Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Top Ten Tuesday--Fall TBR Top Ten

Now this...this is a Top Ten listing I can get behind...perhaps because 
I am sooooooo far behind on my TBR "schedule." :)
Thank you, The Broke and the Bookish
You might be muttering to yourself or perhaps even exclaiming aloud, 
"Schedule?!? A TBR 'SCHEDULE'?!?"
Yep! You read that right! :)
In reality, I do these things to myself, don't I?
Much as I would love to 'blame' someone else...<sigh> 

However, I am 'ahead' in that I have already read The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison for the October 5 Literary Wives post. At least that gives me 2 weeks or so to work on the blog post/review and I needed that time since we are traveling over the next two weekends! BONUS! I am 'on schedule' with my 'self-imposed' schedule for Literary Wives! And it was a great read! I was fearful it would be scary (since I am quite the wuss), but I didn't find it to be! BONUS!! This one will also count toward the RIP X challenge! :)


Oh, but wait! I am to list the Top Ten from my TBR listing the I really want to read, not the books I've already read... <AHEM!> 
No problem...here we go! But honestly, I do love to celebrate my victories! 
(They sometimes seem so few and far between!)

#1 The most important (to me) book to complete reading NOW/FIRST!! (No, it is not Gone With the Wind...but it should be! lol) Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin! The Socratic Salon already posted their book breakdown this past Sunday, but my hold on this one through my local library system didn't arrive until Monday (yesterday), so I am now 70 pages into this and hope to finish it tomorrow evening. (I would love to complete it tonight...but at some point in time reality should insert itself into my reading goals!) This morning, though I had planned to get another hour's reading done in this, I really needed to take a break to further 'digest' those first 70 pages. Wowzers! Shocking betrayal! Glad I read Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. (Whom I saw in person 3 years ago! If you ever get the opportunity to hear him speak--"Do it!" He was quite humorous and very engaging!)

#2 This one must be my next read because another 3 chapters are due by this Saturday as Check-In #3 for the Joy Luck Club Read-Along hosted by Rachelle at The Reading Wench! This is a heartrending read! These poor girls! How are they to ever live productive even halfway happy lives after these childhoods? Unbelievable to me! I can only hope that even in the outlying small villages of China things have improved mightily for females. I have mentioned previously that I tend to be an 'eternal optimist,' right?!? :) This is my first Amy Tan--definitely NOT my last! :) Another Classic and Historical Fiction

#3 Still savoring one of my favorite reads EVER!! Gone With the Wind!! And...yes, I am well aware this Read-Along was scheduled to end August 1st! But I am a rebel, after all, setting my own schedule! :) Seriously, I do love this book so very much! Although it is historical fiction and a Pulitzer-Prize-winning Classic, this is at least the 6th time I've read it in this particular lifetime and I just love it more every single time! Mitchell's writing...well, it is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! Not a single unnecessary word or syllable, in my humble opinion! 


#4 X by Sue Grafton 
I love mysteries! Kinsey Milhone is one of my absolute favorite protagonists...ever! If I could grant immortality to one author, Grafton would be among several at the top of my list for consideration! :) If you haven't read this series, I would definitely recommend you start with A is for Alibi! I have reread that one several times. It is classic, in my opinion and no better introduction to Kinsey! This will also count toward RIP XI also loved Kinsey and Me
#5 Another mystery for RIPX and Classics Club! The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne! I had no idea the author of the adorable Winnie-the-Pooh books ever wrote a mystery! I just have to try it out! 
#6 And speaking of mysteries, I have yet to read Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier! That will change by the end of RIP X at the end of October! :) And, of course, this will also count as a Classics Club read! 



#7 Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl! A good friend of mine recommended this as a MUST-READ almost 20 years ago! I am ashamed to note that I have yet to read it, but that will change this month! I will review it as my Classics Club Spin #10! Review to be posted by Friday, October 23! I'm fairly certain I really need to be in the correct frame of mind for this one. I expect it to be I-N-T-E-N-S-E!! And emotional! Definitely qualifies as a Classics Club read! 




#8 Season of the Dragonflies by Sarah Creech! I am so anxious to read this one! We are discussing it on October 24th for the Borders Book Club! Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains and what I expect to be an engaging read! And who doesn't love dragonflies?!? They have always fascinated me! And a debut novel! I always marvel that a first published work can be breathtakingly beautiful!  


#9 After Her by Joyce Maynard! I LOVED Labor Day and own several others of her books, but have yet to read them, then was fascinated by the premise for this one! It will count for RIP X and Historical Fiction! I have faith it will be fabulous! 






And...#10! Last, but by no means least...The Girl in the Spider's Web 








by David Lagercrantz, Stieg Larsson (creator), 
George Goulding (translator)

Yes, I adore Lisbeth and the Millennium Series! 
Definitely a RIP X book, though I don't need another!
I am very sad for Larsson's partner and the fact that she was legally shut out of his estate and I mourn the death of what I consider to be a literary genius, but I am at the same time thrilled that someone is continuing Larsson's legacy.
My husband thought it was well done and I am so very anxious to re-enter Lisbeth and Blomkvist's world!


I was lucky enough to catch an NPR interview with Lagercrantz and I was so very impressed with his thoughtful approach to writing this book! He is, of course, hopeful that readers like his work, but he is even more excited by the fact that this release is motivating those who have never before read the first three books in the series to do so! Now that is cool! 
Have you read any of these? Do you have any thoughts about any of them? 

8 comments:

  1. Golden Boy has been on my list for so long, I wonder if I am ever going to get to it. Can't wait to hear what you think of it!
    So glad to hear you liked The Silent Wife, and that it wasn't too scary for you. I was actually disappointed that it wasn't creepier, but there were other things I liked about it to make up for it. :)

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    1. Glad to know you also liked The Silent Wife. I loved the 'psychobabble' aspect! Golden Boy..oh, boy...what a start to a book! Sheesh! I hope to finish it tomorrow. Then I'll join the Socratic Salon breakdown. But...oh, boy...it is traumatic so far! And I don't know when I've despised a character as much as I do Hunter! Ooooohhhhh...shooting would be too good for him!

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  2. I have often considered reading Grafton's series, but just haven't gotten around to it yet... You know how it goes - so many books, so little time... Interesting TBR list. I'm not that familiar with the books you have chosen, but may look a couple up. Happy reading to you!

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    1. I really think the first one in the series will tell you whether you like it or not. I love her writing! Let me know what you think if you do find the time! Good about not recognizing many of them! It's always fun to discover new ones!! :) Hope you find something that looks interesting!

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  3. Rebecca has been on my TBR list for so long! I think I take my copy out ever Fall with plans to read it and somehow it gets set aside. It needs to happen eventually :)

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    1. You and me both! It will be nice to at least satisfy my curiosity! :) We all know the challenge: too many books and too little time. Doesn't keep me from trying, however! :)

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  4. Gone with the Wind....one of my favorites. Nice list.

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    1. GWTW is just one in a million, IMHO! Thanks! Fingers crossed that it all gets read within the timeframe I've created for myself! :)

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