TOP TEN TUESDAY | Books I Love but Don't Talk About

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme for bloggers who like books and lists. It's awesome and is graciously hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Hi there!  This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic gave me the opportunity to dig through some older reads to see if I could unearth some gems that I haven't previously raved about (much).  It was fun! The specific topic is:

Ten Books I Really Love But Feel Like I Haven't Talked About Enough/In A While (inspired by freebie topic)

I may have in fact mentioned some of these books before but I don't think I've subjected them too often to adoration inspired gushing.  I wouldn't call these books all time favorites but I really enjoyed all of them and in most cases they converted me into an auto-buy fan of the author.  Okay, enough exposition!

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1. Crow in Stolen Colors by Marcia Simpson

I'm a little hesitant to bring this book and it's one other companion up because of ...things but it is a mystery set in Alaska, featuring a librarian/boat captain.  I remember loving the main character, being engaged by the mystery and being completely fascinated by the portrayal of life in Alaska. It was nominated for a couple of debut mystery awards including the Edgar. My hesitation about bringing it up is that it is bound to be a disappointment if you do like it because the author only wrote one other book before seemingly dropping off the face of the earth.  

2. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley

I read this book after have moved to and lived in Iowa for a couple of years so I'm not sure if that played some role in my love for it.  It is the drama of an Iowa farm family and it is completely absorbing.  

3. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

I feel like maybe this book has had a recent resurgence and with good reason.  It's a lovely coming of age tale written by the author who also wrote 101 Dalmatians.

4. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

This is the first book in a series that became a hugely popular TV show but don't skip the books!  I really loved this first book in the series, more than I even expected.  If you are unaware, it's a crime/mystery series featuring a forensic blood splatter expert who also happens to be a serial killer.  He's surprisingly likeable.

5. Holmes on the Range by Steve Hockensmith

I really adore this goofy mystery series about two cowboys in the wild west who happen to be huge Sherlock Holmes fans.  It's a creative way of playing with the Sherlock Holmes mythos.

6. Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury

I really love Ray Bradbury's writing and this is one of my favorite books by him.  As far as I can remember, nothing fantastical or science-fictiony about it.  It's a surprisingly sentimental, and somewhat autobiographical coming of age tale that takes place in a small town in 1920s Illinois.

7. Peter Grant Series by Ben Aaronovitch

I think I've mentioned this series a time or two but wanted to say once again just how much I love it.  Peter Grant has one of the best voices in Urban Fantasy - he's hilarious and awesome and this whole series is fantastic and original. 

8. The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon

I read this a long while ago but remember just really loving it.  It's a nice genre mash-up of crime and alternate history.  The tone is like nothing else I've read.

9. The Poisoners Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum

I thought I'd throw a couple of non-fiction books on here!  This is a totally engrossing, well written and researched book about all the things listed in the subtitle:0). Probably one of the best non-fiction books I've read in the last 5 years including Mary Roach. That's serious love, y'all.

10. The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper by Lynn Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift

To go with the Poisoner's Handbook, a Cookbook!  When I got this cookbook, I sat down and read it from cover to cover.  It's beautiful and is chock full of great recipes and information. The recipes display a love for eating and range from simple to complex.  I've made numerous recipes from it and all of them have been amazing.   

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So how about you?  Any books that you feel like you don't blab enough about?