Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Pre-Blogging Favorites


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week we're talking about favorite books from pre-blogging days.  Lakeside Musing has been around since 2008 and I read many of the books I consider all-time favorites before then.

You are probably getting tired of seeing Pride and Prejudice, East of Eden, Crossing to Safety, and The Good Earth appearing in my TTT posts. And, no matter how much I love them, even I am getting sick of mentioning them week after week! So, all-time favorites aside, here are my:

 Top Ten Favorite Books I Read Before I Was A Blogger 

Corelli's Mandolin by Louis De Berniers

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky

The Cairo Trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz
(Palace Walk, Palace of Desire, Sugar Street)



Howards End by E.M. Forster

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Clara Callan by Richard B. Wright

Yes, I know that's eleven (actually thirteen), but I just can't trim it any further. In fact, I'm even going to add one more non-fiction title that really stands out.

And the Band Played On by Randy Shilts

What are some of your pre-blogging favorites?
Visit The Broke and the Bookish for more Top Ten Tuesday posts.




46 comments:

  1. I love Howard's End -and the movie, too. I really need to get to The Secret History soon.

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    1. Lisa - I'm planning to reread Howards End for The Classics Club. It's been too long!

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  2. I love Captain Corelli's Mandolin, I must have read it five or more times. And The Cairo Trilogy is on my wishlist, so I'm pleased to see it on your list here.

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    1. Sam - I loved The Cairo Trilogy... such an amazing look at a country/culture!

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  3. Great list. I read Family Matters, but not A Fine Balance. I really should...

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    1. Loni - Family Matters is on my tbr shelf. I hoped to read it durning the TBR Dare, but never got to it.

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  4. Oh, Mahfouz, wonderful inclusion!!

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    1. Audra - I'd like to read more by Mahfouz.

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  5. i enjoyed The Red Tent, too. I haven't read any others on your list.

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    1. Carol - My copy of The Red Tent has been on my sister's nightstand for years! Wonder if she'll ever read it, lol!

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  6. I have The Corrections in my tbr pile. I think it's next on my list.

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    1. Linda - Seems like people either love Jonathan Franzen or hate him... no middle ground.

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  7. I REALLY need to get on board with this whole Top Ten Tuesday thing. Love this topic and sometimes I feel like re-reading books I read before blogging just so I can blog them. Loved The Red Tent and I have Suite Francaise on my shelf (thanks to bloggers). I recently read/listened to Secret History and was a bit (or lot) disappointed. Think it was the audio.

    On my list would be Cold Mountain, Midnight's Children, The Bone People, The Handmaid's Tale, Hmmmm--think I could have a different answer every day!

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    1. Trish - I've been dividing my Tuesdays between TTT and Tuesday Intro - love them both! Midnight's Children has been on my tbr list for YEARS, but I'm very intimidated by all things Rushdie. Have read many wonderful reviews of The Bone People and want to read that sometime, too. Funny story about Cold Mountain, It was the only book my inlaws (opposites in every respect) both loved!

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  8. One of my book groups just picked Suite Francaise as our next read - I'm looking forward to it.

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    1. Lisa May - You're in for a treat! The sad thing after reading is to think about what could have been...

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  9. I adore & admire Howards End - one of my favorites of all time. I am struggling to finish The Secret History. I'm about 40 pages from the end and am hating every single one of the selfish, little brutes in the novel.
    A few of my favorite pre-blogging novels are Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Love Medicine, Northanger Abbey and Chocolat.

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    1. Anbolyn - I'm hearing more and more mixed reviews of The Secret History these days, so you are not alone. The characters are definitely not very likable. Howard End is definitely due for a reread, and I can't tell you how long Love Medicine and Tess have been on my to read list.

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  10. I loved I Know This Much To Be True, The Red Tent and Howard's End too!

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    1. Nise' - I just learned that Wally Lamb has a new book coming out this fall - can't wait!

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  11. I have got to reread Howard's End--I remember loving it, but I couldn't tell you why, it's been so long.

    I have The Secret History on my TBR shelf--learned about it from a fellow blogger, probably you! :)

    The Corrections remains unread on my shelf--I don't know why I can't just get started on it. You've inspired me to try...if it's on a TTT list, it must be good!

