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