Top Ten Tuesday – first ten books I’ve reviewed

It’s TTT time! As usual, if you’re curious about this, Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl hosts these weekly challenges (so, see her blog for more info). Today’s topic is perfect! I keep meaning to highlight some of my early blogging and really the reason why I blogged. At that time I had precious few followers so those posts didn’t get much love. Maybe we can change that today? I have since adjusted the format of my blog and the early posts were kind of silly but I think you should check them out anyway. I tried to have my reviews be like a book and each one was a chapter – mistake #1 because it’s a lot of work. All these books fulfilled some or another reading prompt. The drawings are the best! Just kiddin’, they’re pretty terrible – on purpose, I think – mistake #2 because these drawings took forever despite that they’re pretty rudimentary and shitty.

So without further ado, here are my first 10 reviews I’ve written! I will highlight the first paragraph of each here to hopefully get you curious.

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Chapter 1 – After Alice

rating: ♠♠♠♠

I chose this book because I am kind of obsessed with Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The idea to read a story that focuses on the “unknown” side characters in Alice’s life really sounded intriguing. And I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book but not for the reasons you might think.

Chapter 2 – Go Set a Watchman

rating: ♠♠♠

Let me start off by saying, I sort of liked the book. Harper Lee’s writing was less polished but it was still Harper Lee’s writing. Adult Scout was a fun concept, which allowed Lee to examine the happenings around her from a different perspective. I enjoyed Scout’s (I refuse to call her by her real name Jean Louise) internal struggle when the picture she had of her dad clashed with his current actions. Having read To Kill a Mockingbird before it also clashed with my memory of him. But I was prepared for that, as I had heard from others that Atticus wasn’t the Atticus I know. And to be honest, that didn’t bother me much. People change, people are complex, people are more than just one book, and I highly doubt To Kill a Mockingbird is enough to accurately portray the real Atticus.

Chapter 3 – Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

rating: ♠♠♠♠

I had seen this book in the library on several occasions and had mentally added it to the ‘I am intrigued and should read this’ list. But I didn’t take the plunge until a few others from my reading group had read it (see Sarah’s review), and jeez am I glad I did. First of all, old photographs are just amazing. I find myself often sifting through bins of them at the flea market but I had never thought about writing a story to these pictures. So heads up, Ransom Riggs. Secondly, Ransom is a brilliant name and you lived up to it holding my attention ransom the entire time! I’ll show myself to the door …..

Chapter 4 – The Little Prince

rating: ♠♠♠♠♠♠

No question that for the category of ‘book you haven’t read since high school’, I’d read The Little Prince. It is one of my all time favorites, and in hindsight, it’s so sad that I haven’t read it since I graduated from my ‘Gymnasium’ in Germany. I was introduced to the book in my French class and while translating it into German was a bitch, I have loved it ever since. This was my first time reading it in English but it moved me just as much as the original text.

Chapter 5 – The Secret Life of Bees

rating: ♠♠♠♠

I really need to start by saying that I felt very connected to the different female leads in this book. I’m also a big sucker for a good coming of age story, the fact that this took place in the Southern countryside just sweetened (hehe, honey) the deal. Everyone, who knows me, knows that I am partial to the country life (the romanticized kind of course).

Chapter 6 – Memoirs of a Geisha

rating: ♠♠♠

This book had been on my to-read-list for quite some time, so it was only natural that I would read this for this particular category (a culture I am unfamiliar with) for this year’s book challenge. And as I mentioned in my Goodreads review, I have never been so torn about a book. I was so excited to learn about geisha culture and to read it in a novel with an author who seemingly did a lot of research appeared to be a great choice. But then I came across a few articles describing how he treated his source and I felt ashamed – ashamed that we Westerners seem to not care (sometimes) about the consequences of our actions. So with that said, I sort of set out to read the book but not like it. I know this is biased and probably jades my review but it is what it is. I was just really disappointed about what I’ve learned of the author and I don’t know how to remove myself from this. And frankly, I don’t think I should.

Chapter 7 – The Book Thief

rating: ♠♠♠♠

I am always extremely hesitant about reading or watching any WW2 related fictional stories/movies. As a German, I have so many mixed emotions about this time, that I often feel sad or offended by the way we are portrayed. The Book Thief had been on my reading list for a while because who doesn’t love a story about someone who loves to read. But I had been super hesitant to open the book for the aforementioned reasons. I really only got lured in by the prospect of a good cry, as adamantly attested to by two of my friends (see Sarah’s review). And I was just in one of those moods where a good, hearty wailing session was just what I needed. So, I began reading.

Chapter 8 – Eleanor & Park

rating: ♠♠♠♠

First loves and first heartbreaks are a common YA topic. So why even bother writing yet another story where two seemingly very different characters fall in love? Because that is real life – maybe not high school life but definitely after that. Who here didn’t end up with someone they would’ve probably never dated in high school?

Chapter 9 – The Time Keeper

rating: ♠♠♠♠♠

So, I have to admit I’m old (as for sure measured by technological aptitude, but who am I kidding also by age). I had to practice downloading books from my local library on my new Kindle. Mitch Albom’s The Time Keeper was the first thing I saw on the immediately available book list that I was mildly interested in. I was sitting in a coffee shop and had just finished Eleanor & Park, and thought to myself, why not; let’s just give it a few pages, to see if it downloaded correctly.

Chapter 10- The Perks of Being a Wallflower

rating: ♠♠♠♠

Ok, guys. I wanted to love-love this book, like 5 or even 6 spades love, but I couldn’t because while this was a good read, it didn’t offer me anything new I hadn’t read before (and maybe I am too dense and that was the point, who knows). Written from the view of our protagonist Charlie, which I couldn’t figure out was a girl or a boy for the longest time, who writes letters to a stranger, the story guides us through Charlie’s first year in high school. As expected there are new and old friends, first loves, drugs, sexual experimentation, fights, adventures, and lessons learned. After all, it is our typical coming-of-age story.

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Did you guys change your blog design over the years? Where do you typically review? I can’t wait to see your thoughts when I check out your TTTs.