Top Ten Tuesday - Books I Am Glad I Read

 

Welcome back to another Top Ten Tuesday. Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl since 2018. It was born out of a love of lists and bringing book lovers together. This week is a Thankful/Thanksgiving freebie. I've decided to list ten books I'm thankful to have read at least once. Many of these books were not favorites, but they were important to me at the time or taught me something new about myself.

This week's topic: Thankful/Thanksgiving Freebie - Books I Am Glad I Read

1. W.i.t.c.h. by Elisabetta Gnone

I used to borrow the W.i.t.c.h. graphic novels from my school library all the time and I'm still obsessed with the series. I love the TV show too, it was hilarious and so much fun. We follow Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin as they discover new powers and become guardians of the veil between worlds.

2. Inferno by Dan Brown

My friend used to love reading Dan Brown books, so when I found Inferno at a book fair I decided to give it a try. This was my first time reading something other than fantasy and though it took me a while to get into it I was quick to buy the rest of the Dan Brown books. Sadly, the interest has waned now and I've given almost all of them away. However Inferno is still my favorite and remains on my shelves to this day.

3. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea is certainly not my favorite classic sci-fi, it's not even my favorite book by Jules Verne. However, I am truly grateful to have read this book and to have read about the mysterious and tragic Captain Nemo. I'm not sure I'll be rereading this book ever again but I'm glad I read it.

4. The Enchanted Bellows by Enid Blyton

My earliest memories of reading involve my mother reading Enid Blyton's story collections to me and my sister. When I was first allowed to borrow books from the school library, Enid Blyton was the only author whose shelf I would go to. The Enchanted Bellows was my favorite out of all the collections I read, and it was a starting point for my reading journey.

5. Goosebumps by R.L. Stine

I don't read horror except for the occasional middle-grade, and I think I realized that horror wasn't for me very early on when I first read the Goosebumps books. My aunt loved these books. She had saved the books from when she was young and gave them to my sister and me when we were visiting our grandparents. My sister was by far a bigger fan of the books than I was, but I'm glad I read them. At least I found out that horror wasn't a preference for me.

6. The Adventures of Mary Kate and Ashley by Cathy East Dubowski

I honestly wasn't even sure if The Adventures of Mary Kate and Ashley really existed or if I imagined reading them in the school library. These books were probably my introduction to the mystery genre and honestly, it's my favorite after fantasy so I'm glad I got to read them.

7. The Book of Fate by Brad Meltzer

I chose The Book of Fate from a shelf of used books at a shopping mall years ago, and I didn't know anything about it. I didn't think I would like it, but I did, and it was a first for me. I'd never read a political thriller before this book, and since I enjoyed it, I might pick more of them up if I find the time.

8. The Story Of My Life by Helen Keller

If you've read the first Top Ten Tuesday I did on my blog (Books I was assigned to read in school), you'll remember that I was assigned The Story Of My Life in school. Although I'm not likely to reread it, I am immensely grateful for the chance to have read it. I have never felt so inspired, moved, and just thankful for the things I'd never thought much about like my eyesight or my hearing that it changed how I viewed my life. It also made me feel greater compassion for others who were perhaps not as fortunate as I was.

9. Matilda by Roald Dahl

I've been watching the Matilda movie for years, and though I read the book about two years ago, I'm so glad that I did. It helped strengthen my joy for reading. It was also the first time I realized that I'd like to work in education and change lives for the better as Miss Honey did for Matilda.

10. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is my favorite mystery book. I love the Flavia de Luce series, and I will always be grateful for that one YouTube recommendation video that led me to this wonderful mystery series.

If you haven't read my review of Moving is Murder by Nellie H. Steele yet, you can do so here.

Thank you for reading! Follow my blog for more.