Thursday, March 21, 2013

Top Ten Terrific Tales {no. 1}

Introducing {another} new series.

true!!
Forgive me if all the new series around here are bothering you. I have to have something to do in between book reviews, and I'm still struggling to tread water in The Pickwick Papers. Seriously, you get five-sevenths through a book and all the sudden you want to quit. Really, Mr. Dickens, I am sorry to say this, but Samuel Pickwick isn't my favorite character. Can't we go back to Mr. Winkle? And just FYI (if you know what that means), you're really mean to him. You should be nicer. I don't think he's that much of a dork.

As Charles Dickens can't hear me and probably wouldn't want to if he could, I'm going to dispense with complaining and give you (one of) my top ten lists for books you should read. 
  1. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. I know I kind of bashed him up above, but really, I think he's a genius with plotting and characterization. He has a jaw-dropping amount of characters in The Pickwick Papers and somehow manages to give you a great impression of them in a very short time. Great Expectations was one of the most original books I've ever read.
  2. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. "Every girl on earth needs to read it and know it by heart, not just because it's a good story but because it's one of the very few truly interesting books out there that drives us girls in the right direction: being feminine without being wimpy, and being ambitious without being feminist." -- Hallie Jo 
  3. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Bronte manages to weave the webs of romance, suspense, and Christianity in this beautiful story of a plain young governess who grows to love her employer, Mr. Rochester. Bronte is the lady of metaphors. I love that she writes in first-person. A must-read.
  4. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Anything Middle-Earth, in my opinion, is a must-read.
  5. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. Normally I wouldn't have given two books from the same author on one of these lists, but I had to for this one. The Lord of the Rings is my favorite book and a work of genius.
  6. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Technically a children's story, it's much harder to read for a child in this age than it probably was way back when. While not one of my writing inspirations, it's still a great story and definitely worth the read.
  7. The Black Stallion by Walter Farley. I used to criticize this over, and over, and over, and over, and over again until poor Mr. Farley would have been crying (if he were me). But it's actually quite well-written, well-plotted, and original. And it's probably one of the more copied pieces of literature nowadays . . . at least when speaking of a wild stallion!
  8. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. Who doesn't love Anne's imagination, humor, and wisdom? 
  9. Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery. Again, normally I'm not going to put in a single Top Ten list two works by the same author. But I'm making an exception for the Anne of Green Gables series. This second book in the Anne series is completely hilarious.
  10. Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery. Six proposals over four years! Really, how does she do it? How could five or six guys be so head-over-heels for Anne? Read it to find out!
There's the end of my first Top Ten list! How many of these have you all read already?

By the way: do not read Anne of Green Gables and then Rilla of Ingleside because those are Montgomery's "best" works. Oh no. To fully appreciate the culmination of the series with Rilla's story, you must must must read the remainder of the series first. Sorry, but you'll thank me later.

8 comments:

  1. I've read and loved all those books but two. But be lenient on poor Dickens, though I agree with you he was writing an over 700 page book:) Yes, this is the Layla who commented as anonymous. And yes, I now followed you.
    Layla.

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    1. Hi Layla :) Thank you so much for following me! Don't worry, I do think of Dickens as a genius . . . I just don't like Mr. Pickwick all that much because he's not very exciting. I'm curious . . . which two books haven't you read? :)

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    2. The Black Stallion, I've been looking for it everywhere but I can't seem to find it:(
      Jane Eyre. Which I am actually going to read in a couple of weeks so I can't really say I haven't read it anymore:)
      Layla.

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    3. You really can't find The Black Stallion? :'( That's sad. And your library doesn't have it? I would offer to send you mine, but my copy is extremely beat-up.

      I adore Jane Eyre, and I'm sure you will too :)

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    4. Yeah, hopefully I can find it soon:/ And I just saw your comment on our blog and that you followed us, thanks so much! I accidentally deleted your comment (uh-oh) but I remember it and appreciate it so thanks!
      Layla.

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    5. You're welcome :) ugh I almost deleted one of your comments too! Something's wrong with me :P I think it's because I keep deleting mine because there's always something I want to add to my comment but don't want to comment again (I'm weird that way). And I have to keep deleting e-mails too. :P Oh well.

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    6. Haha! Sounds like me! By the way, if I get the time I might send you a Q&A email soon:D
      Layla.

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    7. Oh yay!!!! You'll be my first one if you do :)

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