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Smiling Shelves

Top Ten Tuesday - Recent Reads Outside of My Comfort Zone

2/23/2016

10 Comments

 
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This weekly frenzy of listing is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
This week's topic is to list books that we enjoyed, even though we wouldn't normally have read them. Last week, I wrote my BBAW Day Three post about a similar topic - books I wouldn't have read if it weren't for fellow book bloggers. So part of this list may sound a little familiar if you saw that post. But there are other books on this list not mentioned before. I don't often read outside my comfort zone (as it turns out), but these are a few I've enjoyed.
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​- I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai (I picked this up because of Nonfiction November. What a powerful read, and what an amazing person she is.)
- The Martian by Andy Weir (It sounded intriguing, but I probably never would have actually read it if not for all the gushing reviews out there.)
- The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (Mysteries are typically not my genre, but everyone seems to love Flavia. Now I know why!)
- The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (If this weren't by J.K. Rowling, I never would have read it. But I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would.)
- All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (I tend to avoid WW2 books, but this one was beautiful.)
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- The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (Hmm, another mystery makes this list. I keep saying that mysteries are not my genre, and then I'm surprised when I enjoy them so much. Maybe I just need to embrace the whole mystery thing.)
- The Turquoise Ledge by Leslie Marmon Silko (I almost put this one down after the first 20 pages, but I persevered and was glad I did.)
- Emma: A Modern Retelling by Alexander McCall Smith (I'm a Jane Austen purist and usually avoid all spin-offs and retellings. But I wanted to give this one a try. It was a decent attempt, which from me is high praise!)
- Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong (I picked this one up solely because the author's last name started with X and I needed it for a reading challenge. It was an absolutely fascinating look at China, and I just may end up reading more of his books.)
- The Crossover by Kwame Alexander (This was the Newbery Award winner for 2015. Not my typical book though - a verse novel about basketball? But this book was amazingly good.)
10 Comments
Kailana link
2/23/2016 08:28:53 am

I loved THE MARTIAN! Lots of other books on here I want to check out one of these days! Alan Bradley is a series that I really need to catch up in!

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Julie @ Smiling Shelves link
2/23/2016 07:47:32 pm

Wasn't The Martian awesome? I'd love to reread it sometime, now that I know how it turns out in the end. :)

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Whitney @ Brown Books and Green Tea link
2/23/2016 10:40:17 am

I tried so hard to check out The Martian (I'm in the middle of a book buying ban right now), but the queue at the library was so long, I gave up. I think in about a 6 months, I'll go back and try to check it out again. I've heard great things from some people, which at least warrants it a look.

My TTT: http://brownbooksandgreentea.com/2016/02/23/reading-outside-of-my-comfort-zone/

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Julie @ Smiling Shelves link
2/23/2016 07:48:22 pm

Library holds can be frustrating, can't they? Props to you for the book buying ban. I don't think I could do it! Hopefully you can get a chance to read The Martian soon. It's certainly worth it!

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Tea Time with Marce link
2/23/2016 11:11:57 am

I definitely say to embrace the Mystery genre Julie :-)

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Julie @ Smiling Shelves link
2/23/2016 07:48:45 pm

It certainly looks like I'm heading that way, doesn't it? :)

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Carrie link
2/24/2016 04:23:45 pm

I really must get to All the Light & Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie SOON! <a href="http://wp.me/p61QCL-2SV">My TTT</a>

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Julie @ Smiling Shelves link
2/25/2016 04:30:37 pm

I agree! They're both wonderful books. :)

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Lois link
2/25/2016 10:45:26 am

A lot of these are outside of my comfort zone too. Except mysteries! I love mysteries! I've thought about reading Smith's Emma but wasn't sure if I wanted to or not. I've read others of his books, which turned me onto it in the first place.

Reply
Julie @ Smiling Shelves link
2/25/2016 04:31:54 pm

Smith's Emma was better than I feared, but nothing spectacular. I've decided I really do need to add more mysteries to my reading! :)

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    My name is Julie, and I own a lot of books. As in, they are stacked on the floor because I've run out of room on the shelves. And those shelves? There are so many books on them that they smile -- not sag; smile. This blog will cover book reviews and all manner of other bookish things.

    You can contact me at julie@smilingshelves.com.

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