Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl
This week’s prompt was a little tricky for me because it’s been a while since I’ve received a memorable book recommendation. I can be a bit picky about what I read, so I definitely don’t blame anyone for that. It’s just hard for some folks to figure out my tastes well enough to recommend things I end up loving.
These recommendations were all hits, though! They’re loosely arranged by how old I was when they were first recommended to me.
Title and Author: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1)
by C.S. Lewis
Who Recommended It: My uncle sent this entire seven-book series to me when I was in elementary school. I adored it immediately.
Title and Author: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Who Recommended It: I believe my fifth grade teacher recommended it during or after we did a history unit on the Holocaust. Anne’s stories about living in hiding as well as the truth about what happened to her gave this era a personal touch that made it easier for my young mind to grasp the horrors of it all.
Title and Author: Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allen Poe by Edgar Allan Poe
Who Recommended It: My ninth grade English teacher. She didn’t recommend this specific book, but she did an in-depth unit on his work in general that turned me into a lifelong fan of his stories.
Title and Author: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Who Recommended It: A book display at my high school library. I knew nothing about this author or tale, but I thought I’d give it a try. Jane won me over from the beginning.
Title and Author: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Who Recommended It: A high school study hall teacher. She had a shelf filled with books for us to read if we’d finished all of our homework. I picked this title out from it and was mesmerized from the first page.
Title and Author: Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
Who Recommended It: My aunt. She had a large personal library that I was allowed to borrow books from while she was away at college and later graduate school, and I believe this was one of the titles she thought I’d particularly enjoy. Yes, she was completely right.
Title and Author: The Bluest Eye
by Toni Morrison
Who Recommended It: A librarian at the local public library if my memory is correct. I’d mentioned enjoying Beloved, and she immediately told me to read this next. I’m glad I listened to her!
Title and Author: Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese
Who Recommended It: A coworker. I asked him for recommendations of Canadian books at some point after I moved up here, and this was one of his ideas.
Title and Author: The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence
Who Recommended It: The same coworker who recommended Indian Horse. I enjoyed both of these titles.
Title and Author: Annabel by Kathleen Winter
Who Recommended It: A display of new Canadian books at one of the Toronto Public Library branches. I borrowed it with no knowledge of who the author was and had a great time reading it.
Great list! It sounds like you had a lot of teachers who gave good recommendations.
For sure. And thanks. 🙂
I’m planning on reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn as part of my next classics run — trying to read more American lit since there’s a lot of ‘famous’ novels I’ve not yet. Sounds promising!
It’s excellent! Hope you like it.
I love the Narnia books, such good stories!
For sure.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is one of my favorite books!
Cool!
Six out of ten I’ve read, that’s doing really good for TTT. Poe is good for this time of year. https://pmprescott.blogspot.com/2020/10/ttt-102020.html
🙂
Wow, so many great books! It’s wonderful that as a child, you had people recommending such wonderful books to you. I think being surrounded by adults who love books makes such a difference for a child!
Yes, it sure does. I was a lucky girl.
I love that teachers and librarians had so much influence over what you read. That’s awesome! THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE was one I read in elementary school that I have never forgotten.
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Thank you. Happy TTT to you as well.
Fun list! I don’t always have an easy time remembering who recommended a book to me either, though I do know Jane Eyre was recommended (and then gifted to me) by a co-worker. I didn’t know much about it before reading either, and I think it worked out best that way!
Thank you. I’m glad Im not alone there.
A few of these I read in school, and remember Jane Eyre with fondness.
How neat!
Aw I like how you’ve included books you were recommended as a child too. Teachers really do shape so much of our reading don’t they!
Yes, they sure do. 🙂
Great work! Indian Horse sounds very interesting.
It was a wonderful read!
I love how you featured recommendations from childhood until now! 🙂
Thanks. 🙂
brilliant list! I need to read The Bluest Eye
It’s such a good book. And thanks.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn! I didn’t discover that or Jane Eyre until I was in my late 20s and wish I’d read them earlier!
They’re wonderful stories. Do you ever reread them?
Great list, I loved the Narnia books when I was little!
They were a ton of fun. And thanks.
Till We Have Faces has been on my radar for a while.
It’s such a good read.
I read Jane Eyre because my BFF recommended it to me.
How cool!
You had a lot of great teachers! I never got much in the way of recommendations from mine unfortunately, they were more concerned with making sure I read the set texts, none of which were very interesting!
Yes, I was a lucky kid for sure.
Sorry you didn’t have such good teachers.
What a good list, that’s awesome you had so many teachers and librarians with such good recommendations!
Thanks a lot. Yes, I had some wonderful teachers and librarians in my life for sure.
Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese was eye-opening.
Here is my TTT list.
For sure!
Great list! Now I want to read all of the ones I haven’t on here…
Here’s my post: https://steppingstonesbookreviews.blogspot.com/2020/10/top-ten-tuesdays-recommended-books.html
Thank you. 🙂
I love Edgar Allan Poe; he is my favorite romantic period author. Do you have a particular story of his that is your favorite?
Oh, it’s hard to pick just one! So I’ll mention two.
“The Masque of the Red Death” reveals things about human nature that are as true today as they were in 1850.
“The Cask of Amontillado” is a story I sometimes reference in conversations with others. What chilling imagery it has.
How about you?
I don’t know why but Disqus flagged your comment on my post as spam, and when I went to approve it, it disappeared. But yeah, Indian Horse! I want to see the movie sometime because I heard it was really well done.
Oh, that’s odd. Thanks for letting me know.
I hope you enjoy the film. 🙂
I had to read The Bluest Eye in high school. I wasn’t a fan of how it was taught but when I reread it I preferred it.
How a book is taught can make all of the difference in the world.
Thanks for visiting me – looks like libraries and librarians play a big role in your recommendations….they’re definitely a good source.
You’re welcome. And agreed.
I love the Narnia books so much. such great memories… and nostalgia too. A few of them I hardly remember, but the whole series still has a special place for me.
So many of us feel the same way!
My grandma used to loan me her books all the time. I can’t believe I didn’t include one of her recommendations! Loved hearing about all the recommendations from your past.
Thank you. Maybe you can blog about your grandmother’s recommendations in a separate post someday. 🙂
I have not read these books but that is a great list! That’s great that you could still remember the books that was recommended to you!
Thanks a lot.
I’ve always been super curious about The Diary of a Young Girl. We never had the opportunity to discuss it in school. Maybe I’ll actually pick it up one day!
It’s a great story. I hope you’ll read it someday.
Great list. I’ve read #s 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7. I don’t think I have read that many from any of the other lists.
Thanks for visiting my TTT earlier. And for leaving your link. It doesn’t work, though, but I found it anway. 😉
Thanks for letting me know my link didn’t work! I have no idea what happened there, but I’m glad you found me anyway.
Wonderful list Lydia. I love that you included Canadian Authors. I read both of the ones you mentioned and enjoyed them. Believe it or not, I have not read anything by Poe except for The Raven. There are a couple on this list that I am going to check out, specifically the Toni Morrison one.
Thank you! I hope you enjoy Morrison’s stories.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is one of my all time favorite novels!!!
It’s wonderful for sure.
Great list! You had a lot of luck with recommendations 🙂
Thank you.
Excellent list! I have only read Anne Frank’s diary.
Thanks! Wasn’t that a good read?
Someone just recommended C.S. Lewis’ book, Till We Have Faces. I love how you can remember exactly who recommended these to you.
Thank you. I hope you like Till We Have Faces.
I love that you did this by age! Teachers and libraries are excellent ways to get recommendations. I actually had a similar experience with Edgar Allen Poe. We did an in-depth cover of some of his works in 8th grade, and I loved it. I was able to find a copy of the Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allen Poe earlier this year, but I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet.
Heh, thanks. I hope you enjoy the Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allen Poe.
I had every intention of finally reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn this year, but it didn’t happen. It was my mom’s favorite book when she was younger. I really need to pick it up soon. Great post!
It’s such a thought provoking and beautiful read. Happy reading!
I love all the classics on your list! Til We Have Faces is on my TBR as well.
Thank you. Til We Have Faces was a wonderful tale. Enjoy.
I wish I could be a little pickier about book recommendations! My TBR pile would probably thank me. But you have so many wonderful reads on your list this week. I’m spotting several favorites—and I just read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn for the first time a few weeks ago.
Thanks. I hope you liked A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
This is a very diverse list! And more than a couple I actually didn’t know
Thank you very much.
you are surrounded by awesome people with great book tastes!
I sure am. 🙂
I always think teachers give great reccomendations 🙂
Yes, absolutely!
You’ve had some wonderful books recommended to you! Jane Eyre, Anne Frank, Narnia, Poe…
I think my aunt and uncle started me on the Narnia books, too. At least, I can’t think who else would have given me The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Which means they (particularly my uncle) had a huge influence on my love of fantasy, since my uncle also got me reading The Hobbit. It’s great to live in a book-loving family. I get some of my best books as gifts from my sister, my child, and my parents.
Yes, I sure have.
Your aunt and uncle sound like lovely people. Actually, your whole family does! 🙂
So many great reads here. I thought The Bluest Eye was just such a powerful story.