrections but now it just taunts me from my bookshelf.
ReplyDeleteI've only read one off your list - the first Girl w/a Dragon Tattoo book. I ended up liking it in the end but thought it was way too long. Probably won't be reading the next books.
ReplyDeleteHmm, I've read all of these except Hamlet. Numbers 2, 9, and 10 you can forget about straight away: no good anyway. :-)
ReplyDeleteOf these, the only book I really, really liked was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
But this is definitely a "must read" list in some people's view.
Robyn's blog is awesome. Yay new blogs to read!
ReplyDeleteOh yeeeah, Jonathan Franzen. I own The Corrections but haven't read it. I'm sure it's swell, though.
*looks bewildered* I haven't even HEARD of Three Cups of Tea. Was that popular recently?
The Kite Runner and The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo are on my list, too. I read Hamlet, and enjoyed it too. And The Alchemist is great, it was the first book by Coelho I read and it made me read several of his other books - he's one of my favorite authors. Thanks for stopping by my blog!
ReplyDeleteRambo, Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson has been off & on the bestseller list since before I started my current job in 2007. It's about this guy who builds schools for girls in Afghanistan. Or is it? This year there was a scandal, raised by Jon Krakauer, that Mortenson was making some stuff up and misappropriating funds.
ReplyDeleteEverything I said about A Thousand Splendid Suns also applies to The Kite Runner, Emily. Thanks for the shout out. I love your list. I read The Corrections because everyone else was reading it. I'll never read any more Jonathan Franzen. Ugh. I did like Eat, Pray, Love, though not enough to insist everyone I know read it. I think on my list would be Cutting for Stone, which is just one of those I haven't gotten around to yet, but will for book group this year
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