Mission

Bibliophiliac is the space where one passionate, voracious reader reflects on books and the reading life. You will find reviews, analysis, links, and reflections on poetry and prose both in and out of the mainstream.

A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us. Franz Kafka

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Love But Haven't Talked About (Enough)



This week's Top Ten Tuesday--hosted by The Broke and the Bookish--is the top ten books I haven't talked about (enough). This is off the top of my foggy, tired, Spring-Break-is-still-three-weeks-away, fuzzy teacher head.

1-3. Tipping the Velvet, Fingersmith, The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. Every Sarah Waters book I read makes me want to find another reader and talk the book over immediately. Waters is just brilliant, and I love the way she plays with and defies the reader's expectations in the most thrilling ways. Plus: Victorian England (first two books) and Gothic Horror. Love.
4. American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I was in love with this book every single minute that I was reading it, and for a long time afterward. Reading Gaiman is a tingling, delightful, heightened experience.
5. The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi. Simply extraordinary and unlike anything else I have read. Climate change, androids, everything you could ask for in a futuristic fantasy.
6. The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. Which reminds me, Parable of the Talents is giving me the stink eye right now. Why aren't you reading Octavia Butler right now? The woman is a flipping genius. And read Kindred too--it is unlike anything else you have ever read.
7. Perdido Street Station by China Mieville. I kept seeing Mieville's name and thinking that someday I would pick up one of his books. Then I finally did it. Mind. Blown. To say fantasy is entirely inadequate. World creation on a whole new level.
8. The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell. I loved this book most when I had no idea what was going on. Which was about the first half of the book. And by then I adored all the characters, so I was in. Plus, I got to see the future.
9. Another Country by James Baldwin. All the pain beauty and love you can handle in one gorgeous and brilliant novel.
10. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. An important book by a great American writer who wondered why there wasn't a Black Dostoyevsky, so he became one.

What ten books do you need to talk about more? Add to this list in the comments. Or agree with me--that would be cool. Peace, book lovers.

2 comments:

bermudaonion said...

Nice list! I really want to read some of Waters' work.

Lisa said...

I haven't even heard of some of these so apparently you do need to talk more about them! Adding them all to my wish list.