Top Ten Tuesday - Books I've Read During The Lifespan of My Blog

Okay, this was hard. I've read so many great books since setting up Booking in Heels in May 2011 and it nearly broke my heart cutting it down to just ten. I only used books that I picked up for the first time since then, so if it's been a favourite for years and years, it will not be here. So, in no particular order:

1) How To Be A Woman by Caitlin Moran

I don't even have to think about this one. I read it in Autumn last year and I've been wanting to reread it pretty much ever since. There's a quote from this book that I posted on a list of my favourite quotes, and it makes me snicker every single time I read it.

Caitlin Moran is intelligent, pro-women and absolutely hilarious. Everybody needs to read this.  

 2) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I'm positive that this will grace an awful lot of lists today, but there's a very good reason. The Hunger Games (and Catching Fire) are easily the best YA I've ever read - I probably wouldn't read half as many teenage books today if it wasn't for their sheer awesomeness. Mockingjay was a bit of a let-down, but I'll forgive it.  

3) The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern

Another one that I'm sure will be on a lot of lists! Not only is it a beautiful book, but it's a completely unique and imaginative novel complete with wonderful imagery and a page-turning plot. I got it as a Christmas present from An Armchair by the Sea last year and I'll definitely be rereading it before this Winter too.

Haha, I just clicked over to Bex's blog so I could link to her above, and guess what is the top of her list? :p 

4) The Prestige by Christopher Priest

Like the above, this is a book about a feud between magicians, but it couldn't be more different. It's much, much darker - more gothic and creepy, while The Night Circus is lighter and more magicial. That said, I still adore The Prestige.

The film version (with Hugh Jackman) is worth watching too, but it doesn't have a patch on the book. They changed the ending! *cries*   

5) The Pirates! in an Adventure with Scientists by Gideon Defoe

I've managed to slowly infect the blogging community with this one - I've lost count of how many people I've figuratively bopped on the head with this series.

It's just hilarious. They're tiny little books, but so clever and so witty that I swear I will read every single one of these, even if Gideon Defoe writes them until he dies.   

6) Lord of the Flies by William Golding

My experience with this book was made even sweeter by the fact that I expected to vehemently dislike it. I'd been told by several people how strange and inaccessible it was, but I ended up loving it. The atmosphere of terror and panic is evident in every line and while it's generally horrifying, it's not over the top. Definitely a surprising addition to my Top Ten!   




7) Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

This is probably cheating a tiny bit as I haven't technically finished reading this one yet, but as I've spent the early hours of many mornings recently reading Jenny Lawson's blog, The Bloggess, I think I'm qualified to put it in this list. That blog has made me cry with laughter at 4am - possibly something to do with sleep deprivation, possible not.

Regardless, the book is hilarious too. I've learnt that reading it while other people are present is not a good plan, as I tend to snuffle to myself when amused and apparently it distracts people from Top Gear...

8) Emma by Jane Austen

 I was actually going to include Persuasion here instead of Emma, but apparently I read that just a month before I started blogging. Strange, I could have sworn... Never mind - I like Emma very nearly as much, and it's still one of my all-time favourites. I just wish it hadn't taken me 22 years to get round to picking it up! Mr Knightley is definitely one of the best romantic interests in literature :) 



9) Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer 

Another surprise one! I was sceptical when this first landed on the doorstep because of its clearly YA storyline and childish illustrations, but I absolutely fell in love with it. Who wouldn't love their favourite fairytale character to talk back to you from the pages? I even trekked to Manchester just to get my copy signed last month! 

10) The Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

This one is quite a recent read, but it's wonderful nevertheless. I didn't realise it was part of a series when I first picked it up, but now I'm desperate for the next book! It's dark, creepy and based on an Edgar Allen Poe story - what's not to like?  

What books have you loved since you first started your blog?