Tag Archives: Top Ten Tuesday

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Here are the books I’m looking forward to reading this autumn.

My TBR is always much longer than my actual reading time, so I’ll remain flexible as always as I wait to see what strikes my fancy and which titles have the shortest wait lists at the Toronto Public Library.

I try to schedule things so I always have at least a few books waiting to be read and some more that will soon be available.

There’s an art and a science to requesting library books in the right order to keep this steady stream of reading material flowing all year long.

Maybe someday I’ll write a full post about how I do that. Ha!

1. White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson

Why: Ms. Jackson is on the list of authors I always check out when they release new books. The paranormal elements of this storyline only make me more excited for it.

 

2. What Lives in the Woods by Lindsay Currie 

Why: This is exactly the type of playfully scary story I would have loved as a kid!

 

3. Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach

Why: I had no idea that wild animals were charged for their “crimes” a few hundred years ago in certain jurisdictions! This is the sort of unusual history book that I love reading. You’d never find this sort of stuff in a traditional history class.

 

4. The Insiders  by Mark Oshiro 

Publication Date: Today

Why: I always dreamed of finding a hidden room when I was a kid.

5. The Days of Afrekete: A Novel  by Asali Solomon

Publication Date: October 19

Why: The comparison to Mrs. Dalloway intrigued me. I couldn’t get into it when I tried to read it as a teenager, but I’m hoping I’ll be old enough to enjoy both The Days of Afrekete and Mrs. Dalloway now that I’m an adult.

 

6 .The Donut Trap by Julie Tieu

Publication Date: November 2

Why: The blurb mentions that this is similar to Kim’s Convenience, one of my favourite sitcoms. Romance novels are usually out of character for my reading habits, but I’m totally happy to make exceptions to that general rule of thumb when something catches my fancy like this.

 

Everything else I’m looking forward to was already mentioned in the Most Anticipated Books of the Second Half of 2021 prompt back in June. I don’t know about all of you, but I like to leave plenty of space for last-minute additions and mood reading when I’m thinking about what to read in any given season. May we all have a wonderful autumn filled with books that are perfect for us.

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All of these books share three things in common: they have numbers in their titles, I’ve read them, and I’d recommend them to anyone who finds their blurbs interesting.

1. The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, #2) by J.R.R. Tolkien

2. 1984 by George Orwell

3. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

4. Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

5. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

6. The First Four Years (Little House, #9) by Laura Ingalls Wilder

7. The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes

8. A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf

9. Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss

10. Two Old Women: An Alaskan Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival by Velma Wallis

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No, that isn’t me in the photo, but it does evoke all sorts of beautiful memories of reading outside on warm summer days.

This is one of those topics I could talk about all day. My list is a wonderful mishmash of genres and eras. I couldn’t be confined to just one small slice of the bookish world today.

Some stories are so amazing that I wish I could experience them again for the first time.

There’s nothing like the thrill of getting to know a well-rounded, beloved character or being delightfully surprised by a plot twist.

Rereading is lovely, but it’s never quite the same as experiencing those moments the first time.

1. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Why: The ending was spectacular. I spent years pondering it before the sequel was released and the television show explored what happened to Offred after that pivotal moment.

 

2. Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

Why: There are so many parallels between this futuristic version of Earth that was written in the 1990s and what we’re actually experiencing with climate change and political unrest today. It would have been fascinating to experience it for the first time as versions of so many of her predictions came true.

 

3. Calculating God by Robert J. Sawyer

Why: The author’s depictions of aliens was astounding. They were nothing at all like any sentient creature found on Earth. That’s difficult for any writer to do, and I adored “meeting” characters who felt so otherworldly.

 

4. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Why: It’s my favourite classic novel. It’s filled with the sort of sturdy hope that can withstand the hardest times. I’ve returned to it through some of the most difficult portions of my own life, and it’s given me the courage to keep going when I need emotional support and encouragement.

 

5. The Deep by Rivers Solomon (My review)

Why: This is one of my favourite books of the twenty-first century so far. I know I discuss it regularly here, but it’s one of those stories that only becomes more meaningful over time. I keep going back to beautiful little details from the storyline that tied all of the plot twists together in ways I didn’t necessarily think twice about at the time.

 

6. The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence

Why: Hagar was a fiercely unlikeable protagonist. If I were to meet her in real life, I’d be unflappably kind and polite to her while also feeling utter relief when she was no longer in my presence. With that being said, her character development was so excellent that she felt like a real person to me. There were good reasons for her cruel, vindictive, and emotionally abusive behaviour that I’ll leave for other readers to discover for themselves. That isn’t to excuse any form of abuse for any reason, only to say that sometimes people take their pain and fear out on others.  I think it’s a sign of amazing writing when one genuinely wants to learn more about someone as awful as this character.

