My Top 10 Fav Books of All-Time!!!!!
So I originally posted about my Top 10 Fav Books of All-Time back in June 2009, not long after I first started this blog (doesn't seem like almost three years ago I started blogging!).
Since then I have read some absolutely amazing books and it's now time to revise my Top 10.
The original Top 10 were as follows -
10. Kiss the Girls by James Patterson
9. Blink by Macolm Gladwell
8. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
7. Animal Farm by George Orwell
6. People Might Hear You by Robin Klein
5. The Tomorrow, When the War Began series
4. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
3. Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich
2. Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling
1. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenger
My new Top 10 is as follows -
10. Animal Farm by George Orwell - Everybody thinks I'm such a nerd when I say that I liked this book, seeing as most people had to read it for school and therefore hated it. I, on the other hand, read this when I was in Year 12 for pleasure and loved it. It probably had a bit to do with having read 1984 (for 3unit English) and hating that, and the fact that I was studying 20th Century Russia for Modern History and it really helped! I just like the whole metaphor Orwell uses and it's a book that makes you think.
9. People Might Hear You by Robin Klein - I first read this book when I was 14 and I was engrossed. At first I wasn't sure if I liked it much, coz it is quite depressing and a sad situation the girl finds herself in, but it's absolutely intriguing and makes you wanna keep reading till you get to the end. One of the best written books by an Australian author for young adults.
8. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - This was one of three books I had to read for 3unit English in year 12, the subject being distopias. Incidentally the other books I had to read were 1984 (which I mentioned previously as hating!) and Utopia, possibly the most dry book ever written!). I really enjoyed the way the story was written and how information about the society and what has happened is revealed bit by bit. A very intriguing story and one to get you thinking about our society today.
7. Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich - I absolutely LOVE Stephanie Plum. She is my favourite fictional heroine. I love her so much I named my first car after her! These books are the most hilarious stories I have ever read. Stephanie Plum is a bounty hunter (not by choice) working for her cousin's bail bonds company apprehending people who have failed to show up for court. The problem is that Stephanie is absolutely terrible at being a bounty hunter, she hates carrying a gun, and she always wrecks at least one car per book. These are the books that when I read them on the train people look at me funny coz I laugh out loud so often. If you like your stories funny and light-hearted, with two of the hunkiest men fiction has to offer, then this series is for you.
6. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusack - I said that this book was no in my top 3 when I reviewed it, but after carefully consideration it comes in at number 6. This book, out of any on this list, certainly has the best language. It's beautiful, gorgeous. Everything about it is good, and I think the only reason why it isn't higher on the list is that it's a stand along book, not a series or anything.
5. Tomorrow, When the War Began Series by John Marsden - This is a series of books I think every teenager in Australia should read. My most favourite series of books for quite a long time, I read the first book when i was 14 and in year 8 and I finished it in 5 hours. I just could not put it down! The most fantastic story of a bunch of teenagers who go camping for a weekend only to come back and find Australia has been invaded and everyone form their small town has been taken as prisoners of war. Chronicals their struggles to stay alive and their resistance against the invaders.
4. The Passage by Justin Cronin - I loved this book and I knew it was going to be in my Top 10 before I had even finished it. It's a fat book, and it took me about 3 or 4 nights of reading to get through. It was one of those books that I thought about during the day while I was at work and couldn't wait to get home to continue reading. Set in a post-apocalyptic USA, the majority of Americans have been wiped out after a military experiment gone wrong is unleashed into the population. The first half chronicles how this happens, while the second part jumps forward 100 years to a group of survivors and that's where things get really interesting. If you haven't read The Passage I highly recommend it, even if post-apocalyptic-style books aren't really your thing. It's simply brilliant! I can't wait for the follow-up, which is due in the next few months I think.
3. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins - I've said it before and I'll say it again - you MUST read The Hunger Games trilogy. This trilogy is right up there with the Harry Potter series for me, the only thing holding it back is the second and third books aren't as strong as the first, whereas every HP book was brilliant from start to finish. If you haven't heard of The Hunger Games before now then do yourself a favour, read my review, and then get yourself a copy. Like the HP series these books are extremely well written and will transport you to a world that is so real it's scary.
2. Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling - I have two things to admit about this series. One, I am just a tiny bit obsessed with these books and the movies (though nowhere near as good) that go with them. Two, I was a late comer to the craziness that's Potter-Mania. Having worked in bookshops you would think this is one series I would have read. But I only read the first book on my honeymoon last August. Now that i have read them all I can't stop! I read a different book at least once a month in between other books that I am reading. I am desperate for the next movie to come out. The story is just so classic, J. K's style of writing is gorgeous and reminds me of reading classic children's authors like Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton. The final book is the most amazing and ties up absolutely every little detail from the saga
1. The Time Travellers Wife by Audrey Niffenger - My absolute favourite book of all time! I can not praise this book enough. The idea is just so amazing and fantastic, it makes the mind spin. Henry suffers from Chrono-displacement syndrome (I think that's what they call it) which means that periodically his internal body clock re-sets itself and Henry finds himself either thrown forwards or backwards in time. This causes quite a few problems, the biggest one being that his wife Clare first meets him (Henry) when she is 6 years old and Henry is 38. Henry is time-travelling back to when Clare was a little girl. However Henry meets Clare for the first time when he is 28 and working in a Chicago library. Clare knows everything about Henry, Henry knows nothing about her. That's because meeting Clare as a little girl hasn't happened yet. Confused? i was for the first few chapters with all the jumping around in time until I got my head around it and then I was completely engrossed, hooked. It's the ULTIMATE love story and if you haven't read it you absolutely must!
Honourable mentions must go to the three books that dropped off the list, Kiss the Girls, Blink and My Sister's Keeper, as well as The Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks, The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory (actually all of the books of hers that I have read have been excellent), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon and The Girls by Lori Lansens.
So, what do you think, have you read any of my favs? What would make it on to your list?
Since then I have read some absolutely amazing books and it's now time to revise my Top 10.
The original Top 10 were as follows -
10. Kiss the Girls by James Patterson
9. Blink by Macolm Gladwell
8. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
7. Animal Farm by George Orwell
6. People Might Hear You by Robin Klein
5. The Tomorrow, When the War Began series
4. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
3. Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich
2. Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling
1. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenger
My new Top 10 is as follows -
10. Animal Farm by George Orwell - Everybody thinks I'm such a nerd when I say that I liked this book, seeing as most people had to read it for school and therefore hated it. I, on the other hand, read this when I was in Year 12 for pleasure and loved it. It probably had a bit to do with having read 1984 (for 3unit English) and hating that, and the fact that I was studying 20th Century Russia for Modern History and it really helped! I just like the whole metaphor Orwell uses and it's a book that makes you think.
9. People Might Hear You by Robin Klein - I first read this book when I was 14 and I was engrossed. At first I wasn't sure if I liked it much, coz it is quite depressing and a sad situation the girl finds herself in, but it's absolutely intriguing and makes you wanna keep reading till you get to the end. One of the best written books by an Australian author for young adults.
8. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - This was one of three books I had to read for 3unit English in year 12, the subject being distopias. Incidentally the other books I had to read were 1984 (which I mentioned previously as hating!) and Utopia, possibly the most dry book ever written!). I really enjoyed the way the story was written and how information about the society and what has happened is revealed bit by bit. A very intriguing story and one to get you thinking about our society today.
7. Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich - I absolutely LOVE Stephanie Plum. She is my favourite fictional heroine. I love her so much I named my first car after her! These books are the most hilarious stories I have ever read. Stephanie Plum is a bounty hunter (not by choice) working for her cousin's bail bonds company apprehending people who have failed to show up for court. The problem is that Stephanie is absolutely terrible at being a bounty hunter, she hates carrying a gun, and she always wrecks at least one car per book. These are the books that when I read them on the train people look at me funny coz I laugh out loud so often. If you like your stories funny and light-hearted, with two of the hunkiest men fiction has to offer, then this series is for you.
6. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusack - I said that this book was no in my top 3 when I reviewed it, but after carefully consideration it comes in at number 6. This book, out of any on this list, certainly has the best language. It's beautiful, gorgeous. Everything about it is good, and I think the only reason why it isn't higher on the list is that it's a stand along book, not a series or anything.
5. Tomorrow, When the War Began Series by John Marsden - This is a series of books I think every teenager in Australia should read. My most favourite series of books for quite a long time, I read the first book when i was 14 and in year 8 and I finished it in 5 hours. I just could not put it down! The most fantastic story of a bunch of teenagers who go camping for a weekend only to come back and find Australia has been invaded and everyone form their small town has been taken as prisoners of war. Chronicals their struggles to stay alive and their resistance against the invaders.
4. The Passage by Justin Cronin - I loved this book and I knew it was going to be in my Top 10 before I had even finished it. It's a fat book, and it took me about 3 or 4 nights of reading to get through. It was one of those books that I thought about during the day while I was at work and couldn't wait to get home to continue reading. Set in a post-apocalyptic USA, the majority of Americans have been wiped out after a military experiment gone wrong is unleashed into the population. The first half chronicles how this happens, while the second part jumps forward 100 years to a group of survivors and that's where things get really interesting. If you haven't read The Passage I highly recommend it, even if post-apocalyptic-style books aren't really your thing. It's simply brilliant! I can't wait for the follow-up, which is due in the next few months I think.
3. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins - I've said it before and I'll say it again - you MUST read The Hunger Games trilogy. This trilogy is right up there with the Harry Potter series for me, the only thing holding it back is the second and third books aren't as strong as the first, whereas every HP book was brilliant from start to finish. If you haven't heard of The Hunger Games before now then do yourself a favour, read my review, and then get yourself a copy. Like the HP series these books are extremely well written and will transport you to a world that is so real it's scary.
2. Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling - I have two things to admit about this series. One, I am just a tiny bit obsessed with these books and the movies (though nowhere near as good) that go with them. Two, I was a late comer to the craziness that's Potter-Mania. Having worked in bookshops you would think this is one series I would have read. But I only read the first book on my honeymoon last August. Now that i have read them all I can't stop! I read a different book at least once a month in between other books that I am reading. I am desperate for the next movie to come out. The story is just so classic, J. K's style of writing is gorgeous and reminds me of reading classic children's authors like Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton. The final book is the most amazing and ties up absolutely every little detail from the saga
1. The Time Travellers Wife by Audrey Niffenger - My absolute favourite book of all time! I can not praise this book enough. The idea is just so amazing and fantastic, it makes the mind spin. Henry suffers from Chrono-displacement syndrome (I think that's what they call it) which means that periodically his internal body clock re-sets itself and Henry finds himself either thrown forwards or backwards in time. This causes quite a few problems, the biggest one being that his wife Clare first meets him (Henry) when she is 6 years old and Henry is 38. Henry is time-travelling back to when Clare was a little girl. However Henry meets Clare for the first time when he is 28 and working in a Chicago library. Clare knows everything about Henry, Henry knows nothing about her. That's because meeting Clare as a little girl hasn't happened yet. Confused? i was for the first few chapters with all the jumping around in time until I got my head around it and then I was completely engrossed, hooked. It's the ULTIMATE love story and if you haven't read it you absolutely must!
Honourable mentions must go to the three books that dropped off the list, Kiss the Girls, Blink and My Sister's Keeper, as well as The Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks, The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory (actually all of the books of hers that I have read have been excellent), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon and The Girls by Lori Lansens.
So, what do you think, have you read any of my favs? What would make it on to your list?
Comments
Also love the hunger games, would like to read some of the others.
Am currently reading the help by Kathryn Stockett, I'm only half way through but I only started it yesterday, but yes, also a must read!!
I haven't yet read The Book Theif but 'I am the Messenger' by Markus Zuzack is a cracker. Also loved The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-TIme.
One of my faves of all time is One Day by David Nicholls. Have you read it? It was recently made into a film, which was pretty good, but (as usual) nothing on the novel.
(I may also have enjoyed the *ahem* Twilight Saga)
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