Top Ten Tuesday: Favorites

hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

The topic for today is actually books that you are excited for in 2013, but I really don't know a lot of what is set to come out in 2013. I know that the 13th and final Sookie Stackhouse book is coming out. I am way behind on this series, so while I am excited to see how it all ends, I have some serious catching up to do before I get to the 13th. Jodi Picoult has a new book coming out next year called The Storyteller which sounds extremely promising. It's about a teen girl who befriends a beloved-in-the-'hood old man, strikes up a friendship, he asks her to kill him, she refuses, he admits that he was a Nazi SS Guard, her grandmother is a Holocaust survivor. Those are honestly the only two books that I even know will be published next year. I usually am way behind the world on reading because it takes me forever to get to the hot new books and by the time I've gotten to them they are no longer hot or new. Case in-point: I still haven't read The Casual Vacancy.
So, I looked back through the archives at the Broke and the Bookish and decided to compile a list of my favorites. Keep in mind that these are ten of my favorites and not my top ten favorites of forever. I can't narrow my list down to just ten favorite books. I went through my GoodReads "read" page and selected ten that I really enjoyed and would categorize as favorites.

10. Naked by David Sedaris
This one has been on my last three Top Ten Tuesday posts! There is a reason for it- it's just that darn good! Sedaris' writing is clear and relatable, it's wry and disturbing, it's honest and it's valuable. I just love David (not only because he once called me "enchanting", which he did) because he's so damn hilarious. His brand of humor sneaks up on you, takes you by surprise, and leaves you wanting more.

9. The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer
I think I added this one having just watched the last movie in the series. These books are no literary masterpieces, true dat, but I enjoyed them and I liked the fact that I was on the Twilight band wagon long before the books became popular. I think what I liked most about the books was Bella's relationship with her father, I loved watching that relationship grow and become real. I wish that it had been explored further in the books- she should have cooked dinner for him in EVERY CHAPTER!

8. The Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling
Because, really, who's NOT going to include this on their list?!



7. Charlotte's Web by EB White
The first book that left me in tears. I love a book that can bring out strong emotions in me. I look at pigs and spiders (and even rats, really) differently now having read White's classic story of friendship and overcoming differences. It's terrific!




6. Out by Natsuo Kirino
See last weeks Top Ten Tuesday for more on why I heart Ms. Kirino's tale of revenge.


5. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
This is a well-loved book by many people. I love it because it makes me think of what I believe a great childhood would be like. Whenever I think of childhood, I picture a sleepy, small southern town with misunderstood characters and spry little children running around town innocently in coming to terms with the world around them.




4. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
I am an only child and I spent most of my youth yearning for sisters. I never got any real ones, but I had four great ones in this book. I loved getting to glimpse what it was like to have sisters, the good and the bad. Plus, I am so in love with Jo.





3. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
This movie was on CBS the other day and I had it on in the background while I was cleaning the apartment. It made me want to re-read the book (which is very different from the movie). Again, I love the way this book explored sister relationships (there are THREE generations of sisters in this book, all living in the same house!) while using magical metaphors (pun intended), plus I love anything with a witch in it AND the cover of the book is gorgeus.

2. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty McDonald
I loved Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle growing up. It's been decades since I've read any of the books in this series, but I want to read them again. Perhaps Mrs. PW can give me a little insight on how to deal with the rowdy kids I work with every day!

1. Bridge to Terabeithia by Katherine Paterson
This book was a last minute add-on to the list. I didn't intend to add it, but as I was typing up this list I knew I needed this one to be on here. I loved this book when I read it as a child because it was like someone was peering into my life and writing about me and my friends! I lived on the edge of a forest growing up and no doubt my friends and I made a bridge across the little stream that separated my back yard from the woods and we had secret hideouts all in those woods. Like Jess and Leslie my go-to place to escape was my on little Terabithia.