Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Top Ten Tuesday: Books for a Deserted Island

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week we're talking about books to bring to a deserted island. And since life has been a little crazy this fall, let me just say a deserted island and a pile of books doesn't sound half bad! My choices include:


Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
-a personal favorite


East of Eden by John Steinbeck
-another fave


Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
-a fabulous character study and, quite possibly, my favorite novel



A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
- a book I've wanted to reread for years


Clarissa by Samuel Richardson
-maybe I could finally finish this on a deserted island?


The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
-because I'm a Franzen fan


This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper
-because everyone needs to laugh now and then


-Woman does not live on fiction alone. This is the best literary biography - ever!


War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
-from my to be read pile


The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
-no list is complete without a page-turner

Which books would you choose?
See more lists here.

22 comments:

  1. Great list :) I would love to re-read A Fine Balance as well!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jennifer - Thanks. I hope to reread A Fine Balance next year!

      Delete
  2. I've not read any of these. Perhaps I have been only saving them for such occasion.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Excluding books about "How to Live on a Deserted Island" I would take extremely long books, several novels and a couple of very large short story anthologies. If I'm on the island for any length of time, I'll need books I can re-read multiple times. I think very long books would be best.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. C.B. James - I probably should have included at least one short story anthology... and maybe a Dickens, too.

      Delete
  4. It would take me at least a week of pondering to figure out my list. I doubt if I WERE stranded on a desert island would I get that much time to think about it! But I will say that if I were trapped alone with a Franzen book, I probably would imagine myself in hell. Can't stand that man.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sandy - Franzen is pretty easy to dislike, but I do love his writing!

      Delete
  5. New follower! Pride and Prejudice is a must. War and Peace would definitely keep you busy! Good list!

    Check out my TTT.

    Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome, Sandy! It's nice to meet you. Pride and Prejudice will always be at the top of my list :-)

      Delete
  6. Oh no! Surely not the dreaded Clarissa. :-)

    Several books on your list I haven't read so must look out for.
    East of Eden I read last month and absolutely loved - my first JS and I went into it with some doubts whether I'd even like it.Wrong again!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cat - I'm beginning to think that is the ONLY way I will ever finish Clarissa... what a painful book, lol! So glad you loved East of Eden. Steinbeck is amazing. I reread several of his short novels not too long ago, and hope to reread The Grapes of Wrath and The Winter of Our Discontent soon, too.

      Delete
  7. I would have Austen as well - though I'm torn between Emma, Persuasion & P&P, so I might go for one of those "Complete Works" editions. I'd also have to have Trollope (The Last Chronicle of Barset - nice & long), and Georgette Heyer (The Quiet Gentleman) - oh, and PG Wodehouse. I love planning out my desert-island list, which except for those four is subject to constant revision!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lisa May - I was going to list "Complete Works' of Austen, but decided to select my favorite. I need to read more Trollope. The Warden didn't do much for me so I haven't been in a hurry to return. And can you believe I have never read Georgette Heyer? The Quiet Gentleman has just been added to my wish list. Other than the top three, my list is constantly changing, too. Not sure what would be on it today...

      Delete
  8. I loved your lists..some I have read and loved, while others are ones that I would like to attempt!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Staci - I've always been a list-maker, so these Tuesday exercises are really fun!

      Delete
  9. I haven't read any of these D: But yey for new books to try out now :D

    I'm a new follower! Here is my TTT

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Anya - nice to meet you! I added a few to my list from your post, too :-)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Great list! I didn't make one, I just can't choose.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Carol - My list would be different today... I keep changing my mind!

      Delete
  12. I've long been meaning to read A Fine Balance. Maybe when I'm stranded? Or retired. Either way, when I have more time. I haven't read East if Eden since college; I should pick that up again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bellezza - I'm certain you would love A Fine Balance! I read it on a beach in Sanibel many years ago... not exactly a beach read, but an excellent book. I reread East of Eden 5 or 6 years ago (first time since college) and loved it even more the second time around. Since then, I have been rereading many of Steinbeck's novels. The Grapes of Wrath or The Winter of Our Discontent will be next.

      Delete

Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! Be sure to check back, I always respond. Due to a recent increase in spam, all comments are moderated.

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails