15 September 2010

Unexpected Treasure: Three of the Best

Wednesday—Unexpected Treasure
We invite you to share with us a book or genre you tried due to the influence of another blogger.  What made you cave in to try something new and what was the experience like?
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I am a rather eclectic reader, so I haven't exactly been exposed to a new genre due to blogging. I do, however, spend more time in certain genres and less in others due to blogging. When it comes to books though, there have been quite a few that I would probably not have heard about or read if it weren't for the wonderful world of blogging...and the amazing bloggers who share their love for books with the world.

One of my favorite reads of 2010 actually came from one of my favorite bloggers, Ana from things mean a lot. Based on her recommendation, I picked up Fingersmith by Sarah Waters. This book rocked my world. A moving, complex, and intelligent tale of two women struggling against the circumstances of their lives, Fingersmith awes the reader with beautifully written prose that is simultaneously delicate and powerful. I wish I could tell you more about it, but this is a book which must be experienced. To reveal the plot would totally skew the first-time impression.

Jenners, over at Find Your Next Book Here, is another blogger who consistently adds to my wish list. One of my favorite reads I snagged from her blog is gods behaving badly by Marie Phillips. In this wonderfully snarky and humorous book, the Greek gods are floundering in the twenty-first century.  Slowly losing their power, worshiped by none, they live together in a London home amicably insulting each other and dreaming of better days.  When Aphrodite and Apollo start fighting and drag two mortals into it, things go from boring to devastating fast.
If you like fun, irreverence, and quick reads, you will like this book!  If you are offended by swear words and poking fun at the gods and God, you should probably stay away.

One recommendation was not a new book to me; instead it was a quick kick in the pants motivating me to finally read it. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde languished on my TBR shelves for years, sitting there, judging me, but I kept putting it off misguidedly believing it would be a tedious, boring read. Amanda from The Zen Leaf, an intelligent, prolific, and fun blogger, motivated me to finally pick it up when she referred to it as one of her favorite reads. I was not disappointed. Every single beautiful page of this fascinating story has an idea, a claim, that is discussion worthy.  The plot itself offers wonderful themes: the construction of identity, hedonism, naturalism, the art and artifice manipulation, love, the role of literature, and on and on.  Dorian's fall into self-aggrandizing and immorality, and his sporadic and half-hearted attempts to escape present readers with a warped mirror with which to judge their own beliefs. Do not be scared of this book. Read it!

There are so many more books I could add, but as this post is already getting a bit long, I'll leave you with the following:

Book Bloggers wreak havoc on your TBR piles, but they also introduce you to some amazing books!

20 comments:

  1. I agree with you on Fingersmith. And have you EVER heard of anyone who read it and didn't have their world rocked? No! It is loved unilaterally. I need to get my hands on Gods Behaving Badly. That is just my style.

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  2. I have only read the Oscar Wilde novel. That too long time ago.

    Here is my BBAW: Unexpected Treasure post!

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  3. I couldn't limit myself to books! I had to go and pick a whole new medium!! :D

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  4. I picked Fingersmith too- I have a theory that nearly every book blogger picked it up due to Ana's wonderful influence.

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  5. I loved the heck out of Fingersmith and thought that Anna's review was amazing. I see a lot of others checked it out as well!

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  6. Excellent choices! I just love reading what others have found through their bloggy excursions.

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  7. This reminds me that I rarely mention WHO influenced my choice when I read a book even tho I attempt to keep track in my goodreads listings. I would say most if not all books I read I selected from somewhere online. I do love when a book falls into my lap from other sources but it's rare.

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  8. Gods Behaving Badly was such a funny book. I enjoyed it when I read it awhile ago.

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  9. I've really enjoyed the Waters books I've read but I haven't gotten to Fingersmith yet. But I WILL be listening to Dorian Gray next month, so yay!

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  10. I totally read Fingersmith after Ana's awesome review. I think she has probably influenced me more than any other blogger. I think I first heard of Gods Behaving Badly on your blog!!

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  11. What great books. I have yet to read Fingersmith, enjoyed Gods Behaving Badly last year for all the reasons you mention, and am still on the fence with Wilde. I might have to try that book someday though. :)

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  12. Yes, ma'am...I'll read The Picture of Dorian Gray next month! I'm glad to hear good things about it, considering my abysmal record with classics.

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  13. I haven't read Sarah Waters books yet. I first heard about her last fall when, I read a review of "Little Strangers" on Farmlane Books Blog. I researched Sarah Waters afterwards and have had her on my reading list since, hoping to read "Fingersmith" first. I really like what you wrote about the book and am thinking of moving "Fingersmith" and Sarah Water's other books to the top of my list!
    I read "The Picture of Dorian Gray" a long time ago and enjoyed it. I would like to read it agian someday! Love what you said about the book!

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  14. I have seen Fingersmith around a lot today, for good reason! I have been wanting to read the other two books you mentioned.

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  15. I cannot wait to read Fingersmith. I have it coming to me soon.

    And yay for Wilde.

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  16. I have to read Fingersmith yet - I hope to get to it soon!

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  17. I read the Fingersmith and had somewhat of a love-hate relationship with it. I seem to be the only one! I do have reasons but I won't share them here, because they would definitely ruin a first-time reader's enjoyment of the book! Anyone interested can send me an email (erinreadsblog {at} gmail {dot} com) or a DM (@ErinReadsblog) :-)

    The other two books, though, are already on my list, so I'm very happy to hear positive reviews!

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  18. "Book Bloggers wreak havoc on your TBR piles, but they also introduce you to some amazing books!" Oh, so true! I love that my TBR pile grows by leaps and bounds every time I go online :)

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  19. Love your picks!! I adored "Fingersmith" too ... and obviously I loved "Gods Behaving Badly." So now you're making me think I must read "The Picture of Dorian Grey" so I can be 3 out of 3.

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  20. Ana is bad for everyone's wishlists and TBR piles! I loved Fingersmith too! I really need to read her more recent books.

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