Books We Can't Put Down - Top 10 & Giveaway

   By SheSpeaksTeam  Jan 24, 2012
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There are books you read, and then there are books that change you. They serve as a source for inspiration. Whether it's a romance novel, an action and adventure book, a suspense filled thriller or a science-fiction book, there is so much to learn from these terrific reads.

We came across this beautifully-composed video that sums up the "magic" that books offer.

 

As avid readers, we truly believe there is nothing like a good book. So we wanted to share our love of reading with you! It was really hard to narrow the list down but here is our top 10 list of must reads and a few guilty pleasures:

  1. The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht: "As long-hidden secrets come to light, The Tiger's Wife deftly walks the line between the realistic and the fantastical. ...These strange and beautiful stories from the past eventually converge with Natalia's present, revealing oddly comforting truths about death, belief in the impossible, and the art of letting go." - Stephan Lee, O - The Oprah Magazine
  2. The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach: "Harbach's expansive, allusive first novel combines the pleasures of an old-fashioned baseball story with a stately, self-reflective meditation on talent and the limits of ambition. ...If it seems a stretch for a baseball novel to hold truth and beauty and the entire human condition in its mitt, well, 'The Art of Fielding' isn't really a baseball novel at all, or not only." - Gregory Cowles, The New York Times
  3. Blueprints for Building Better Girls by Elissa Schappell: "Schappell's sardonic, not-afraid-to-show-ugly voice quietly carries us along, linking sex and dread - not in a Scary Movie way but rather in a mode of hard-lesson suburban nihilism." - Ben Dickinson, ELLE Magazine
  4. Ten Thousand Saints by Eleanor Henderson: "The ambition of Eleanor Henderson's debut novel about a group of unambitious lost souls, is beautiful. In nearly 400 pages, Henderson does not hold back once: she writes the hell out of every moment, every scene, every perspective, every fleeting impression, every impulse and desire and bit of emotional detritus. She is never ironic or underwhelmed; her preferred mode is fierce, devoted and elegiac." - Stacey D'erasmo, The New York Times
  5. I Totally Meant to Do That by Jane Borden: "In her collection of essays, Time Out New York's comedy editor takes material that has been a gift to generations of New York jokers ? moving, say, or finding a roommate ? and bounces her polite, deferential Southern personality off of them, spinning them into funny, epic tales of one woman retaining her dignity in the most awful of situations, whether it's being sworn at by strangers, working as an undercover shopper in Chinatown or being jammed into the passenger seat of a van on the BQE with a mover named Georgie." - Dan Kois, NPR
  6. Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult: "What a plot! Zoe, Max and Vanessa are thrown into decisions and situations for which they are utterly unprepared. Picoult's supporting characters ? Zoe's New Age mother, a suicidal teenager Zoe treats each week, the church pastor and the lawyer who represents Zoe and Vanessa in the courtroom drama at the novel's end ? are equally unforgettable." - Salter Reynolds, Los Angeles Times
  7. Inseperable by Dora Heldt: "This was a heartfelt tale of friendships had, loved, lost, and then rekindled. It truly shows the depth of the female friendship bond. " - Amanda J Umlandt, ELLE Magazine
  8. Huck by Janet Elder: "Huck is a story of a mother, a father, a 12-year-old boy and his toy poodle. The set-up sounds ordinary -- but the events in their lives are not. Huck is one of those books that has you rooting for a happy ending. The tale is deceptively simple; the larger message is genuinely touching." - Fern Siegel, Huffington Post
  9. A World on Fire by Amanda Foreman: "Which side would Great Britain support during the Civil War? Foreman gives us an enormous cast of characters and a wealth of vivid description in her lavish examination of a second battle between North and South. ...Foreman turns from the patriotic gore to her true subject of the British and the war. While guns blazed, another battle was being waged, for English hearts and minds, at both the elite and popular levels." - Geoffrey Wheatcroft, The New York Times
  10. Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick: "Author and artist, Brian Selznick creates two separate but intertwining narratives in Wonderstruck. ...It's the journey to that end that enchants, as the characters assert their independence in this moving story of family and community." - Abbe Wright, O - The Oprah Magazine

Now that you know our top 10, we want to know which books you simply can't put down. If you were stranded on a dessert island which book would you want in your hand?  We want your recommendations.

