Top Ten Tuesday ~ Top Ten Plus Genre Freebie ~ Dystopian Literature

 

"Top Ten Tuesday" is an original feature/weekly meme created on the blog "The Broke and the Bookish". This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at "The Broke and the Bookish". It is now hosted by Jana from That Artsy Reader Girl.

Since I am just as fond of them as they are, I jump at the chance to share my lists with them! Have a look at their page, there are lots of other bloggers who share their lists here.

This week, our topic is a Genre Freebie. (We can pick a genre and build a list around it. It could a list of favorites, a to-read list, recommendations for people interested in reading books in that genre, "if you like this, try this", etc.)

I have participated in Top Ten Tuesday for almost ten years now. It has always been a lot of fun. Obviously, subjects repeat itself after a while, there are new ones but also "recycled" ones. This belongs to the latter. I have done my favourite genre three times already. First, I picked Classics, then Historical Fiction and after that Travel. But there is one genre that I also love and it seems I haven't done one on that topic, yet (at least, I couldn't find it). I know I have used most of those books whenever something came up where they would fit in. My favourite book of all, The Children's War features in 19 lists, so far. Today it makes it's 20th appearance.

So, yes, I have picked dystopian literature today. I love that genre. It depicts our fears about the future and if we look back, we can always see what people feared most at certain times. There is the fear of communism, of Big Brother, of an atomic war, of aliens. But most of all, it's often the fear of someone or something taking control of our lives, changing it forever. By some authors I have read more than just one book on the topic (Margaret Atwood, Ray Bradbury, George Orwell, J.N. Stroyar) but I have only listed one of their books, my favourite.

I hope you will find a book or two among them that you might want to read. If you do, let me know how you liked them.

Atwood, Margaret "The Handmaid’s Tale" (Re-Read) - 1985
Boye, Karin "Kallocain" (SW: Kallocain) - 1940
Bradbury, Ray "Fahrenheit 451" - 1953
Chabon, Michael "The Yiddish Policemen's Union" - 2007
Fforde, Jasper "Shades of Grey. The Road to High Saffron" - 2009
Haushofer, Marlen "The Wall" (GE: Die Wand) - 1962
Huxley, Aldous "Brave New World" - 1931
Jackson, Shirley "The Lottery" - 1948 (short story)
Levithan, David "Every Day" - 2012
McCarthy, Cormac "The Road" - 2006 
Orwell, George "Nineteen Eighty Four" - 1949
Pausewang, Gudrun "The Last Children" (GE: Die letzten Kinder von Schewenborn oder … sieht so unsere Zukunft aus?) - 1983
Sansom, C.J. (Christopher John) "Dominion" - 2011
Stephenson, Neal "Anathem" - 2008
Stroyar, J.N. "The Children's War" - 2001

📚 Happy Reading! 📚

Gulbranssen, Trygve - Bjørndal Trilogy (Bjørndaltrilogien)

Gulbranssen, Trygve "Beyond Sing the Woods" (Norwegian: Og bakom synger skogene) - 1933
Gulbranssen, Trygve "The Wind from the Mountains" (Norwegian: Det blåser fra Dauingfjell and Ingen vei går utenom) - 1934/35

These books were among the few hardcovers my parents owned and were therefore among the first ones I read. That was more than half a century ago now. When my parents died and we liquidated their house, my brothers decided that the books should be mine. I was very happy about them, because they are a nice memento of my parents and my love of reading, which I discovered early on.

The novels are considered a development, peasant, generational and gothic novel. Let's say it could pass as a tragedy. We also liked to watch the movies when they came on TV.

From the back covers:

Gulbranssen, Trygve "Beyond Sing the Woods" (Norwegian: Og bakom synger skogene)
"The story of three generations of an old-lineage Norwegian family making their life in the northern woods (circa 1750's.) Main themes are the struggle between tradition and innovation, the prejudices of pastoral society, and a study in human nature and man's ability to make peace with it."

Gulbranssen, Trygve "The Wind from the Mountains" (Norwegian: Det blåser fra Dauingfjell and Ingen vei går utenom) - 1934/35
"In this second volume of the trilogy, we meet Dag again, who is now slightly older. He is now Old-Dag. His son, Young-Dag, is married off to Adelheid Barre, an officer's daughter, something her urban office-holding family is not immediately thrilled about. But Old-Dag makes a grand impression on them at the wedding, and the objectors fall silent. Adelheid's life at the farm is different than she expected. Her marriage is especially difficult to comprehend. She grows close to Old-Dag, and finds much joy in his company and in long and deep conversations with him. Young-Dag is in many ways a stranger both to her and the family. A tragedy prompts him to run away from the farm, into the woods - all the way to Death Mountain. From there, nobody returns. But he does anyway, and the experiences become a turning point in the relationship between Young-Dag and Adelheid."

"Det blåser fra Dauingfjell" and "Ingen vei går utenom" was collectively translated under the English title The Wind from the Mountains.

