Top Ten Recommended Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme featured at The Broke and The Bookish

Ten Books I've Read Because of a Recommendation

I have decided to use the term "reccomendation" rather loosely to include personal reccomendations, books that I feel are generally favored in the blogosphere, and even a book that was read by one of my favorite TV characters.

1. A Prayer for Owen Meany
This book was recommended to me ages and ages ago by a friend of mine, while we were watching the movie it is loosely based on, Simon Birch.  I loved it.

2. Not that kind of girl
I chose to read this book after reading one of those "10 books to read in your thirties" kind of thing.  I honestly wasn't super fond of it and enjoyed "How to be a Woman" MUCH better.

3. One for the Money
Strangely enough I got into the Stephanie Plum books not through my Mom or female friend, it was actually when I was staying with a friend of mine (who happens to be a guy and an avid reader).  He had quite a few of them stored in a box under the futon, while many other books were on his copious public book shelves.  It kind of gives me a kick to think of him reading Stephanie Plum in secret, but I am sure we all have certain books we are less keen to display to the public eye.

4. The Likeness
This was a recommendation/gift from the same friend who introduced me to Stephanie Plum.  I believe this one is on display, and it is fantastic.

5. Howl's Moving Castle
This book seems to be greatly loved by the blogosphere, but I have to admit I wasn't blown away.

6. The happiness project
Maybe the book that got me into reading more non-fiction, "The happiness project" was recommended to me by a co-worker and fellow graduate student.  We were both struggling a bit with the grad school experience at the time, and while I'm not sure if the book made me happier, it certainly got me thinking more about the subject and one I would recommend as being entertaining and well researched.

7. Don't die my love
Also recommended by the same childhood friend who told me about "A Prayer for Owen Meany", but unlike the former book, which took me over 20 years to read, this books, and others like it, filled many an angsty childhood weekend and probably at least partially account for my desire to work on translational research to help sick children.

8. My man Jeeves
"Recommended" to me by Rory Gilmore, when she mentions reading the "The whole PJ Wodehouse collection" on Gilmore Girls.  Quite entertaining.

9. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
Mentioned on the blog "You Think Too Much", Pilgrim at Tinker Creek is not necessarily the first book I would normally pick up but I loved it.  I have pages of quotes in a notebook for such purposes such as "If I am a maple key falling at least I can twirl"  I highly recommend it.

10. The Book Thief
This amazing book was chosen for a book club I was part of in graduate school.  I believe the person who chose it may have already read it so I am counting it as a recommendation.  I think it is wonderful and deserves all the hype.  Although I have to admit I did not like  "I am the Messenger" half as much.