Monday, July 9, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday #35



Welcome to another Top Ten Tuesday, now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's topic is "Best Books I've Read in 2018 (so far)". All books included are ones I rated 4 or 5 stars.

Here we goooooo!

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38391678 25937671 36603032
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35068432 716094 34020185 
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I've read quite a few books this year (over 150). These are 30 of the best. Have you read any? Let me know what you think, and leave a link to your own list.

Happy Reading!
Sarah

34 comments:

  1. Over 150 books read this year? That's amazing! :-) I'm not surprised that you found it hard to narrow it down. My TTT

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    1. The total is actually 174, but my daughter has recently become interested in this series about all these different fairies, and so I count those also because they are chapter books. It was super hard to narrow it down, so I finally gave up :)

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  2. I just downloaded the audiobook for EDUCATED. I hope I like it as much as you do. My TTT favorite

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    1. It brought out a lot of emotion. Most of the time I just say their dumbfounded by her upbringing. There is so much that will leave you shaking your head, wondering how many other children are in this same situation right now and will never get out. It's kind of scary, but the book is well worth the read. Let me know what you think when you finish it!

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  3. Wow that's a lot of books. I think for me The Man Who Caught The Storm and The Black Prince look most interesting, although The Mercy Prayer is another one I'll have to take a look at.

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    1. I gave up trying to narrow it down and just said, "You know what, 10 is just a suggestion. Obviously 30 is okay" lol. All of those that you are interested in were really, really good. The Man Who Caught the Storm was kind of a tough read, but only because I knew the outcome of course, before I got to the end. His contributions to the field are amazing and because of Tim, there are so many more discoveries we will make. Let me know what you think when you get around to reading them!

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  4. Unbelievable is on my political shelf upstairs and I might look at the storm chasing book at some point.

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    1. You will probably read it in one sitting, if you are anything like me. You can't stop reading, because it is such a train wreck and you just have to see how much crazier it actually gets. And the icky part is, I can still hear trumplethinskin's creepy old voice saying her name all creep-like at the rally when he called her out. Blech.

      The book about Tim Samaras book is excellent. I also read it pretty quickly. It was harder to read toward the end, knowing how his life ended, but his legacy will be that the advancements made because of him will serve as the building blocks for future discoveries.

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  5. Wow! You've read a lot of books this year so far! I haven't read any of those yet. The Children of Nazis sounds interesting though.

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    1. Reading is my therapy :)

      The Children of Nazis was both terrifying and enlightening, so definitely find it. I got it a couple weeks ago on Amazon for $1.99. Some of the children completely denounced their fathers and others are the poster children for the neo-nazi movement. It is scary.

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  6. I love that you read so much non-fiction. I have to admit to being curious about the Michael Bennett book even though I'm not sure I like him that much.

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    1. Yep! Of the 30 books I listed, only ONE - The Day Sonny Died - was fiction! it just isn't really for me otherwise. A story really has to grab me, or it has to be an author I have already read (and even that is not guarantee!)

      I got Bennett's book fro Edelweiss a while ago. He makes a lot of really excellent points that are crucial for where we are at right now in the US in regards to race relations. I still recommend it even if you are not so much a fan of his - check it out from the library instead of buying it :)

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  7. I really enjoyed Unbelievable. Man, what those reporters go through during an election season is insane. I'll Be Gone in the Dark is on my TBR and I have Lincoln's Last Trial on my Kindle right now! I'm excited to read it.

    This is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!

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    1. It was such a cluster, wasn't it?! I could not get over so many of the crazy stuff happening. I would love the chaos of life on the road, for a while at least. I tend to thrive in certain kinds of chaos, haha.

      I didn't know much about the Golden State Killer before I read the book, so I found it to be really informative. Others who knew more about the case are kind of dismissive of it, which I think is unfair. I hope you like it.

      Lincoln's Last Trial was so good, and I loved that so much of it was transcripts from the trial itself. It is kind of comforting to hear more of Lincoln's words than just those he is most famous for. I think it gives us a more well-rounded picture of him. Let me know what you think when you get around to it!

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  8. I haven't read any of the books mentioned in your post!

    I selected the freebie topic and chose the top ten book festivals I'd love to attend here in the USA. Here's a link to my TTT post for this week: https://captivatedreader.blogspot.com/2018/07/top-ten-tueday-ttt-throwback-freebie.html?showComment=1531236356028#c2173527157270187754

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    1. I'm kind of an anomaly with all my non-fiction; you're not the first person to tell me that on a TTT :) I am glad you stopped to say hello anyway though, thank you!

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  9. I'm really interested in Educated, but am waiting for a cheap used copy.

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    1. It's SO good. You will shake your head a lot of the time. You will also be confused, and wonder what the hell is going on. But it is an education in and of itself. Let me know what you think when you get a chance to read it. Might be waiting a while on a used copy, it's that good!

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  10. Absolutely love that your list is full of non fiction! It is one of my favorite genres and several of my titles were non ficton as well.Educated and A Mother's Reckoning are at the top of my TBR!

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    1. Thank you! I sometimes feel like I am on my own little non-fiction island in a sea of dystopian/paranormal/fantasy/etc! I read it almost exclusively these days - only one of my 30 books was fiction - The Day Sonny Died.

      Educated was an education in itself, of a whole different life that I never really knew about. I mean I remember Ruby Ridge and Waco, and those events when I was younger, but not until reading this book did I stop to consider there are still many, many families living that very way, right now. This book is proof!