    I really liked The Red Tent, and would like to reread it someday soonish.

    I've never read any John Updike--he scares me, though not sure why.

    I've read excerpts from And the Band Played On, but was overwhelmed by it. Those were very scary days, when friends were dying and no one knew why.

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    1. JaneGS - I'm in pretty much the same place with Howards End, but plan to reread it for The Classics Club. Updike can be scary -I've read several of his books, but In the Beauty of the Lilies is a favorite. It definitely stands apart from the others.

      And the Band Played On is an amazing book. I was a clinical pharmacist at a teaching hospital in the 80's... so many studies, investigational drugs, and dying young men. Definitely a scary time. I was fascinated by the backstories, the politics, the personalities - the book was riveting.

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  12. I love your list! It mirrors the type of books that I enjoy reading. I have read The Corrections and The Red Tent, and recently purchased Suite Francaise. I will have to check out the others you posted as well. Have a great week!
    Happy Reading,
    Rebecca @ The Key to the Gate

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    1. Rebecca - The similarities in our lists are striking! You are in for a treat with Suite Francaise.

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  13. The only book on this list I've read is THE RED TENT and I had issues with that one :) There are many on here that I'd like to read, though. Happy TTT!

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    1. Susan - You are not the only one with issues on The Red Tent. My sister just cannot get into it - my copy has been on her nightstand for years!

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  14. You have listed several of my favorites but my #1 favorite from this list is A Fine Balance. That book devastated me and I cried at the end of it but it was such a great story and worth the tears!

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    1. Kathleen - I remember reading A Fine Balance on vacation in Florida, but it was anything but a beach read. I was totally consumed by that book!

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  15. Howards End is one of my top favorite books. I just love it. Have you seen the movie version? Quite good, methinks.

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    1. Nan - Oh, yes... I loved the movie version of Howards End. It's high time to reread and re-watch!

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  16. East of Eden is a pre-blogging favorite for me along with I Know This Much is True and Lamb's first novel. Beloved is a pre-favorite too. I need to read And the Band Played On one day soon.

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    1. Vasilly - And I really need to read Beloved! It's been on my tbr shelf longer than almost everything else.

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  17. So many I loved from your list and a few more I need to read -- A Fine Balance:)

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    1. Diane - I suspect I'd love most of your list, too!

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  18. Great list - and I'm really pleased to see Clara Callan on it. LOVED that book!

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    1. Debbie Rodgers - Another Clara Callan fan! Such a great book, but it doesn't get nearly as much attention as it deserves.

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  19. I am doing a TBR challenge, and I am excited to see 2 of my selections on your list! Adding some of the other books to my watch list.

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    1. Rachel - I'm curious which two you're going to try. Hope you enjoy them!

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    2. I'm planning to read Suite Francaise and The Secret History, and actually I already read A Fine Balance this year as part of the challenge.

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    3. Rachel - You are in for a real treat with Suite Francaise... it's sad to think about what might have been. The Secret History has gotten some mixed reviews among bloggers lately, but I couldn't put it down. Will be curious to see what you think.

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  20. A Fine Balance was and always will remain an absolute favorite of mine. In fact, that is one book that I would consider reading again!

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    1. Staci - I remember reading A Fine Balance years ago on vacation in Florida... it was certainly not your typical 'beach read'!

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  21. Love The Red Tent. I have been meaning to get to A Fine Balance for years now!

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    1. Melissa - A Fine Balance is an amazing book, one I should probably reread. Hope you can get to it soon.

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  22. Fascinating to see that "And the Band Played On" made your list. I found that to be a very powerful read as I worked in HIV/AIDS education in the early '90's in an extremely conservative Texas city - it was an uphill job but fantastically inspiring. I wanted to know as much as I could about the pandemic and this book filled in a lot of the gaps.

    Extremely powerful and I was so mad at how it all happened. At least it's (a bit) better nowadays...

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    1. Ravingreader - During the 80's and 90's I worked as a clinical pharmacist in a teaching hospital that was just coming to grips with the AIDS/HIV crisis and involved in many experimental drug studies. And the Band Played On was an amazing read - still probably one of the best nonfiction titles ever. Thanks for the comment!

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