Book Quotes

  

"She had read enough stories to know that the princess and the monster were never the same. She had been alone long enough to know which one she was." Melissa Bashardoust, Girl Serpent Thorn

I think I have read enough stories to know that the princess will always be saved from the monster by the good looking guy. 😉

"A book was a powerful thing. It could take her away from all her incessant worries for whole minutes at a time." Susan Wiggs, The Lost and Found Bookshop

Well said. So true.

"Paperbacks are for reading hardbacks for collecting" N.N.

Not a bad thought. But most of us don't have the space to collect all that many books, so I collect my paperbacks and only buy hardbacks very, very rarely.

Find more book quotes here.

#ThrowbackThursday. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

Angelou, Maya "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" - 1969

The author has led a very difficult life - at least in her youth. And she tells us all about it in this book. Racism, poverty, growing up with different caregivers, child abuse, early pregnancy.

Read my original review here.

Perry, Matthew "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing"

Perry, Matthew "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing" - 2022

Do you like F.R.I.E.N.D.S.? If you do, your favourite character might be the same as the one of many: Chandler Bing.

I knew he had a problem with alcoholism. I wondered how he still managed to play such an upbeat character.

Matthew Perry opens up, he tells us everything about his life. While some might find this a little too much, I think this is a great book for those trying to understand this illness. Because that's what it is, an illness. I suffer from migraines and I've heard a lot of things about it, like just taking an aspirin, ignoring it, can't be that bad etc. Anyone suffering from a chronicle, invisible illness can tell you about that. But suffering from alcoholism or drug abuse is different, a lot of people blame them for what they are "doing", not feeling compassion for what is happening to them!

I think when reading Matthew's autobiography, you can understand how hard it is to battle such an illness and that comments like the ones above don't help but hinder.

   

This was a book my son gave me for Christmas. He knows how much I love F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Actually, my whole family does. Say anything and we can answer with a F.R.I.E.N.D.S. quote, we can actually have whole conversations with F.R.I.E.N.D.S. quotes. We have lots of gadgets with F.R.I.E.N.D.S. quotes, coasters, glasses, cups, plates etc. We once gave the boys cushion covers with the quote "The Cushions are the Essence of the Chair" and they both have them in their apartments. Would he have given it to me if he had read it himself beforehand and had known about all the details? I don't know but I hope he would have and I am glad he did.

There is a lot of Matthew in Chandler and a lot of Chandler in Matthew, as could be expected. Reading this memoir makes me love him even more. This is probably one of the saddest story I will read this year. So dark, so devastating.

The book is so honest, you feel the author talks to you personally as his very best friend whom he can rely on. I wish Matthew Perry all the best in the future.

From the back cover:

"The BELOVED STAR OF FRIENDS takes us behind the scenes of the hit sitcom and his struggles with addiction in this 'CANDID, DARKLY FUNNY...POIGNANT' memoir (The New York Times)

A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK by Time, Associated Press, Goodreads, USA Today, and more!
'Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.'

So begins the riveting story of acclaimed actor Matthew Perry, taking us along on his journey from childhood ambition to fame to addiction and recovery in the aftermath of a life-threatening health scare. Before the frequent hospital visits and stints in rehab, there was five-year-old Matthew, who traveled from Montreal to Los Angeles, shuffling between his separated parents; fourteen-year-old Matthew, who was a nationally ranked tennis star in Canada; twenty-four-year-old Matthew, who nabbed a coveted role as a lead cast member on the talked-about pilot then called Friends Like Us. . . and so much more.

In an extraordinary story that only he could tell - and in the heartfelt, hilarious, and warmly familiar way only he could tell it - Matthew Perry lays bare the fractured family that raised him (and also left him to his own devices), the desire for recognition that drove him to fame, and the void inside him that could not be filled even by his greatest dreams coming true. But he also details the peace he’s found in sobriety and how he feels about the ubiquity of Friends, sharing stories about his castmates and other stars he met along the way. Frank, self-aware, and with his trademark humor, Perry vividly depicts his lifelong battle with addiction and what fueled it despite seemingly having it all.

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is an unforgettable memoir that is both intimate and eye-opening - as well as a hand extended to anyone struggling with sobriety. Unflinchingly honest, moving, and uproariously funny, this is the book fans have been waiting for."

Book Tag: 5…4…3…2…1…

I found this on Dianna's blog A Novel Glimpse and on Dini's blog, Dinipandireads, who found it on Becky's blog @ Beckysbookblog. Becky saw this tag on Instagram but wasn’t sure where it originated, so if you do know the creator, please feel free to add a comment so we can post a link to them up!  Thank you all.

5 Books You Love

This is such a tough one. I have linked some of my favourite books by some of my favourite authors (except for the last one, she has only written that one trilogy).

