Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books I've Read Based on Recommendations

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic from The Broke and the Bookish is the Top Ten Books I've Read Based on Recommendations.  This was hard to narrow down because there are so many books that I want to read or have read because someone recommended them.  I tried to narrow it down to either books I didn't know anything about or wasn't drawn to in the first place!

1.  Cinder by Marissa Meyer - I don't read much sci fi, dystopian, or YA books so this book shouldn't have appealed to me at all.  At first it didn't though the cover did keep catching my eye but then I started seeing mentions of it either in review form or on favorites lists by some of my favorite bloggers and I couldn't resist. I'm so glad I took the risk because I absolutely loved it and have thoroughly enjoyed the 2nd book in the series as well!  I can't wait to read the rest.

2.  In a Dark Dark Wood by Ruth Ware - This was on my radar but I had hesitated to put it on my TBR because of the Gone Girl comparison in the blurb.  Now I enjoyed Gone Girl but I'm not sure I want to go revisit that level of craziness anytime soon.  Then I saw some great reviews and heard raves about the narrator on the audio book.  This is in my top ten favorite reads for the year!  If you listen to audio at all this is one not to miss.

3.  Before the Fall by Noah Hawley - Disaster books don't appeal to me.  Disaster books with children appeal to me even less so I had no interest in reading it until I saw some great reviews by some of my favorite bloggers!

4.  The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan - This was actually recommended to my younger daughter Emma shortly after it came out because she adored Harry Potter.  She ended up loving the series as well and has gone on to read basically everything Riordan has written.  She has recommended it to me a number of times as had a number of other bloggers and I finally caved this year and listened to the audio and they were all right.  It's fantastic!

5.  My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout - This book was on my radar but just barely.  The premise didn't grab me and the fact that the author is a Pulitzer Prize winner made me hesitate.  I was a bit afraid it would be one of those books that was just too proud of how clever it was that the enjoyment would be lost.  While this wasn't my favorite I did enjoy it and liked how it made me think.

6.  Deep Dark by Laura Griffin - I love romantic suspense but Laura Griffin was an author I didn't know much about. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and I'm really excited that there's quite a backlist still to read!

7.  The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths- I had actually read a few pages of one of Griffiths books because I love the anthropology angle in a mystery but never quite past the use of present tense.  I saw some great reviews of her books and decided to give it another try and ended up really enjoying it.  It did take a little while to get past the tense issue but by chapter 2 I was used to it and no longer noticed.

8.  The Wanderer by Robyn Carr - I had seen the Carr's name around for awhile but none of her blurbs really called to me until of course I saw rave reviews everywhere I looked,  I don't think she's my favorite in the contemporary section but she's definitely an author I keep an eye out for now.

9.  Guaranteed to Bleed by Julie Mulhern - This is a cozy series set in the 1970s and at first I had zero interest in it until of course I saw the rave reviews for the 1st book.  I couldn't resist the 2nd book when it came out and now Mulhern is on my auto-buy list.

10. Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Kinsley - I was pretty sure I didn't like graphic novels and I was pretty sure I didn't like Lucy Kinsley after feeling lukewarm at best over her previous graphic novel, French Milk.  However, when I saw some reviews from several people who had felt the same way about French Milk as I had and they couldn't say enough good things about Relish I decided to take the plunge.  It was fantastic!

So what books have you read based off recommendations?

21 comments:

  1. Great list!!! Cinder made my list too. You really need to get to the other books too - They are fantastic!! I loved In a Dark, Dark Wood and have Before the Fall to get to.

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  2. The only one I'm familiar with is Cinder! Guess I gave some more books to add to my list!

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  3. Julie Mulhern- great pick. that series is so fun- and book four is coming out soon! And I've had Riordan recommended so many times, I really need to read those.

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  4. I took the lazy way out and just posted pictures for this. lol Cinder would be one for me, too, but I first read that a while ago and only thought of more recent stuff. :)

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  5. Great list - I have put some of your books on my to-read list. Hey, have you ever read Kate Hewitt? I recently read Rainy Day Sisters and loved it. The series is called Hartley-By-the Sea.

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  6. Cinder is on my list as well! I never would have read that book if I didn't continue to hear amazing things about it. I think I would have read Percy Jackson on my own though. Because I kept seeing kids in the library going nuts for it.

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  7. Cinder and The Lightening Thief are ones I'm very happy you finally read. They are the best! And both series' just get better and better as they go one.
    Book pushing is what we book nerds/bloggers are great it. It's pretty much me main job in life.

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  8. The only one I'm familiar with is Cinder! Guess I gave some more books to add to my list!

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  9. I started Julie Mulhern's series based on recommendations, too - yours and Greg's! The next book will be here soon :)

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  10. I do want to read Rick Riordan's series. But like HP, I've got to work around to it time-wise. I read one of Robyn Carr's books (I think, unless I'm confusing her with someone else) and I liked her historical writing. I still have a stigma toward Cinder...got to work up to it.

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  11. After reading The Woman in Cabin 10, I really want to try In a Dark, Dark Wood. Happy reading!

    Check out my TTT.

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  12. You have a lot of books on your list that I have read. I actually am pretty sure that your review of In a Dark Dark Wood along with Grace's had me running to the library to get that one. Of course, I loved it as well. Great post!

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  13. I do pay attention to other trusted bloggers' recommendations, though I can't pull a title off the tip of my tongue; it does count for a lot. I read a few books on your list-- Cinder, In a Dark Dark Wood, Deep Dark, The Crossing Places, The Wanderer,-- and have Julie Mulhern's series on my list to look out for, and way overdue to pick it up at that.

    As always, a fun TTT list from you and many titles to think about, so thanks!

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  14. I've only read one of the books on your list (In a Dark, Dark Wood--which I enjoyed). Several others are already on my wish list or in my TBR collection. I am always glad to see them make lists like this as it reinforces how much I want to read them. Thanks for sharing, Katherine!

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  15. My sister loves the Lunar Chronical books, but has yet to convince me to read them. It is more of a reading time thing. Maybe I will get to them next year. :)

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  16. I have a wait-in-line-hold on the Cinder audiobook. I'm excited to get that one of these days. LOVED that series of Rick Riordan. The follow up series is good too but my heart is with the first. I have Ruth Galloway on my TBR as well as the Country Club series. I added Griffin's.

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  17. Percy Jackson and Cinder made my list as well. I'm going to have to check out some of the other ones you listed.
    Thanks for sharing!
    Amanda

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  18. A coworker handed me Cinder a few years ago, and I never looked back! I wasn't impressed with Riordan the first time I tried his books, but then I re-read his first Percy Jackson to my daughter at her request, and really enjoyed it!

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  19. Yes, the Laura Griffin and Robyn Carr look fab! Thanks for the list! Hugs...

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  20. Easy question, because you answered it - Cinder. Even though I adore fairy tales, the premise of this adaptation didn't grab me. But all those great reviews sure did.

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  21. Ah Cinder. I have that on my list. Carr is hit or miss for me. Some are knock out 5s. Others are 2s.

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