It's been a while since I last participated in the Top Ten Tuesday held by the Brooke and the Bookish so let's give this another go. As the first day of fall, this weekly meme is quite appropriate and asks fellow book bloggers to list their top 10 books to be read during this season. It's doubtful that I will be able to even get through three books, let alone ten before winter peaks its head around the corner but we'll have to wait and see what the next few months bring.
- The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay - If I only manage to read one book this fall, it will be this one. Mr. Kay is probably my favorite living author right now and I even had the distinguished honor of meeting him last week where he signed two of my books. He was very down to earth and a really cool dude to chat with. Tigana is the best novel that I have read this year and I plan on reading everything he has ever written.
- A Song for Arbonne by Guy Gavriel Kay - Same as above.
- Pastures of Heaven by John Steinbeck - Steinbeck is one of my favorite authors but there is still so much of his early work that I have not yet had the pleasure to read. I adore short stories and this collection has been on my radar for quite some time. I have not come across many authors other than Steinbeck who are able to combine beauty, intellect and pathos so seamlessly into their writing.
- Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy - I still think The Road is one of the most overrated novels ever but this one sounds awesome. I'm getting a Red Dead Redemption type of vibe from the premise.
- The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje - For my Canadian Reading Project. I have been avoiding this one for years but feel that it is time to see what all the hoopla is about. This books receives a lot of negative flak but my gut tells me that I will end up enjoying it.
- The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursala Le Guin - Often praised as one of the great science fiction writers of all time and I still have yet to read a single novel by her! For shame. Granted, I have managed to read several of her short-stories and enjoyed them immensely.
- Persuasion by Jane Austen - I am always down for some more Austen.
- City & the City by China Mieville - I finally took the plunge into the bizarro world of China Mieville this year with Embassytown and look forward to seeing what other craziness he can conjure up. The premise behind this book sounds totally insane!
- Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding: Apparently it shares many similarities to Firefly. Sold.
- The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon - I've never read anything by Chabon and perhaps it is time to see whether or not he really deserves all the critical acclaim.
Well, you are not helping me in the least to resist reading Tigana by mentioning Kay's name! ;-) I'm dying to read it but I just can't until I can clear my schedule somewhat.
ReplyDeleteI didn't like The English Patient but I read it so long ago and I actually can't remember whether it was the book or the movie I disliked or both. What do I know when it comes to anything modern though.
I read LeGuin's The Wizard of Earthsea a couple of years ago for a fantasy literature class. I enjoyed it but I was still raving over Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the first couple of books that we'd read, that I don't think I gave it the attention that it deserved.
Persuasion is supposed to be fantastic!
I've been eyeing Chabon for awhile but I'll let you wade in first and then take my cue. ;-)
Happy reading!
I love Michael Chabon's novels. I've read The Yiddish Policeman's Union, The Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Clay, Wonder Boys, and Telegraph Avenue. I hope you enjoy your first Chabon adventure!
ReplyDeleteDoh, I failed to see that you kind folks commented on this post. Please forgive my ignorance.
ReplyDeleteCleo: Excellent...my plan to influence you to read Tigana (or anything else by Mr. Kay for that matter) is working...muahahaha
I finished the English Patient recently but still need to hash out a review. How they turned this novel into a movie is beyond me. Yeah, I am quite surprised you even read this novel at all considering you tend to avoid anything that wasn't written before 1900. :P
I guess you make exceptions, especially when it pertains to course readings. You kinda have to read the assigned material if you intend to pass with a decent grade, ha. I've heard good things about the Earthsea series so I might check that one out after I get through some of her novels first. I should be getting to Persuasion sometime soon. And by soon that could be next week or a few months from now. Either way, I am looking forward to it. Austen rocks. I always appreciate your comments Cleo. Thanks again.
Lindsey: Hello there! You really got me excited to read Chabon now. I've got "The Yiddish Policeman's Union" within the pile of books stacked next to my bed and might venture to read it next. I need a break from all the more serious literature I've been reading lately. That isn't to say that Chabon is not a serious writer whose works aren't complex or whatever but I'm guessing it's a lot more accessible and "enjoyable" to read than say Woolf or Faulkner. Thanks for stopping by!
And I failed to return and notice that you'd commented on my comment, so we're even! ;-)
ReplyDeleteAh yes, cute pre-1900s dig! ;-) I know. It's a failing that I'm trying to rectify. I notice that we tend to bookend each other ....... I read from ancients to around the 1850s-ish and then some more modern-ish type reads. You read post 1850s and American literature which I will at some point force myself to read (and probably will be pleasantly surprised) and some really modern books (that scare me). Between the two of us we should be able to cover all the "classics", ancient through modern, before we die .............. well, maybe .........
I didn't mean offense, just a bit of good-natured ribbing. :)
ReplyDeleteI've always said read whatever caters towards your interests. If it happens to be fantasy YA novels or Fifty Shades of Grey, so be it. I'm not going to hold that against anyone. You happen to love the classics (older the better it seems), and I think that is quite remarkable. I don't know anyone else who genuinely enjoys those kind of texts like you do. You remind me how under-read I am when it comes to those classic or ancient texts and much obliged by the many great recommendations. Although, I might need a bit more convincing when it comes to Emile Zola, Voltaire or Montaigne. They scare me.
We bookend each other. I like that. I might have to take you up on that challenge of covering all of the classics. :)