Top Ten Tuesday

If I had the time, I could (and would) read a 400 page book in a day. But since neither I nor you probably have the time to do that, I'll share some books that are either shorter, or seem like they are. I've got a couple of classics on here. These are good if you are intimidated by the words "classic literature". There's also a couple of great series that are quick reads. Hope you find some great new reads! (Remember there are affiliate links below, which means if you click on the link and buy the book or any other books, I get a few cents too. That money always goes back into more giveaways for you guys!)

Go to The Broke and The Bookish to see everyone's lists.

Top Ten Books (and series) to Read in a Day

The Hunger Games Trilogy - I read these all over three days. Admittedly, I stayed up way past my bedtime to do so, but they are really quick, but good, reads. I'm not going to bother with a synopsis, because if you don't know what the Hunger Games are, you have been living under a rock for the last few months. The books are the top 3 books on the NYT best seller list, the movie is number 1, and the soundtrack to the movie is number 1.There's a ton of action, some dystopia, just enough romance, and some really evil villains.

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation and the rest of the series by Lauren Willig - Look at this cover. That is the reason I chose to read them, and I wasn't disappointed. They follow a series of spies during the Napoleonic Wars. Eloise, the main character, is an American grad student who is in England doing research on spies for her dissertation. The books alternate between modern day and the Napoloenic era. If you would like a little Austen-esque fix, these are a great choice. There are I believe nine books currently, with a final book in the works now.

The Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris - If you are looking for something extremely light, no brain required, with a bit of sex and the paranormal, this is for you. The basis of the True Blood series, the books are about a dumb blonde waitress who has the ability to read minds, except for those of vampires. Vampires who, in the series, have "come out of the coffin" and admitted their existence to the world.

Shiver Trilogy by Maggie Steifvater - If werewolves are more your thing, the Shiver trilogy is awesome. I am not really a big fan of paranormal YA these days, so I wasn't expecting much from this story. It is a love story with a paranormal twist, but it isn't done in an obnoxious way. I'm in love with the main characters Sam and Grace. I also love the covers with the wolves just barely peeking out of the woods.

The Chronicles of Narnia - Whether or not you have children, you need a copy, preferably the boxed set, of these books. They are classics that everyone needs to read. A magical land of talking animals hidden away behind cupboards and stairwells. If you do have kids, you must read these to them. I'm trying to re-read them all this year, which isn't too hard as each book is about 120 pages. DON'T READ THE ANNOTATED BASED ON THE MOVIE VERSIONS! You have to read the original words of CS Lewis. If you are worried because you've heard that they are "Christian-based", you really don't have to. Yea, as an adult, you'll be able to get that Aslan is very much like Christ, but your child will just think he's a magical talking lion.

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle - Thanks to the show Sherlock on BBC, Sherlock's books are becoming popular again, and I couldn't be happier. There are 4 full length (but short) novels and I think 56 short stories. They're all great detective fiction. When I was in Egypt, I bought an awesome edition to read because I was sort of lonely for the written English word. Reading Sherlock is like visiting an old friend. You should definitely have some, if not all, in your library.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck - Reading Steinbeck always intimidated me. I thought all of his books were great long clunkers like The Grapes of Wrath (450 pages) or East of Eden (600 pages). Then I got the free edition of Of Mice and Men on my nook and I accidentally clicked on it. When I saw it was only 107 pages, I decided to give it a try. And I was pleasantly surprised. As short as it is, there's a great story in there. So if you too are intimidated by classics or Steinbeck, give this one a try. You can probably finish it in an hour or less. Then you can go impress all your friends with your learned-ness.

Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger - This book is written in epistolery form, a series of letters between a young kid and a famous baseball player. It all takes place before, during, and after World War II. It is a coming-of-age tale with a ton of humor and wit. Kluger has another similar book that is also a quick read called My Most Excellent Year. These are probably meant for middle graders and up, but they deal with some heavy stuff.

Last but not least are two of my favorite books of all time. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and The Outsiders by SE Hinton. As far as I'm concerned, these two books should be required reading for the human race. I've read both of these numerous times, and unlike when I re-read Gone with the Wind, it doesn't take me a week to finish. Every time I read Dorian Gray, I find some new awesome thing that Wilde put in there. He is the master of subtle humor and dry wit. There's a new unedited edition that I can't wait to get my hands on. If you have a teenager in your life, you should get them The Outsiders. It will help them see that they're not alone and that others have it a bit tougher than they do. Pin It