      A Mother's Reckoning was TOUGH. You just feel so terribly for this family, because we know how easy it is to blame the home life, right? It's always the parents who are at fault, for not paying enough attention, or this or that. But Columbine really showed us that it literally CAN happen anywhere, in ANY family. I hope you get to read them both ASAP!

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  11. Wow, you’ve read a lot of books. Educated and I’ll Be Gone In The Dark are on my TBR list, so I hope I like them as much as you did!

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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    1. Two very excellent choices! Educated was a huge eye-opener that yes, there are still many families living this way and it was just something I never really thought about. I remember Ruby Ridge and Waco when I was younger, but never really thought of it much as an adult. And seeing what she went through to get OUT, yikes.

      I really loved I'll Be Gone in the Dark, which sounds weird because it's subject matter is absolutely horrible. But I knew nothing about the Golden State Killer until McNamara passed away and talk about her book really took off. I thought it was very informative. Some reviewers were kind of dismissive of it, who knew more about the case, but I think that was kind of unfair, and I read the book anyway. Let me know what you think of them when you get around to reading!

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  12. Some of these interest me -- the one about Buffy and the one about important women in the Bible, especially. My TTT list this week is here. I'm agog that you've read that many books this year! And envious. I manage about 50 books a year.

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    1. I've got a whole slew of Buffy books that I have purchased in the last year or so, as the 20th anniversary came up. There are a lot of great essays and books about Buffy, which surprises people sometimes, but I keep telling them, "Don't let the name fool you. It's one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, shows ever made."

      Reading is my therapy, so I read a lot - especially when my daughter is at her dad's house for the weekend. My total is actually 174, but I try to account for when my daughter and I read her chapter books together on posts like this, even though I do count them toward my Goodreads total (only when they are chapter books though, no picture books).

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    2. I have all the Watcher's Guides from years ago, and I picked up a Buffy coloring book this year, and I want a couple of journals too, but I haven't found any other books thus far that interested me enough to want them. But yes, it *IS* one of the best shows ever. I actually got into Angel first, during its first season, and then got into Buffy from there.

      I sometimes count the chapter books I read to my kids, but now that they're all reading on their own, I don't read nearly as much to them as I used to. I should get back into that.

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    3. YES, me too! I also had the Angel Casefile books, but they never did one for season 5 and I am a weirdo who needs complete sets once I start a set of books. So...I sold volume 1 and 2. I am a terrible fan, BUT in my defense, I have even kept that crappy infograph one, so I think I'm okay, haha. I got the coloring books also! At least, two of them. Not sure if there are more coming out, I have not checked in a while, which is a good thing because I can justify ANY Buffy book purchase.

      I highly recommend the reading out to your kids - how old are they? My girl just turned 5 on Tuesday, and has been reading simple CVC stories now for the last couple months, but we love a good snuggle and a chapter from whatever we're reading lately.

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  13. Wow, don't tell me you've already read 150 this year? Wow! No wonder you always haul so many. I haven't actually read any of these, except I've heard a lot about Educated :)

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    1. And the hype is WORTH IT! Definitely read it when you get the chance, it was so good. Scary, but good. I've noticed a lot of people have commented here that it is on their TBR, which makes me so happy, because I love when someone else loves non-fiction too :)

      I have actually read 174 so far this year, but some are from this series about fairies that my daughter is super into right now. I count them toward my Goodreads Challenge because they are chapter books, but not on posts like this when it is about my personal reading. My goal for the year is 250, we'll see if I make it!

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  14. And here's me being all proud of my 106! There's several of your TTT that I'd not heard of before - though maybe I should have paid closer attention to your reviews :-) I think my TBR is going to totter!

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    1. Oh no, you SHOULD be proud of 106! The fact that so many adults don't read even a single book per year means us #BookDragons have to pick up the slack and make sure at least some of us are educated and literate! Which ones do you think you will give a try?? They're all so good - hence why I have 30 instead of 10 :)

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  15. I'm in absolute awe that you've read 150 books already this year. Do you speed read? How do you find the time?! I'll Be Gone in the Dark is on my TBR list, but that's the only book I'm familiar with from your list. I love that you have so many non-fiction recommendations, I've been making it a point to try to read more of those.

    My TTT: Bookgirl Secrets

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    1. Hi Lauren, thanks for coming by! I do speed read sometimes, but I also have chunks of time that I can devote solely to reading/writing/reviewing. Whenever my daughter has to be at her dad's for a night or for the weekend, I use that time to read. It is kind of a therapy and helpful for me to not think about my girl having to be away from home for a bit. My daughter (just turned 5) also loves to "read" and be read to, so we have lots of cozy reading time in the afternoon since she will no longer nap. Trust me, just give up household chores and you will have TONS of reading time, haha. Just kidding. Mostly.

      I'll Be Gone in the Dark was SO GOOD. I could not put it down. I knew nothing of the case until McNamara passed away and then the book came out. I appreciated when notes were added, indicating which parts she wrote and which were put together by her assistants. I was on the library waiting list forever, and I am not a typical true crime reader, but it was fantastic.

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  16. Spirits of the Cage sounds fascinating.

    Lauren @ Always Me

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    1. It really was!! I could not imagine living in a haunted medieval prison by myself, with a roommate, or a baby. But the author did and lived to tell the tale. Books like this, with such a plethora of evidence, certainly give a lot of credit to the field. It's a great book.

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Thanks for visiting my little book nook. I love talking books so leave a comment and let's chat!