TOP TEN TUESDAY | Great Recommendations

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.

This week's TTT is about those books learned about from other readers and which lo and behold turned out to be awesome!  Specifically:

October 11: All About Books You Read Because of Recommendation -- Ten Books I've Read Because Of Another Blogger (Or Book Person) or Ten Books I Read On Recommendation From People Outside Of This Community or you could talk about recommendations of books you read from other sources -- a magazine, a podcast, a "because you read this" algorithm.

This is hard because most of what I read these days is because of a recommendation of one sort or another.  It actually may be the biggest way my reading has changed in recent years.  I used to go solely by browsing, reading the blurb and then just leaping in and taking a chance.  I rarely if ever do that now.  But I can't just list the last 10 books I have read, so I am instead going to list ten books I really loved, sometimes surprisingly, sometimes not and, for which, I remember where I heard about them.  I see this as a way of not only highlighting some great books but also some of my favorite sources of recommendations!

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1) The Palace Job (Rogues of the Republic #1)by Patrick Weekes

This is one of my current reads and I am really enjoying it!  It is a fantasy heist novel - think Ocean's Eleven in a medieval type world with lots of magic.  So the gang has a safe cracker and a contortionist but also a Death Priestess and a Unicorn.  I heard about this one from Danya at her lovely fantasy book blog Fine Print.  Thanks Danya!

2) Sawbones (Laura Elliston #1) by Melissa Lenhardt

I read this just recently and absolutely ADORED it.  So fantastic.  It's historical fiction set in the American Western featuring a woman Doctor who is running from the law and society's expectations.  It ain't for the faint of heart.  It was recommended by Mogsy at one of my favorite blogs, The Bibliosanctum. It's a SFF blog but Sawbones was a rare non-SFF recommendation on the site!

3) Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie

I am not a fan of "chick lit". I even hate that name.  I don't like to shop, I'm not a girly-girl, I'm not urban and I'm not obsessed with boys and getting/being married.  But when this book was brought up on Book Riot's Get Booked Podcast (which is my favorite of their podcasts) it sounded like fun and in fact I loved it!  While the setting is Urban and the heroine is interested in getting married, she is equally interested in her career and her best girlfriends.  She kind of hates going out and shopping (except for shoes which is acceptble) and is completely no nonsense.  So great!  The premise is that she hears a guy make a bet with his friends that he can get her to go out with him so she agrees to a date so that she can purposefully teach him a lesson.  

4) Whose Body? (Lord Peter Wimsey Series) by Dorothy L. Sayers

Really this is about the whole Lord Peter Wimsey series which is utterly delightful! I was of course aware of their existence but I wasn't in any hurry to read the series until one of the presenters of the Reading the End Podcast was rhapsodizing about them.  This is probably my favorite book podcast that I listen to.  And reading the series (along with a few others) has made me realize how much I really love women-authored fiction from 1920-1965 or so.  It's a weird niche but it works for me!

5) The Kate Daniels Series by Ilona Andrews

I used to think I did not like Urban Fantasy, but there was something in the way the blog Fantasy Cafe described the Kate Daniels series that made me want to give it a whirl.  And boy am I glad I whirled.  This series is utterly fantastic AND it turns out I like Urban Fantasy after all!

6) Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

Really this should just be a thank you for introducing me to Tamora Pierce period.  If you've ever read Elizabeth's blog at So Long and Thanks for All The Fish you are probably aware she loves Tamora Pierce and I'm so glad I found this great YA author through her recommendations!  She also introduced me to K Dramas for which I am eternally grateful and overwhelmed:). 

7) Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart

I think I heard about this book on another of Book Riot's podcasts, All The Books, when the book was released.  Historical mystery is one of my jams and this story about three sisters in pre-1920 New England really appealed to me.  I ended up super loving the book and am so excited there is a sequel that just came out in September!

8) This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart

Remember what I said about women authors between 1920 and 1965?  Yep, this is another one!  This one was recommended by Lark on The Bookwyrm's Hoard  - she is incredibly widely read and she mentioned this as one of her favorites of Mary Stewart's romantic suspense.  It's fantastic!

9) Walt Longmire Series by Craig Johnson

For a twist, I was introduced to this series after I fell in love with the TV series Longmire last year.  The books and show are different but they are equally awesome!

10) Ink and Bone (The Great Library #1) by Rachel Caine

This is one of the most original YA fantasies I've read this year and it was recommended by Selah on A Bibliophile's Style.  She doesn't often gush quite as hard as she did about this book so I knew I needed to pick it up! Her blog is also unique - combining fashion and books!

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That's it for my list thought I could have gone on and on and on!  Self restraint is my middle name!  Do you have a favorite place to get recommendations?  What's the best book you read recently that was recommended?  Have you ever read a book you thought you might not like because it was recommended to you and then ended up loving it? So many questions! Answer them all.