 

Austen, Jane - "Persuasion" - 1817
My favourite book by Jane Austen, one of my favourite classic authors.
Mann, Thomas "Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family" (GE: Buddenbrooks) - 1901
My favourite book by my favourite German author.
Pamuk, Orhan "My Name is Red" (TR: Benim Adım Kırmızı) - 1998
My favourite book by one of my favourite authors ever. Definitely my favourite Turkish author.
Ruiz Zafón, Carlos "The Shadow of the Wind" (E: La sombra del viento - El cementerio de los libros olvidados #1) - 2001
One of my favourite books ever. Too sad the author left us so early.
Stroyar, J.N. "The Children's War" - 2001
Definitely the best book I ever read. I must warn you, it's out of print and it's a trilogy. But if you're lucky, like me, you might still find a used copy.

4 Autobuy Authors

Again, there are many. I list the first one that came to my mind and the last ones they published. Hopefully, there will be more.

Hansen, Dörte "Lunchtime" (GE: Mittagsstunde) - 2018
Right now, my favourite contemporary author. Her first book (This House is Mine) was translated into English, this one not. Yet, I hope.
Kingsolver, Barbara "Unsheltered" - 2018
One of my favourite US American authors, loved her since I read my first one by her (The Poisonwood Bible).
Lawson, Mary "A Town Called Solace" - 2021
Definitely one of my favourite authors ever, Canadian writer Mary Lawson.
Pamuk, Orhan "The Red-Haired Woman" (TR: Kırmızı Saçlı Kadın) - 2016
Like I mentioned, one of my favourite authors. This was, like all the others in this category, his last book (well, he brought out one more that is still not available in paperback).

3 Favourites Genres

The Genres were not difficult but the books were.

Classic Books
Since I already mentioned my favourite classic author, Jane Austen, here is my favourite book by my next favourite:
Dickens, Charles "Oliver Twist" - 1838
Travel Books
German journalist Stephan Orth travels the world similar to the way I used to when I was younger, only we called it "Pasporta Servo" and visited like-minded Esperanto-speakers. This was the first one I read and it might be even more interesting to read today with the war going on.
Orth, Stephan "Couchsurfing in Russia: Friendships and Misadventures Behind Putin’s Curtain" (GE: Couchsurfing in Russland. Wie ich fast zum Putin-Versteher wurde) - 2017

Historical Novels
There are lots of books that teach us history while entertaining us with a nice novel, Edward Rutherfurd is probably one of the best authors of that genre. This was his first one.
Rutherfurd, Edward "Sarum: the Novel of England" - 1987

2 Places You Read

I read anywhere, in my armchair, my bed, in the car, in doctor's waiting rooms, wherever I have a few minutes by myself. Here you can see my reading nook/armchair.

1 Book You Promise to Read Soon

There are tons of books on my TBR pile, this is the one I might read next.

Abulhawa, Susan "Against the Loveless World" - 2020

Now, I hope more bloggers will take this on and I am looking forward to your results.

Gray, Martin "For those I loved"

Gray, Martin "For those I loved" (French: Au nom de tous les miens) - 1971

I read this book many years ago, but it is one that has never left me. The life that Martin Gray led, no, that he had to experience, was so hard. One loss after another. I don't know how he got through it. First the Warsaw ghetto, then Treblinka and later, when he found a family, a fire destroyed his whole life again.

Apparently, not everything happened exactly as described in the book. But the key data of the author's life is correct, and that's bad enough.

An impressive work.

From the back cover:

"Martin Gray was in his fourteenth year when the Nazis marched into Poland ; on his nineteenth birthday he entered Berlin with the Red Army. In the intervening years - in the Warsaw Ghetto, in the death camp at Treblinka, with the partisans and the NKVD - Martin Gray grew up in a hell on earth.

For Those I Loved is a classic account of survival against incredible and horrific odds.

Martin has come full circle since his boyhood world was turned upside down by the German invasion of Poland in 1939. Overnight, the teenage Martin and his family were immersed in the horrors of the Holocaust and held captive in the Warsaw Ghetto. It was a nightmare of brutality, starvation, and death. Martin became a clever smuggler to help his family survive - until the 'butchers' of Treblinka took his mother and brothers. Against impossible odds, Martin survived and returned to fight in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. As the Nazis incinerated the ghetto, he escaped to fight with the partisans, and then the Red Army.

After the war, Martin made his way to New York. The cunning and skills he developed during the war enabled him to learn the language and create a successful business. At 35, he retired to France with a fortune and a beautiful Dutch wife, starting a family and living in happiness and peace. But his world was shattered once again by a forest fire that engulfed his fleeing family. In a tragic repeat of history, Martin alone survived.

Martin Gray's past could be our future if we don't heed his call to be the change. In this 35th anniversary expanded edition of For Those I Loved, a book beloved by millions of readers worldwide, Martin reminds us that the past is connected to the present. Only we can ensure that history is not repeated.

Martin Gray still lives in the South of France (*) and has devoted his life to his family, writing, human rights, and environmental and cultural causes. He received the United Nations Dag Hammar-skjold Award and the Gold Medal of European Merit."

* He died in 2016, after the book was published.