Monday, September 10, 2012

Top 10 Books That Made Me Think


Top 10 Books That Made Me Think

 
 




I'm repeating my self on this one quite a bit, but it raises so many questions and leaves the reader to answer them. 
 
 
 
 
Not only is The Hunger Games, lose-yourself-for-hours entertaining, but it highlights many issues worth discussion.  My fav - gender roles.  Katniss and Peeta are reverse gender stereotypes and then the next two characters - Prim and Gale are classic gender types.
 
 
 
The Blind Side really made me think not only about how football evolved (I love football and find this fascinating), but also consider how much national potential we lose by not educating all children.  Michael Oher was obviously a smart guy who wanted to learn, but was just not given any opportunity too until he was in his late teens - and that came about because he was lucky.
 
 
 
 
 
Really interesting fiction novel that delves into the true history and reasons for the violence in the middle east.  I learned quite a bit.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The main characters in Palmer's novels have similar relationship weaknesses that I do so these are fun reads, but also have me doing some self reflection.
 
 
 
 
 
I'll be repeating myself again on this one, but I'm much more aware of how women are protrayed in the media and politically after reading it.
 
 
 
 
History about apartheid South Africa, wonderful quotes that I pull out from time to time.  I read this one annually and it gives me something new to think about each time.
 
 
 
 
 
It's "chick-lit" but it also made me think about marriage and the compromises involved. 
 
 
 
 
Tademy researched her family's history going back through slavery with what little documentation existed and then turned it into as truthful a novel as she could.  Whenever I think about this novel I think about how much pressure you would put on yourself writing a novel like this.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Another good insight into the Middle East.  I love being able to learn from fiction.

13 comments:

  1. I loved A Thousand Splendid Suns, it was a great book.

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  2. A Thousand Splendid Suns was on my mind a long time after I finished reading it. It does give a good insight into the people and the place. I think we can learn a lot more from fiction that most people would think :)

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    1. Agreed. I really don't read my nonfiction. There are some wonderful fiction authors who do extensive research into the subjects they are writing about.

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  3. Hunger Games is a popular choice today. I guess we all were forced to think what if with Hunger Games. Great list!

    Check out our TTT

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  4. I've been wanting 'We Need to talk About Kevin" for a while now. Definitely going to be on my Whats' Next Post. The Hunger Games is the only other one I've read, so you've given me a lot of books to look into. love your list! Here's Ours

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  5. What a great list! Hunger Games, We Need to Talk About Kevin and The Kiterunner are all very good books that definitely make you think. The Blind Side and Cane River sound really interesting - as does The Purity Myth and Exile...

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  6. The Hunger Games is the only book I have read from your list. But I really appreciated your insights on the other novels. Thanks.

    Here's my Top Ten Tuesday

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  7. Great list. I must read The Purity Myth, it sounds really interesting.

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  8. How did I forget the Hosseini books? I loved both of those and learned so much in reading them. I've sort of blown off The Blind Side because the movie looked really cheesy, but I love football(good Texas girl, I guess) so maybe I should give it a chance.

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    1. The Blind Side movie is a little cheesy (in a way that I enjoyed) but the book isn't at all. The book is definitely non-fiction. You need to find football interesting on it's own to get it IMO.

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  9. I think I've only read two books off of this list so I'll have to check out the rest. I really love the situations Giffin creates. She does a good job at making you see the other side of something that may be considered slightly taboo.

    Have you read "Love the One You're With?" That one really made me think about cheating in a different way. I'm still not okay with it, but I guess I understand the motivation a little more.

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  10. The Blind Side sounds like a story I'd love to read. I haven't seen the movie either.

    Here's my top ten list of books that made me think. I hope you will stop by!

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  11. Ahh!! I need to read We Need to Talk About Kevin! I picked it up at a used book store a while back and have been meaning to get to it! Great list!

    Sorry it took me a bit to get to your TTT! Been a busy week! :P

    Michele | Top 10 | Giveaway

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