Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week a new theme is suggested for bloggers to participate in. This week’s prompt is Books I’d Want With Me While Stranded On a Deserted Island.
Hello Readers! Why is it the end of July already?? I really need the days to slow down. But I have been reading some great books lately—and many off my backlist. Finally! I look forward to sharing those in my July Wrap-Up post in a few days. I’m excited to continue my backlist reading into August, as well.
Today we’re talking about books we’d want with us if we were stranded on a deserted island. Immediately my mind goes to BIG books. Books that would take me a loooong time to read. But then I’d also want some comfort reads, or books I love to reread. But nothing too depressing… And then I thought maybe I’d want helpful books, as well?? I’ll be sharing 5 books I’ve read and loved and 5 books that would include something new. Let’s see what I finally settled on!
(Link to Goodreads synopsis through book title.)
- Outlander by Diana Gabaldon – If I could ONLY have one book and not the entire series, I’d have to pick the first book. So much greatness between the covers.
- The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton – Wharton was the author I fell in love with first and I would probably pick her most popular and critically acclaimed novel—even though I did say I didn’t want anything too depressing… there’s so much to ponder in this novel.
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – This is a book I could reread forever!
- The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater – I adore Maggie’s writing and characters and the first book in The Raven Cycle is still my favorite of hers. So far.
- Twilight by Stephenie Meyer – Please don’t roast me but I had to include Twilight. Purely as a comfort read for nostalgia, of course.
- The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett – I own this beast of a book but I haven’t read it yet. What better time to read it than when I’m stranded on an island. And then if I didn’t like it, it has plenty of pages to contribute to my nightly fires.
- The Stories of John Cheever – Another one I own but haven’t read yet. I’ve heard it’s funny and I’m sure I’d need a few laughs now and again.
- The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, #3) – Because odds are I still won’t have read it yet.
- Shakespeare: The Complete Collection – To keep my mind sharp!
- How to Survive on a Deserted Island by Tim O’Shei – Maybe not as fun, but practical, right?!
Did I include any of your favorites? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Wandering!
Pretty sure that, within reason, I’d just be grateful for almost any novel if I were stranded somewhere! But like you, I’d also be happy with comfort reading, too.
Haha! Yes!
That is an amazing list… I’ve heard much about Ken Follet, but haven’t read him yet… and the last book is definitely practical…
Thank you. <3 Yes, the size of Follett's books are daunting! Maybe someday I'll get around to picking one up. ;)
Great list! The Pillars of the Earth is a great shout – maybe I’d finally read my copy if I was stranded on a desert island with it…
Haha! Yes, same here. It’s so hard to pick up those big books when we have so many others to read.
Number 10 for the win! It’s quite a mix of books, and I like that you were looking to keep your mind sharp
Haha! Yes, I figured I’d need to be challenged and comforted all at the same time.
Comfort reads would be a must if stranded somewhere! Though of course, the survival guide would probably be more useful…
My TTT
Right!? I don’t know what I’d do if I could only pick one!! Haha!
Oh man. Picking ten is hard enough.
Yes!!
Great list Dedra. I cheated a bit and chose a few collected works. I don’t want to run out of reading material. Of course because I have no survival books, I might not last long enough to read them all.
Haha! I definitely did that with Shakespeare. I own a completed works of Shakespeare and it’s HUGE. There’s no way it’d fit in my suitcase with 9 other books.
I was thinking the same thing. And of course if I ended up on a desert island, I would only have what I had with me at the time and it wouldn’t be a huge tome.
Haha! But it’s fun to dream, right?!