 

7.  The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel

Why: While the last few books in this series weren’t really my cup of tea, the first instalment had fabulous character and plot development. I’ve literally had dreams about living 30,000 years ago and doing all of the hunting, gathering, and other tasks necessary for survival that were explained in such exquisite detail here.

 

8.  Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (My review)

Why: The ending couldn’t have been better or more satisfying. I pictured every incredible moment of it in my mind as I was reading. It would be delightful to experience it again while we wait for the film version that is currently in the works.

 

9. The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

Why: It was written for an adult audience who sympathized with Valancy as she endured emotional abuse and mistreatment with little hope for rescue when we first meet her. As much as I loved Montgomery’s lighter works that were written for children like Anne of Green Gables, her stories for adults were where she truly shined. She didn’t sugarcoat Valancy’s predicament in the least, and yet she still found a multitude of ways to show her audience how to survive when it seems like one’s difficult circumstances have no hope of improvement.

 

10. Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor (My review)

Why: The ending was incredible. It left me yearning for more, and I still wonder what might have happened to the main character as she became an adult. I will continue hoping for a sequel that explores her world in greater depth.

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This was one of those prompts that I was able to rapidly answer. There are so many incredible places to read in this world!

Here are my favourite spots to do so.

1. At home in bed and right before bedtime. It’s a nice way to unwind and get ready to sleep.

2. While sitting on a bench at the park. (This generally doesn’t happen in the damp heat of the summer or the deep chill of the winter, though, for obvious reasons).

3. On a bench at the mall while waiting for my spouse to finish chatting with acquaintances.

4. After ordering at a restaurant.

5. In waiting rooms of any size, especially if I’m a little nervous about the appointment.

6. In an airplane seat after we’ve landed. There are certain portions of the flying experience that I honestly don’t enjoy very much at all, so reading is a lovely distraction while other passengers try to be the first ones off the plane. It’s more relaxing to walk off the plane without all of that jostling anyways.

7. With small children who enjoy having the grownups in their lives read aloud to them.

8. While waiting for the ferry to and from the Toronto Islands.  I like to look around at the beautiful Lake Ontario scenery when I’m actually on the ferry, but the wait to board it is generally long enough to get at least a chapter or two of reading time in.

9. When I’m peopled out. That is to say, I’m deeply introverted and also a little socially anxious at times. I love socializing, but there does come a time when I need to be alone and recharge. Reading is one of the ways I do exactly that.

10. In quiet reading rooms. My local libraries honestly aren’t all that quiet most of the time, but I have found a few other quiet places to read as well as figured out the best branches and times to try the library if other options don’t work out well.

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This week’s topic was a little tricky for me, so I wasn’t able to come up with a full list of ten responses.

Interestingly enough, all of the answers I did think of were from the Young Adult genre!

I don’t know if that genre tends to have fabulous secondary characters in general or if we tend to remember them better if we first meet them as kids or teenagers. Then again, maybe there is another explanation for that entirely.

What do you all think? Have you noticed a similar pattern in your reading habits?

There are some mild spoilers in this post, so reader beware if you haven’t read any of these titles yet. I’m hoping they’re all old and well-known enough that you’ve all either read them or already know they’re not your preferred reading material.

Book: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Character: Haymitch Abernathy

Why I Loved Them: Physically, he survived a previous Hunger Games. I’d argue that his emotional survival of that event was an entirely different story due to how his alcoholism and harsh, self-imposed social isolation afterwards were described in this series. If only we could have a prequel that dug into his life in greater depth. Wouldn’t it have been fascinating to see how he survived and why his life turned out the way it did?

 

Book: The Giver by Lois Lowry

Character: Jonas’ father

Why I Loved Them: Jonas’ father worked as a Nurturer. That is to say, he took care of infants and young toddlers before they were assigned to permanent homes. Occasionally, he was expected to end the lives of infants who were disabled or otherwise didn’t meet the Community’s criteria for citizenship. I can’t imagine being expected to do that. What did he really think about his assigned occupation? Was he horrified by that portion of the position when he first began training for it?

 

Book: The Harry Potter series from J.K. Rowling. (I will always love this series, but have chosen not to include a link to it due to the author’s behaviour).

Character: Luna Lovegood

Why I Loved Them: She was an incredibly perceptive and hopeful character. I thought her quirkiness made her more memorable in many ways than the actual protagonist of this series.

 

Book: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Character: Uncle Carlos

Why I Loved Them: His perspective as a detective who was so emotionally connected to the key witness gave him a unique view into this case. While I totally understand why the story was told through Starr’s eyes instead due to her being the only witness of Khalil’s murder, it would have been cool to spend more time exploring how Uncle Carlos felt about all of it.

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I don’t generally have a strong opinion about book covers. There are many different cover styles that can catch my attention, and I still pick up covers that don’t necessarily appeal to me all that much to see what their blurbs have to say.

Titles, however, are another story. A witty or unusual title will dramatically increase the probability of me picking up a particular book. I have been known to take books home that I might not have otherwise glanced at twice because of how much I adored their titles.

Therefore, this list is dedicated to fantastic titles from many different genres. I’ve read some of them and haven’t had the chance to pick up other ones.

1. When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? by George Carlin

2. Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

3. Zombies Vs. Unicorns by Holly Black

4.The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (Fairyland, #1) by Catherynne M. Valente

5. Saving Fish from Drowning by Amy Tan

6. Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett

7. The Celery Stalks at Midnight (Bunnicula, #3) by James Howe

8. Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies: A Guide to Language for Fun and Spite by June Casagrande

9. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

10. Dance Lessons for Zombies by Peter Hiett

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I’m taking a fairly practical approach to this week’s topic because we don’t know what kind of deserted island this is!

Are all of the necessities of life somehow provided there?

Will our cellphones, tablets, laptops, and other electronic devices work if we remember to pack solar recharging units for them? Let’s assume WiFi won’t be a problem either.

Is the temperature moderate enough to keep you fairly comfortable throughout the day and night?

Are there many dangerous animals, plants, or other features of the island?

If we were travelling together, I’d be the sort of person who had some spare sunscreen, shelf-stable food, medication, and first aid supplies to share if anyone needed them.

What can I say?

I enjoy life and vacations more if I’m prepared for the unexpected. Some of these answers are honestly pretty self-explanatory, but I will go into detail about the rest.

1. Outdoor Medical Emergency Handbook: First Aid for Travelers, Backpackers and Adventurers by Spike Briggs, Campbell Mackenzie

 

2. Complete Guide to Fresh and Saltwater Fishing: Conventional Tackle. Fly Fishing. Spinning. Ice Fishing. Lures. Flies. Natural Baits. Knots. Filleting. Cooking. Game Fish Species. Boating by Vin T. Sparano

 

 

3. Edible Plants of the Hawaiian Islands and Tropical Regions by Tyler Harris

This wouldn’t cover every island or biome out there, of course, but at least it would give an idea of what to look for when seeking out edible wild plants in tropical climates which I’m quite unfamiliar with.

 

 

4. How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler by Ryan North

I suspect this would be mostly good for entertainment, but it might have some good advice for building things I needed on the island, too.

 

5. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

There’s nothing about islands or survival in this story. I chose it because I enjoy rereading it every few years and it’s long enough not to get through too quickly.

 

 

6. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (My review)

I adored this daring adventure and rescue tale. It seems perfect to revisit it while on a deserted island.

 

7. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

I DNF this book a few months ago. Maybe this would be the perfect time to try it again? So many people have loved it.

 

8. The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson

9. The Collected Poems by Langston Hughes

10. Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver by Mary Oliver

My final three selections are all poets I really loved back when I was more into this genre. Sometimes I’d read their poetry when I didn’t have the attention span to read a full-length novel.

It seemed like a good idea to include short, easy options in this list. This is especially true since all three of these poets excel at writing things that can feel more meaningful when read out loud.

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My grandparents have a homemade air conditioning unit called a swamp cooler that cools things down a bit but still leaves their house feeling warmer and more humid than many other places in the Midwestern United States. There were a few years there when I was growing up that my grandmother was dealing with some chronic, serious health issues, so mom would often bring us kids along on the visit. We might help out with the chores that were hard for grandma to do on her own or just sit around and shoot the breeze if she’d already gotten the help she needed that week. (Grandma recovered from that illness and is still doing well to this day).

In part due to this, I spent some blissful summer days reading entire novels or novellas in a single afternoon during these visits. It was the coolest and most enjoyable thing to do, especially when it grew very hot and humid in July and August.

Many of them were classics because I was a bookish kid who generally enjoyed those styles of writing quite a bit and because those were often the types of books my grandparents still have lying around on their many bookshelves.

I read many other genres and sorts of stories as well, of course, but these are the books that have stuck in my mind the best that fit this week’s prompt. Maybe it’s because I miss my grandparents?

1. Animal Farm by George Orwell

2. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

3. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

4. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

5. The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells

6. The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

7. Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott

8. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

9. The Giver (The Giver, #1) by Lois Lowry

10. Things Fall Apart (The African Trilogy, #1) by Chinua Achebe