If you share your book reviews and recommendations this week you'll be entered for a chance to win one of our giveaway prizes. Submit your favorite book to SheSpeaks Reviews and add a comment to this blog post by 6pm EST on January 30th, 2012. You can enter a review AND a comment and you will have two entries to win!

review

 Prizes:



The Tiger's Wife



Ten Thousand Saints


Wonderstruck



Blueprints for Building Better Girls



The Art of Fielding

 

The contest starts January 24, 2012 and ends January 30, 2012; at 6:00 p.m. Must be a US resident. No purchase necessary.

GOOD LUCK!

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korkypeachmom by korkypeachmom | AUSTIN, TX
Jan 26, 2012

I reviewed Hunger Games: This is a series that you AND your teens and tweens can all enjoy. It is truly a modern classic. I have a degree in literature and was really impressed with the writing, character development and storyline. I highly recommend this to anyone, but especially those who are fascinated by the ideas of utopian/dystopian societies and the often unintended outcomes of such.

daniellejodi by daniellejodi | Charleston, SC
Jan 26, 2012

I could never get used to an E-Reader...Books have the best smell! Plus I need to touch the pages and feel the goodness flow back to me! Call me a nerd!

adknykate by adknykate | QUEENSBURY, NY
Jan 26, 2012

I hope if I am ever stranded on a desert island I would have a whole stack of books to read. I can't imagine not reading-it's one of my favorite things to do. Some of my favorites are "Under The Dome" by Stephen King and "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch. I have also read everything written by Elizabeth Berg and Linwood Barclay.

pennysfromheaven by pennysfromheaven | WILLIAMSTON, SC
Jan 26, 2012

I love Anne rice books and Michael Crichton but I am looking forward to checking out some of the books suggested here.

Lindas555 by Lindas555 | Folsom, CA
Jan 26, 2012

I'm a voracious reader. My bookshelves are 2 rows deep on all the levels. I like to keep books that I want to read again, lend books that are particularly interesting and give a way any others that someone else might like (that I didn't, but people have different tastes). Lately, I've been "revisiting" a lot of the books and am currently re-reading The Mists of Avalon. I have just finished The Brief History of the Dead (FASCINATING take on the afterlife) and Still Alice (compelling story of a successful woman who slowly succumbs to the effects of Alzheimer's).

dunkidsmom by dunkidsmom | Overland Park, KS
Jan 26, 2012

I am and have always been an avid reader. I even love reading book reviews! Thanks SheSpeaks for this wonderfully compiled list. I added a review of my latest fav, 11/22/63 by Stephen King. But my all time favorite it Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy. He has an amazing writing style.

ngcisneros by ngcisneros | GRANT, MI
Jan 26, 2012

I like "heaven is for real" by tom burpo. Lots of great info.

mamavangogh by mamavangogh | HEBRON, MD
Jan 26, 2012

I left review for Unplanned by Abby Johnson. I don't normally read non-fiction because when I read, I want to get lost in a good story! However, that book did change my life so that's what I submitted. However, my all-time favorite books are mostly young adult (I'm 31, that counts, right? lol). My must-read series list includes Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, The Twilight Saga (yeah I said it), and The Mortal Instruments series. I have to read them all over and over again!

marsmom by marsmom | ABERDEEN, NJ
Jan 26, 2012

Two books I have absolutely loved, in fact, I have re-read them are Knight and Shining Armor by Jude Deavauraux and The Choice by Nicholas Sparks.

AJCS001 by AJCS001 | ORLANDO, FL
Jan 26, 2012

I could talk about books forever! I just finished "The Gargoyle" by Andrew Davidson which was excellent. I'm currently reading "My Name is Memory" by Ann Brashares, which has totally sucked me in after just 25 pages. Other favorites include "Outlander" by Diana Gabaldon, "I am the Messenger" by Marcus Zuzak and "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen. Books will never go out of style.

klafave by klafave | ROSEVILLE, MI
Jan 26, 2012

what a great idea for a giveaway! i LOVE TO READ and will be checking these books out!

basketball44 by basketball44 | Renton, WA
Jan 26, 2012

I love so many different books, it would be hard to pick just one. If it's written well and has a good story, I will enjoy it until the end!

Kajack by Kajack | MOODY, AL
Jan 26, 2012

The books I had the hardest time putting down recently were The Help, The Hunger Games trilogy, and The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake.

bozemanbrooks by bozemanbrooks | Bozeman, MT
Jan 25, 2012

I really enjoyed reading The Shack by William P. Young.

Angie86 by Angie86 | Dover, NH
Jan 25, 2012

I always liked "Go Ask Alice" and "The Five People you Meet in Heaven." I like the lessons and "realism" in both of them.