Monday, September 28, 2015

Top Ten Tuesday : Books To Read If You REALLY Like (Insert-Book/Author-Here)

So this week's Top Ten Tuesday is pretty fun! I'm really looking forward to seeing what everyone else shares! :)

If you like...Jane Austen : 


Elizabeth Gaskell

Or to be more precise - North and South! This is...seriously one of my all-time favorites. Although, I'm a bit embarrassed to say that the BBC Mini-Series first introduced me to it. They really like their Gaskell! Either way - please, please read this at least once. It's such a classic.






If you like...Practical Magic : 


Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

Sisters, a small town, dead/absentee parents, a house with a mind of its own. It's a beautiful novel set in an idyllic setting with plenty of characters to enjoy. Also there's an apple tree that will give you visions of the future. It likes to throw fruit at you.






If you like...Meg Cabot (YA) : 


Bad Kitty by Michelle Jaffe

If you have ever enjoyed Meg Cabot's Young Adult works - please try this one! I think I might have learned about it from Cabot's blog when I was a teenager. I used to obsessively follow it. I wanted TO BE HER SO BAD. I remember laughing so hard through out the novel. The setting and characters are so absurd but totally awesome.





If you like [Insert Fairy Tale Here] : 


The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye

Alas! The Princess Amethyst has been blessed with an awful gift from a very grumpy fairy godmother - the gift of being...ORDINARY! That's right. Seventh Princess (always the most beautiful and most Princessy) is to be ordinary. She cries, she trips, she's bad at needlework. Her hair isn't golden or curly - it's mousey brown! Her nose turns up. She likes to....to...PLAY IN THE FOREST WITH PEASANTS. Alas. This is a problem. And a completely charming, beautiful, and girl-empowering fairy tale. (I hereby thank the very nice church lady that gave me a copy when I was like seven).


If you like...Harry Potter : 


Brian Jaques

More specifically - The Redwall Series.

It's a far stretch from Harry Potter. There aren't any wizards or witches. In fact, all of the characters are woodland creatures. But since I was banned from Harry Potter as a child - Redwall filled that void. I didn't dream about becoming a Witch and going to Hogwarts. I wanted to wake up as a woodland creature and live at Redwall Abbey. (I wanted to be a squirrel so I could jump around in the trees! It's basically like flying, you know).


If you like.... The Boxcar Children: 


Maida Books by Inez Haynes Irwin

This is a series that my Grammy scoured E-Bay for me. It was before the time of e-book. (Now you can get the whole series digitally) The main character is a girl named Maida who is very rich and very loved by her father. But she has no friends! The first book is her meeting her new group of friends and the rest of the series are their adventures together.





If you like.... The Neverending Story


Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

These two are actually interchangeable. I actually have never read the Neverending Story (watched the movie!) and I didn't know it was a book originally until a few months ago. If you enjoyed The Neverending Story as a kid - read Inkheart! It's amazing! And if you've read Inkheart (and the other books in the series) - try the Neverending Story. I'm going to! :)





If you like.... To Kill A Mocking Bird and/or The Book Thief : 


A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith

This is a quieter book set in a less controversial environment than the 'read a likes' but it is such a wonderful, eye-opening read. There are SO many parts. It's a pure, unabashed coming of age story. I try to read it once every year.







If you like...Sarah Dessen :


Joan Bauer

Hope Was Here popped up in my head. I remember reading Joan Bauer when I was younger. I took a look at her book list and she has some cute modern fairy-tale-esque looking titles.


If you like...suspense/horror/scary (running out of ideas!): 


Joan Lowery Nixon

I remember LOVING her books and always checking them out of the library. They're a little dated and not all of her books are suspense (she also wrote historical fiction) but..seriously. I remember saving them for night time and curling up with a book-light and reading them when everyone was asleep. She does suspense super well.





And...finished! I hope I've shared some new faces/names. :)

Jess

23 comments :

Unknown September 29, 2015 at 12:01 AM  

My son loved the Redwall and Inkheart series and I loved A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Great list! :) My TTT

Unknown September 29, 2015 at 1:35 AM  

I've owned the Inkheart trilogy for over a year now but still haven't read them - oops! They really do sound like wonderful books and I'm sure I'll love them :-) I hope you enjoy The Neverending Story! Garden Spells also sounds like a lovely read.

Happy reading!

n September 29, 2015 at 3:17 AM  

North and South has been recommended to me before on Instagram... I think I'll buy it soon


Heres my TTT

Deb Nance at Readerbuzz September 29, 2015 at 3:53 AM  

Thanks for sharing all these titles!

Here's my Top Ten!

Jessica Henry September 29, 2015 at 9:26 AM  

Redwall is amazing! :) And Inkheart! And ATGIB! lol. Thank you :)

Jessica Henry September 29, 2015 at 9:29 AM  

Oh you should definitely read them! Just the amount of book descriptions and book love in Inkheart is enough to love it. lol. I'll definitely enjoy The Neverending Story - have a good feeling about it (not because I've watched the movie, lol!). Thank you! Happy Reading too! :)

Jessica Henry September 29, 2015 at 9:29 AM  

Do it! Do it! :) Thanks for stopping by! :)

Jessica Henry September 29, 2015 at 9:33 AM  

Yvw! Thanks for stopping by. :)

LH27 September 29, 2015 at 9:51 AM  

Hi! I totally agree with Joan Bauer. Thwonk! was one of my favorites. I love Meg Cabot, so I have to try Bad Kitty. Plus it's such a funny name :)
My TTT
Leslie

Jessica Henry September 29, 2015 at 11:35 AM  

Aww! Joan Bauer love! \o/ And Bad Kitty is hilarious. IT'S ALL THE CATS FAULT! lol. Thanks for stopping by! :)

MeezCarrie September 29, 2015 at 1:01 PM  

i love your recommendations - great list! My TTT

Jessica Henry September 29, 2015 at 1:13 PM  
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jessica Henry September 29, 2015 at 1:13 PM  

Thank you! :) :)

iloveheartlandX September 29, 2015 at 3:13 PM  

Inkheart is a book I definitely want to read!
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2015/09/29/top-ten-tuesday-24/

Jeanna September 29, 2015 at 4:38 PM  

I need to check out A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I know I'll love it! Happy reading!
Check out my Top Ten Tuesday!

Jessica Henry September 29, 2015 at 6:07 PM  

It's such a good book. It's definitely a recommendation for any literary bucketlist! ;)

Jessica Henry September 29, 2015 at 6:09 PM  

It's the best! Really it is! :)

The Bookkeeper's Apprentice September 29, 2015 at 6:53 PM  

I remember loving Joan Lowery Nixon too! My friends and I would all pass her books around.

Josephine Rayne September 29, 2015 at 9:15 PM  

I loved Joan Lowery Nixon too! I am intrigued by "North and South", thanks for the list :)

Jessica Henry September 30, 2015 at 11:22 AM  

So cool! :) None of my friends read her. lol. Thanks for stopping by :)

Jessica Henry September 30, 2015 at 11:24 AM  

North and South is EXCELLENT. John Thornton - yea you need to watch out for that one. He'll steal your heart. lol. I'm excited to meet other Lowery Nixon readers! :) Thanks for coming by! :)

Hamlette (Rachel) March 16, 2016 at 2:02 PM  

I just read N&S for the first time last year and lurved it. As it so happens, I'm reading The Ordinary Princess for the first time, aloud to my kids, and we are really digging it!

Jessica Henry March 17, 2016 at 9:42 AM  

N&S is like a undefeated underdog of classical romantic literature. It's not as well known but once people do pick it up they love it! And The Ordinary Princess - same! Except for kids literature. ;)